Happy Birthday Mario!

As most of us know, Mario turns 20 this year. So head inside for some 1985 (UK) + Mario related snippets.

On September 13 1985, Super Mario Bros. was released in Japan, and the world of videogames changed forever. It went on to become the best-selling videogame of all time, while its star – a jolly plumber named Mario – became a household name.

Today we celebrate the 20th anniversary of this momentous occasion with a run-down of essential Mario facts – plus some of the other important events that made 1985 a year to remember!

• Super Mario Bros. was the first proper outing for the plumber but Mario debut appearance actually came in the 1980 arcade game Donkey Kong when he was simply known as Jumpman.

• 1985 was the year that Tetris was created by Russian computer engineer Alexey Pajitnov. In 1989 Game Boy version, Mario and his brother Luigi starred in the two player mode.

• Mario owes his name to the landlord of Nintendo of America offices, a man called Mario Segali.

• In the summer of 1985 the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was launched in America, along with the R.O.B. (Robotic Operating Buddy) accessory.

• Mario is most famous for his trademark outfit of blue dungarees over a red shirt, but in Super Mario Bros he wears red dungarees over a brown shirt. Thankfully his taste has improved in recent years!

• Considering his belly, you wouldn take Mario for a sportsman. But by the end of 2005 hel be starring in five very energetic games: Mario Kart DS (Nintendo DS), Mario Smash Football (Nintendo GameCube), Mario Baseball (Nintendo GameCube), Mario Power Tennis (Game Boy Advance) and Dancing Stage: Mario Mix (Nintendo GameCube).

• The current world record time for completing Super Mario Bros. is an amazing 5 minutes and 9 seconds – achieved by using warp pipes and some serious gaming skills!

• On November 4 this year you can get your hands on two classic blasts from the past – Dr. Mario and Tetris Attack – on one Game Pak. This is also the day Game Boy Micro is released!

• 1985 was the year that Back to the Future swept the cinema screens, and a-ha dominated the airwaves with ‘Take on Me In the news, the Live Aid concert was watched by 1.5 billion people, and the wreck of the Titanic was discovered on the Atlantic sea bed. Famous people born in 1985 include actress Keira Knightley and footballer Wayne Rooney.

• New Super Mario Bros. – announced at the 2005 E3 show – is a brand new version of the classic platformer for Nintendo DS, featuring a combination of modern 3D graphics and classic side-scrolling gameplay, plus a wireless two-player mode!

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Comments

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  Where´s Mario Golf? And Smash Bros. is pretty energetic too. ;) Also, my sister was borned in 1985. Why didn´t you mention her? Anyway, happy bithday, Super Mario! Now I´m going to celebrate and play original SMB with my good old NES. Bye! :D

  twilight, 30-11--0001 at 00:00
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  Because " Mario Kart DS (Nintendo DS), Mario Smash Football (Nintendo GameCube), Mario Baseball (Nintendo GameCube), Mario Power Tennis (Game Boy Advance) and Dancing Stage: Mario Mix (Nintendo GameCube). " aren't released in Europe yet

  skarma, 30-11--0001 at 00:00
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  Mario did'nt turn 20. Super Mario Bros turn 20. Mario exist from the first Donkey Kong game, so it is 24!

  Olpus Bonzo, 30-11--0001 at 00:00
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  And Jumpman was the name only of the Japanese version of Donkey Kong, as the name Mario was invented by Nintendo Of America. And before Super Mario Bros there was Mario Bros and Mario Bros 2, so not Jumpman at all!

  Olpus Bonzo, 30-11--0001 at 00:00
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  For he's jolly good plumber, for he's a jolly good athlete, for he's a jolly good acrobat!... Dun dun dun dun dun, dun dun!

  Nintendude, 30-11--0001 at 00:00
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  VIVA MARIO!!!! ya.....*cough*....so....go mario...(i prefer zelda and samus)

  tiamat1990, 30-11--0001 at 00:00