Super Mario has always been a significant part of my life when when it came to video games. I started out spending hours sitting in front of the television with the Super NES controller in my hands. My brothers and I would take turns passing around the controller and blowing into the cartridge anytime the game would freeze on us. The damsel in distress, Princess Toadstool (later renamed Princess Peach), had been captured by the evil Bowser. Now it was up to the pudgy Italian-American plumber, Mario, to rescue her. It was a race against the clock. A race across the hazardous Mushroom Kingdom full of Boos, Piranha Plants, Koopa Troopas, Dry Bones and other numerous enemies. Gaining every possible mushroom, fire flower or coin we could reach was a crucial element of the game. The more we acquired, the longer Mario would survive and the quicker he would save the Princess from the clutches of Bowser.

After making it through all eight grueling worlds and challenges, I finally reached Bowser himself. Just as I was getting ready to defeat the Koopa King, the screen freezes, again. For about the fifth time. Blowing into the cartridge, otherwise known as the “magic touch,” didn’t seem to last. But that was the whole fun of playing Super Mario Bros., especially on a Super NES or Nintendo 64. Having to constantly turn the gaming system off and perform the redundant, rigorous task over again was part of the whole experience. Despite being outsold by Wii Sports, the 25 year old Super Mario Bros. managed to survive every gaming console generation, and continues to contribute as well as inspire new elements toward the latest innovations.

So now that I’ve spent nearly five days on this blog just staring at the screen, I think I’m ready to bust out my Nintendo DS, blow off the collected dust and rescue Princess Peach.

Five Facts About Mario

1. Mario’s first appearance was in the arcade game, Donkey Kong, (1981). He was originally known as Jumpman and was portrayed as a carpenter with a pet ape.

2. “Jumpman” was later named Mario in Donkey Kong Junior,. the same game he ever played the role of an antagonist.

3. Mario’s last name is Mario. Yes, that means his full name is Mario Mario.

4. Mario is quite the ladies’ man. He’s constantly on a mission to save the damsel in distress. In Donkey Kong his girlfriend, Pauline, was kidnapped by the massive gorilla. Princess Toadstool later replaced Pauline in Super Mario Bros. Mario also rescues Princess Daisy of Super Mario Land despite her being Luigi’s girlfriend.

5. Mario has held numerous occupations such as a carpenter, plumber, medical physicist, archaeologist and the president of a toy-making company.