Happy 35th Birthday, Super Mario Bros.!
On this day 35 years ago, a legendary plumber’s adventures in the Mushroom Kingdom were born in Japan!
Indeed, 13 September 1985 marks the official Famicom release of the original Super Mario Bros. – which has since become a cult-classic across the gaming landscape. As most fans will know by know, the game saw Super Mario embarking on a quest to rescue Princess Peach from the nefarious King Bowser (also known more fondly as King Koopa in Japan). It was split into 8 different worlds with different sub-levels (e.g. World 1-1) and had it’s fair share of fun little secrets (such as useful warp pipes to skip levels).
1985年9月13日はファミリーコンピュータ『スーパーマリオブラザーズ』の発売日。本日で、発売からちょうど35年を迎えました。#スーパーマリオ35周年 pic.twitter.com/PfhSxtgl3k
— スーパーマリオブラザーズ35周年 (@supermario35th) September 12, 2020
Since then, Mario’s pedigree has expanded into a wealth of different games and popular spin-offs. Many credit Super Mario 64 for establishing the 3D Collect-a-thon genre with its tight movement and unique stages. Meanwhile, the Mario Kart series has ballooned into one of Nintendo’s bestselling franchises to date – with millions of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe copies still selling for the Nintendo Switch in recent years!
Of course, Nintendo isn’t celebrating the occasion quietly either. As announced in its Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Direct, Super Mario 3D All-Stars will revive Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy on the Nintendo Switch this month – along with other exciting events in the coming months such as the battle-royale style Super Mario Bros. 35 and more!
Here’s to another 35 years of Mario fun in the future! Happy Birthday, Super Mario Bros.!
What are your most favorite games or memorable moments from the Super Mario franchise? Feel free to share below!