This weekend marks the 35th year since our favorite overall-wearing, mustachioed plumber ingested his first mushroom in Super Mario Bros. To mark the occasion, Nintendo is releasing new games and holding events in the coming weeks. The Ringer is also celebrating, looking back at the legacy of the most iconic video game character of all time, both in games and his forays into film and television. So jump down the pipe and warp to the Mushroom Kingdom with us.
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September 9, 2020
Why ‘The Wizard’ Captivated a Generation of Nintendo Fans
The movie was derided by critics as little more than a video game commercial masquerading as a ‘Tommy’ knockoff. But to ’80s babies, it tapped into something deeper.
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September 9, 2020
How Mario Became Video Games' Most Malleable Mascot
He’s been a plumber, a doctor, a painter, a golfer, and a chair umpire for tennis matches. While wearing all those hats, he’s also become the most iconic video character of all time. That’s not a coincidence.
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September 9, 2020
But Seriously, Fuck the ‘Duck Hunt’ Dog
The story of ‘Super Mario Bros.’ also includes ‘Duck Hunt,’ the shooting game packaged with the NES’s flagship title. And the story of ‘Duck Hunt’ can’t be told without acknowledging the game’s dog, the smug little jerk who mocked an entire generation.
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September 9, 2020
The History of ‘The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!’
In 1989, Nintendo tried to capitalize on the success of its flagship video game series by finding a TV vehicle for Mario and Luigi. What resulted was an odd and short-lived—but beloved to this day—series that blended live action and animation.