When Shigeru Miyamoto designed a new game for Nintendo in 1981, he was hoping to use Popeye and his friends as characters, but couldn't get permission. So he concocted a cast of new characters, one of which was a plumber with a mustache who wore red overalls. He was dubbed Jumpman, because that's what he did in the game. Bluto became an ape called Donkey Kong. The game did well, and Miyamoto used the characters in other games. The eight-bit Jumpman was easily recognized with his red clothes and mustache, and became a fan favorite. In 1982, he was named after the landlord of Nintendo's American office, Mario Segale. With the name Mario, he grew a backstory as an Italian American living in Brooklyn. He got a brother named Luigi when a game required two protagonists.
In 45 years, Mario has gone from an improvised eight-bit character to the face of Nintendo, with three movies, three theme parks, three TV series, and appearances in many games. His appeal is that he is Everyman, a regular Joe with a regular job who takes on brave quests but doesn't use violence unless he absolutely has to. Read how Mario began, and how he changed and grew with the video game industry to his global fame today at Rolling Stone. -via Everlasting Blort
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