Super Mario phenomenon turns 40

PARIS

Nintendo’s cheerful Italian plumber Mario has been running and jumping his way through four decades of global stardom, becoming one of the most beloved figures in gaming history and expanding the industry’s reach far beyond its original audience.

The original Super Mario Bros. was released in 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Japan’s Famicom, selling 40.2 million copies worldwide, including 6.8 million in Japan. Analysts note that the game transformed video gaming from a pastime for children into a mainstream cultural product that appealed to older players as well.

Remarkably, the game was created by a team of just eight people, led by Shigeru Miyamoto. The group also included longtime collaborator Takashi Tezuka and composer Koji Kondo, who wrote the upbeat theme tune that remains one of the most recognizable pieces of game music ever produced.

The fascination with Mario has fueled competitive feats as well. Last month, an American gamer known as “averge11” set a new world record by completing Super Mario Bros. in four minutes, 54 seconds and 515 milliseconds, beating the previous mark by just fractions of a second.

Speedrunning, the practice of finishing games as quickly as possible with tricks and glitches, continues to thrive, while a Japanese gamer holds the Guinness record for completing the game blindfolded in 14 minutes and 46 seconds.

The Mario craze also extended to publishing. In 1985 and 1986, the best-selling book of all genres in Japan was “Super Mario Bros: The Complete Strategy Guide,” a 111-page manual featuring painstakingly hand-drawn maps of the game’s 32 levels. More than 1.3 million copies were sold.

Mario’s collectible value is equally impressive. In July 2021, a sealed copy of Super Mario 64 from 1996 fetched $1.56 million at auction, making it the most expensive video game ever sold.

Beyond individual titles, the Super Mario series as a whole has reached staggering numbers. Nintendo reports that as of March 2025, the platform games alone have sold more than 452 million units, a figure that does not include blockbuster spin-offs such as Mario Kart or sports titles featuring the iconic red-capped plumber and his friends.