40 Years Ago, Nintendo’s Greatest Franchise Changed Gaming Forever

by

Video games first appeared in the late 1940s, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that they became popular and profitable. The gaming industry really took off in the 1980s, with games quickly becoming more complex, moving from basic designs to detailed, scrolling adventures. Several companies helped build the early gaming world, but Nintendo was the most influential.

The company first made a name for itself in the 1970s with the arcade game Wild Gunman, and that success helped them move into home video game consoles. This was a risky time, as the video game industry was struggling after a major crash in 1983, and many thought gaming wouldn’t recover. However, Nintendo revitalized the industry with the release of Super Mario Bros, which became their most popular and influential game ever.

Nintendo Turned A Forgotten Character Into the Frontman of a Franchise

Mario first appeared in the 1981 game Donkey Kong, but he wasn’t originally the hero we know today. Nintendo initially wanted to make a Popeye game, but they had trouble accurately recreating the characters. So, they decided to create their own. They replaced Bluto with Donkey Kong and created a character called Jumpman, who would eventually become Mario, instead of Popeye.

When Nintendo released the game internationally, they worried the name “Jumpman” sounded too much like “Pac-Man,” so they renamed the hero of Donkey Kong. Nintendo’s president, Minoru Arakawa, chose the name Mario, after their landlord, Mario Segale. The game’s success led Nintendo to develop more games featuring the character Mario.

I remember being so surprised when the first sequel to the original Mario game turned out to be Donkey Kong Jr.! It was wild seeing Mario as the bad guy, with Donkey Kong’s son trying to rescue his dad. But honestly, the Mario series really took off with the Mario Bros. arcade game. That’s where we got the classic jumping and running gameplay, and of course, we met Luigi! It wasn’t quite the huge hit Donkey Kong was, but Nintendo definitely knew they were onto something special with those two brothers, and it wasn’t long before they were off on another adventure.

Super Mario Bros. Made the NES a Hit

The Nintendo Family Computer, first launched in Japan in 1983, initially included versions of Nintendo’s popular arcade games. Although it had a good start, Nintendo realized they needed a truly exceptional game to help the console compete. They began developing Super Mario Bros. in 1984, with a goal of releasing it in time for the holiday shopping season the following year.

Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, the game’s developers, used their previous work on Nintendo games like Excitebike and Kung-Fu Master as inspiration. They wanted to improve upon those games’ core ideas while also making sure the new game was accessible. To achieve this, they designed it to be challenging but easy to pick up. Players quickly learned the basics through simple elements like the mushroom power-up and the easily defeated Goombas at the beginning of the game.

I still remember when Super Mario Bros. first came out! It launched in Japan in September 1985, and we in North America got it just a month later, perfectly timed with the release of the NES. It was a huge hit and basically made people want to buy the console. Seriously, it sold three million copies in just the first few months! And it hasn’t stopped since. Now, it’s sold over 58 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling video games ever – and for good reason!

Super Mario Bros. Marked a New Era for Platformers

When Super Mario Bros. came out, it was an instant hit. Although it wasn’t the very first game of its kind, it really set the standard for all platform games that followed. Previous arcade platformers often felt clunky and were difficult to control, but Super Mario Bros. introduced smooth, responsive gameplay that players loved. It raised the bar so high that other games, like Sonic the Hedgehog, were inspired by it, and it continues to influence the platforming genre even today, 40 years later.

Nintendo expanded the Mario franchise, and Mario quickly became the face of the company. This success paved the way for other beloved Nintendo series like The Legend of Zelda and Metroid. Many consider Super Mario Bros. to be one of the most influential games ever made. Though it briefly overshadowed Donkey Kong, Mario remains Nintendo’s most popular and enduring franchise.

Read More

2025-11-08 04:40