Some of the most famous plumbers in history came in the form of fictional characters in a 1980's video game. Read on to learn more.
The Mario Brothers were two fictional characters developed in 1983 by the Japanese entertainment company known as Nintendo. In the very first game,
two Italian brothers, Mario and Luigi, are set in New York City, plumbing their way through various levels. In normal video game fashion, each level became more complicated and challenging for the user as they controlled either brother through a series of obstacles such as pitfalls, walls, or impending, villainous critters.
For nearly 30 years, the Mario Brothers franchise has been one of the most successful in video game history. Many version of the game have been made over the years, and various spinoffs that included the brothers along with other characters that were developed later. Some of the other characters that worked with the brothers were Princess Peach and Toad, popularized in Super Mario Brothers part 2. Yoshi, a dinosaur that the brothers can ride upon, debuted in Super Mario World. Some of the villains include the Bowser family, the Koopa family, and the brothers' evil twin, Wario.
Despite the many different version of the game, one thing holds true for the entire Mario Brothers franchise: the plumbing theme. Throughout many of the original games, Mario and Luigi could transport throughout tubes and pipes, venturing them into alternate worlds of new challenges and adventures. Throughout the many levels, the brothers can collect coins, battle villains, and use various powers such as speed running and fireball throwing to assist them in the game.
Some of the plumbing pipes, however, were not entries to additional levels. In fact, some of the pipes featured large, fire breathing Venus flytraps that would emerge in an attempt to impede one of the brothers from reaching the next level. By the end of many of the games, users who control one of the characters must save the princess from a giant villain that often took many different attempts to eliminate in order to win the game.
As a result of its massive popularity in the United States and Western Europe, millions of dollars of Mario Brother's merchandise has been sold around the world. Several television shows and cartoons were created featuring the Mario Brothers and spinoff characters as well. Mario and Luigi's plumbing tools have been featured in many of the cartoon logos and scenes.
The Mario Bros franchise still continues to this day as Nintendo consistently develops games for the variety of its console systems. As video games remain popular among people of all ages, the Mario Brothers franchise is sure to stick around for a very long time. As long as the trend continues, an entire generation found around the globe will know about or at least be able to recognize the image of the Mario Brothers.
