Mario has changed a lot over the years, but he hasn’t lost any of his popularity. – © RR
The latest Super Mario Bros. movie has been hitting Belgian cinemas since last Wednesday and has turned into an instant hit at the box office. Super Mario became known all over the world through the legendary computer game Nintendo in the 80’s and hasn’t lost its iconic status since then. With an ensemble cast including Chris Pratt as Mario and Jack Black as Bowser, the movie breaks records and proves once again that a mustachioed character is immortal. What is the secret behind the popularity of Super Mario?
Louis Lambrechts
Mario has been around for four decades and throughout this time he has earned hero status in the gaming world. The red-capped plumber first appeared in 1981, as a minor character in the computer game Dong King Kong. Since then, it has become impossible to imagine a computer screen without it. With no fewer than 250 games, Mario’s Adventures continues to be very popular with young and old.
The figure comes from Shigeru Miyamoto’s tube. “Due to the limited technical capabilities at the time, I gave the figure a mustache without a mouth and overalls for distinction. I also gave it a hat so I didn’t have to draw hair,” Miyamoto laughs.
© RR
Despite the primitive nature of the original game by today’s standards, a few years ago, an early copy of Super Mario sold for a staggering $1.5 million at auction.
Read also. There is money in old video games (but not in yours because of that)
In the original game, the player had to go through several levels to complete the game. The ultimate goal was to save Princess Peach from the hands of Mario’s eternal evil enemy, Bowser. A revolutionary formula that was very successful and copied in many other similar games.
The universe is like Star Wars
But what makes the 38-year-old so successful to this day? Game journalist Raf Becave has an answer for that. “With Super Mario Bros., we’re not talking about a game, but about a world like that of Star Wars.” According to Picavite, there is no doubt that the game character will not lose any of its prestige in the following decades.
Mario and Princess Peach in the movie. – © RR
“Nintendo can afford to release a failed Mario product like a game that doesn’t sell or a movie that doesn’t draw attention.” Picavet points out Super Mario Bros., the first film about actor Bob Hoskins’ character as Mario, which, unlike the new animated film, was a commercial failure. the new Super Mario Bros game. film Breaking records all over the world and also attracting hordes to the cinemas of their own country. In the opening week, 200,000 people bought a ticket in our country, which is a record this year. “The game world is so big and vast that it just can’t fail. You can’t love a Mario game, but still be a fan. The original carpenter who later became a plumber is still a long way off.”
Read also. Super Mario Bros game. The film breaks sales records in the first days
“Mario can handle a lot,” says Raf Pikavit. – © Dirk Christense
The latest movie shows that the video game is moving with the times and appealing to different generations. “The game hasn’t continued to live on the formula of past success. They stay creative with the latest generation of consoles and stick to iconic characters that have been around for decades. We can’t say the game is immortal, but the Mario character is definitely. He’s an icon,” concludes Pikavet.
In the following video, Mario’s developer explains how the figure came about:
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