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For being nothing more than a plumber who happened to get caught up in the cascading whirlwind of events to save a princess, Mario has an uncharacteristically universal appeal that seems to stretch the world over when it comes to fans of all ages. Even recognizable to those who have never even picked up a controller, gamers and non-gamers alike can spot the lovably, chunky Italian with a speed relative to a practiced toddler with a ‘Where’s Waldo’ book. Having been in existence for nearly three-decades, it would be unsurprising to find a more beloved gaming mascot amongst the gaming community, which is what decidedly sets Mario apart from his contemporaries.
Whilst Sonic, Crash Bandicoot and Master Chief all appeared as figureheads much later, Mario has always been there. Countless gamers, myself included, can recall Super Mario Bros. as the first reason they picked up a controller and, having since grown up from adolescents into adults, Mario has since grown with them. Super Mario 3, Super Mario World, Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine are all just fragments of the constant reminders that Mario inhabits the digital world as persistently as we inhabit the physical. Appearing in Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! as the referee, a playable character in SSX on Tour and even in Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes has only served to reinforce his constant presence in video games in the same way Stan Lee appears in the Marvel universe.
It is in this constancy that Mario has become so endearing a character to become embedded in the greater pop-culture of the world. Even when a new Mario-centric game wasn’t on the horizon, he was included in Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros. or even caught throwing a Mario Party. Succinctly, Nintendo has consistently used Mario as the digitized face of their company. Mario is the pixilated ambassador of Nintendo, reaching out into our hearts and homes. There are few words as apropos of Mario’s steadiness to video games as Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar amply stated, “I am constant as the northern star of whose true-fixed and resting quality there is no fellow in the firmament.”
The video game as a medium is, much like those playing it, still relatively young. Thus, it should come as no surprise that those who have grown up playing them have matured with Mario clinging to the back of their minds and on the tips of their ever-blistered thumbs. His continuous manifestations and collective library is greater than some franchises will ever be able to boast and similar to a lovable old friend, we all are more than happy to curl up on the couch for a playthrough of any of his games. We may not remember where all the secret warps go or how to beat them in speed-run fashion, but if there is any relationship that has leapt beyond the generational gaps between 8-bit and modern consoles, it is without a doubt that between Mario and his audience.