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 **Latest Portrayal** | Charles Martinet (1995 - present)

This article is about the main character of the *Mario* franchise. For information about the overall franchise, see here. For the portrayal of Mario in the *Super Mario Bros.* film, see here.
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"*It's-a me, Mario!*"
— Mario

**Mario** is the main character and protagonist of the long-running and highly successful *Mario* series. He was created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto and also serves as the main mascot of Nintendo. Mario made his first appearance as the protagonist of the arcade game *Donkey Kong*, released in 1981. Since *Super Mario Bros.*, his trademark abilities have been his jumping and stomping powers, with which he defeats most of his enemies, and his ability to change size and gain powers with a plethora of items, such as the Super Mushroom and Fire Flower. Games have usually portrayed Mario as a silent character without a distinct personality (*Fortune Street* is a notable exception). According to Nintendo's philosophy, this allows Mario to fit in many different genres and roles. In most games, he is the hero that goes on an adventure to save Princess Peach from Bowser, but he has been shown doing other activities besides adventuring, such as racing and sporting with his younger twin brother and others.

## Creation

 File:Jumpmanconcept.jpg
Following the failure of *Radar Scope* in North America, Nintendo then-president, Hiroshi Yamauchi, requested Miyamoto's aid in converting unsold *Radar Scope* units into something that would sell well. Miyamoto conceived the concept of a love triangle and decided to make a game based on the *Popeye* character. He, however, was denied the rights for the *Popeye* franchise, so he decided to come up with a new idea using his own characters.

For use in his arcade game *Donkey Kong*, he created a character named Jumpman, who previously went under other names, such as Mr. Video, and originally, *Ossan* (the Japanese term for middle-aged man). This character was given red overalls and a blue shirt in order to make the arms more visible as well as a cap and moustache, as hair and a mouth were impossible to animate on the arcade system. It is said that during the development for *Donkey Kong Jr.*, the Jumpman character was renamed to Mario when an employee at Nintendo of America's office pointed out the similar physical appearances between Jumpman and Nintendo's Italian landlord, Mario Segale. This is later confirmed by Shigeru Miyamoto during a promotional video for *Super Mario Maker*, which celebrates Mario's 30th anniversary. While initially designed as a carpenter, after an employee noted that he looked more like a plumber, his occupation was changed and *Mario Bros.* soon followed.
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1. ↑ Brian. Miyamoto says Mario’s full name is “Mario Mario”. *Nintendo Everything* (September 14, 2015). Retrieved September 14th 2015
2. ↑ http://us.wii.com/iwata\_asks/mario25th/vol2\_page4.jsp
3. ↑ http://games.ign.com/articles/833/833615p1.html
4. ↑ Scullion, Chris. (April 30, 2010). "10 Amazing Mario Facts". *The Official Nintendo Magazine* It is stated that Jumpman was renamed in honour of the warehouse landlord, Mario Segale, following an altercation between him and a Nintendo employee. (Retrieved December 23, 2011)
5. ↑ Pryne, Eric. (March 27, 2010). "Powerful Segale family has massive vision for Tukwila expanse". *The Seattle Times*. Excerpt: *""You might say I'm still waiting for my royalty checks," Segale told The Seattle Times in 1993. He didn't confirm widely circulated stories that "Super Mario" got his name after Segale stormed into Nintendo's office, angrily demanding overdue rent. But many business associates say those tales fit the Mario they know — a hard-driving businessman who can be warm and generous, but also can display a temper when he doesn't get what he wants.*. (Retrieved December 19, 2011)
6. ↑ Edwards, Benj. (April 25, 2010). "The True Face of Mario". *Technologizer*. It is reported that it was Nintendo of America president Minoru Arakawa who noticed the similarities between their *Donkey Kong* character and Mario Segale. (Retrieved December 19, 2011)
7. ↑ Thiel, Art. (2003). *Out of Left Field: How the Mariners Made Baseball Fly in Seattle*. Sasquatch Books. pp. 44–45. Another recount of the Mario Segale encounter that led Minoru Arakawa and the other NOA employees to name their character "Mario". (Online book accessed December 19, 2011)
8. ↑ Nintendo of Europe. There are so many myths about Mario… Mr Miyamoto reveals the truth. *Twitter*. (Retrieved September 10, 2015).
9. ↑ Game On 2.0 travelling exhibition. The history of *Mario* feature discusses the origins of Mario's design, name and occupation as a plumber. Photo taken July 21, 2013.