Early Development

Released in 1985 by the Japanese company Nintendo, Super Mario Bros. remained the world's top video game for nearly thirty years and sold over forty millions copies. The game's original plotline follows Mario and (in multiplayer mode) his brother Luigi, who are Italian plumbers on a mission to rescue the Princess Peach and save the Mushroom Kingdom from the evil Koopa King (later named Bowser). In order to win the game and defeat Bowswer, players must guide Mario through eight platform worlds filled with various enemies and obstacles.

Super Mario Bros. was created by Nintendo's now-game director Shigeru Miyamoto, known for his contribution to several famous franchises including Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, and Star Fox. His successful career began with the 1983 release of Donkey Kong and progressed significantly with his creation of Super Mario Bros. The massive popularity of Miyamoto's video games put Nintendo at the top of the gaming industry as one of the world's leading entertainment companies.