Happy Birthday Mario 57

Posted by Zonk on Tuesday September 13, 2005 @03:32PM from the he-can-almost-drink-beer dept.

Nintendo's official birthday for the stout plumber is September 13th, and today marks his 20th Anniversary. Via Kotaku, an Edge Online article celebrating the man's greatness. From the article: "Undoubtedly, you will have played at least one of those games - so let's talk about how far he's come, and why he's so great. In terms of his history, it's one filled with successes, and a few mysteries to boot. The working class hero has spent more time beating a fantasy tyrant to save royalty than he has on his serviceman job" Nintendo.jp also has a bunch of congratulatory messages from Japanese groups, all for the man in red. Update: 09/14 05:48 GMT by Z : Push the Buttons has a really great tribute to Nintendo's finest that I felt should be added to this post.

Happy Birthday Mario

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Dang, he's older than me :-P (Score:1)

by dxprog ( 898953 ) writes:

However, he's given us 20 years of revolutionary gameplay. Go, Mario!
Age (Score:2)

by turtled ( 845180 ) writes:

Even my 4 year old son knows who Mario is. Awesome staple in video game history.
- Re:Age (Score:1, Funny)
  
  by ZakuSage ( 874456 ) writes:
  
  Well would your son know who he is if Nintendo didn't whore Mario out in 6 - 12 games a year?
  - Re:Age (Score:5, Interesting)
    
    by Edgewize ( 262271 ) writes: on Tuesday September 13, 2005 @04:17PM (#13551049)
    
    Why is it whoring? So far, every game Mario has appeared in (with the exception of EA's Street titles) has been fun, simple to learn, and full of familiar characters who have consistant traits. Bowser is always slow and powerful, Mario is always a good all-around player, etc.
    
    If "Mario Power Curling" hits the shelves, does that somehow mean that Mario's next platformer is going to be any worse? No. You might not want to buy it, but where's the problem?
    
Naturally... (Score:5, Funny)

by tavaryn ( 594586 ) writes: on Tuesday September 13, 2005 @03:45PM (#13550703)

...everyone forgets Luigi's birthday. Such is the life of the OTHER sibling.

- Re:Naturally... (Score:1)
  
  by RoadDoggFL ( 876257 ) writes:
  
  If Luigi's the OTHER sibling then who's the first?
  
  ...Yoshi?
  - Re:Naturally... (Score:2)
    
    by Idealius ( 688975 ) writes:
    
    ..
    
    "Other" from a third party perspective. So, of the two one is luigi and the OTHER is Mario.
    - Re:Naturally... (Score:1)
      
      by RoadDoggFL ( 876257 ) writes:
      
      " ...everyone forgets Luigi's birthday. Such is the life of the OTHER sibling."
      
      So then if Mario's the other sibling, he's the forgotten one?
      
      It was a joke.
- Re:Naturally... (Score:2)
  
  by Joe the Lesser ( 533425 ) writes:
  
  Luigi's okay with it. He can jump higher and has no weight problems.
  
  'I'ma Luigi! Numbera one!'
Shigs (Score:1, Interesting)

by reclusivemonkey ( 703154 ) writes:

Its Shigeru Miyamoto, not Mario, that is the real magic here. Mario 64 was so good it still makes me want to weep. This was the first 3D environment I was totally immersed in. It wasnt a little italian plumber running around in there; it was me.
- Re:Shigs (Score:2, Funny)
  
  by bleaknik ( 780571 ) writes:
  
  It was a me... Mario!
Grasping at straws... (Score:2, Flamebait)

by Rahga ( 13479 ) writes:

Especially since Super Mario Brothers is a sequal to the Mario Brothers [klov.com] arcade game, I must say... I think Nintendo is doing this because their marketing people were not quite on the ball back in 2003. You know, dealing with Gamecube troubles, the shallow feed trough of recycled mascots....
- Re:Grasping at straws... (Score:1)
  
  by KDR_11k ( 778916 ) writes:
  
  Mario Bros is barely related to Super Mario Bros, completely different gameplay. The only thing they have in common is the Mario character which was designed more out of necessity than creativity and maybe one or two enemies that have been kept.
  - Re:Grasping at straws... (Score:1)
    
    by cornface ( 900179 ) writes:
    
    Yes, in one Mario and Luigi run and jump through sewers killing turtles and those spiky things. In the other they run and jump through sewers killing turtles and those spiky things.
    
    Totally different!
    - Re:Grasping at straws... (Score:1)
      
      by KDR_11k ( 778916 ) writes:
      
      There are no turtles in Mario Bros. At least I didn't see any outside of the GBA remakes (I played the PC and C64 versions, neither had turtles). The game has killing all enemies as your objective and the only way to do so is to bump the platform they're standing on to turn them over and then kicking them. In SMB the goal is to move to the right and most enemies are disposed of by jumping on their heads or torching them with fireballs. You can still hit the ground under them but it's a minor part of the gam
      - Re:Grasping at straws... (Score:1)
        
        by cornface ( 900179 ) writes:
        
        The Adventures of KDR_11k in "Way Too Serious Land!"
        
        Coming soon to a console near you...
Mario's full name (Score:1)

by geekguy ( 97470 ) writes:

I seem to remember Mario's full name being Mario Mario, Luigi's name would be Luigi Mario, hence the term Mario Brothers.
- Re:Mario's full name (Score:2)
  
  by Idealius ( 688975 ) writes:
  
  Wikipedia agrees.
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario [wikipedia.org]
- Re:Mario's full name (Score:3, Informative)
  
  by Short Circuit ( 52384 ) * writes:
  
  Desk Sergeant: Name.
  Mario: Mario.
  Desk Sergeant: Last name.
  Mario: Mario.
  Desk Sergeant: And you?
  Luigi: Luigi.
  Desk Sergeant: Luigi Luigi?
  Luigi: No, Luigi Mario.
  Desk Sergeant: Okay how many Marios are there between the two of you?
  Luigi: Three: Mario Mario and Luigi Mario.
  
  It may not have been a hit, but I liked the movie [imdb.com].
I drink to your health Mario (Score:1)

by klack ( 823307 ) writes:

Too bad that you can't drink to your own health anywhere you want until next year.
- Re:I drink to your health Mario (Score:1)
  
  by elwin_windleaf ( 643442 ) writes:
  
  Does that mean that we're only one year away from the highly anticipated release of "Mario BeerPong"?
- Re:I drink to your health Mario (Score:1)
  
  by trouser ( 149900 ) writes:
  
  Don't forget that in the rest of the world you can drink in bars when you're 14 and have non-consensual intercourse with carpet snakes and all sorts of good stuff. Big it up for the rest of the world, without which none of this would have been possibles.
- Re:I drink to your health Mario (Score:1)
  
  by KDR_11k ( 778916 ) writes:
  
  Mario was born in Japan and in Japan the drinking age is 27 IIRC.
Umm, since when? (Score:2)

by geminidomino ( 614729 ) * writes:

Back in the late 80's, Nintendo power had a calendar that said Mario's birthday was October 12. I remember because it was 2 days before my father's who is, coincidentally, also named Mario...

I wish I still had the magazine.
Hey (Score:3, Funny)

by Wilson_6500 ( 896824 ) writes: on Tuesday September 13, 2005 @04:11PM (#13550994)

So I guess I have a celebrity birthday. To celebrate, I'm posting on Slashdot. What a crazy life I lead.

hoskins/leguizamo (Score:1)

by Bloodspork ( 891325 ) writes:

In terms of his history, it's one filled with successes not including the movie...
Mario Rap (Score:1, Interesting)

by technoextreme ( 885694 ) writes:

Do the Mario! Swing your arms from side to side Come on, it's time to go, do the Mario! Take one step, and then again Let's do the Mario, all together now! You got it! It's the Mario! Do the Mario! Swing your arms from side to side Come on, it's time to go, do the Mario! Take one step, and then again Let's do the Mario, all together now! Come on now, just like that!
- Re:Mario Rap (Score:1)
  
  by klack ( 823307 ) writes:
  
  That was weird.
  - Re:Mario Rap (Score:1)
    
    by technoextreme ( 885694 ) writes:
    
    I didn't make it up. The Mario Rap was from one of the shows that featured Mario. It may have been the live action version.
- Re:Mario Rap (Score:2)
  
  by Conspiracy_Of_Doves ( 236787 ) writes:
  
  The full Mario Rap lyrics
  
  http://www.cfhf.net/lyrics/super-mario-bro.htm [cfhf.net]
  
  Only the last part was sung Lou Albano, not the first two.
Patents (Score:2)

by Chemisor ( 97276 ) writes:

Now would also be a good time to celebrate the expiration of any patents that existed for that game. We're sure to see some innovation in the field of platformers now! :)
Oh my (Score:2, Insightful)

by Kuku_monroe ( 753761 ) writes:

Lets all celebrate Marios Birthday buying a GameBoy Micro!
- Re:Oh my (Score:2, Interesting)
  
  by JamesInsomniac ( 914079 ) writes:
  
  I'm not that big of a fanboy! The Micro looks like a smaller GBA. Does Nintendo really expect us to purchase 3 versions of the same system (The GBA, GBA SP, and the Micro)??
  - Re:Oh my (Score:1)
    
    by cornface ( 900179 ) writes:
    
    Does Nintendo really expect us to purchase 3 versions of the same system (The GBA, GBA SP, and the Micro)??
    
    They are actually releasing it in the hopes that nobody will buy it.
    
    So sneaky!
    - Re:Oh my (Score:1)
      
      by Kuku_monroe ( 753761 ) writes:
      
      Exactly, they did that with the VirtualBoy, and know they are trying it again with the micro.
  - Re:Oh my (Score:1)
    
    by KDR_11k ( 778916 ) writes:
    
    Works for Apple now doesn't it?
- The big N's Birthday is coming up, too! (Score:2)
  
  by MyDixieWrecked ( 548719 ) writes:
  
  also, don't forget that Nintendo's birthday is on 9/24 (116 years old this year).
  
  jesus. Who woulda thunk that a videogame company would be older than consumer electronics?
More than 20 years (Score:2)

by jackbird ( 721605 ) writes:

That's a crock.
Donkey Kong was released in 1981 [basementarcade.com]. And Donkey Kong Jr. was the included cartridge for the Colecovision in 1982, after it had been in arcades for a while.
And that's not even mentioning Donkey Kong 3 and Mario Bros.
So Mario is only 20 years old if you ignore 4 arcade games and at least 1 console release.
MarioKart (Score:2, Funny)

by Deanasc ( 201050 ) writes:

I've always wanted to eat a big handful of acid and play the rainbow level of Super Mario Kart.
He's the best anti-piracy gimmick EVER. (Score:1)

by Hitto ( 913085 ) writes:

Here's to you, ol' buddy. Whenever I saw you in the store, you were BOUGHT. Because you deserved every penny, because you always shattered past records. Okay, almost, but I'll let that "sunshine" business slide for today. Everyone has coming of age problems. I celebrated today, at lunch, by whipping out my GBASP in front of everyone and finishing SMB in a speed run. Damn, it still is FUN. Okay, some more fanboy spiel : Actually, it's pretty sad. Twenty years later, and still no other platformer has come
Next year is going to be boring... (Score:5, Funny)

by MagicDude ( 727944 ) writes: on Tuesday September 13, 2005 @06:34PM (#13552300)

I mean, what's Mario going to do on his 21st birthday? Going to bars is going to be pretty lame compared to his last 20 years of doing shrooms and other "magical plants" that give him various powers.

Wrong anniversary (Score:4, Interesting)

by earthbound kid ( 859282 ) writes: on Tuesday September 13, 2005 @06:40PM (#13552338) Homepage

Today (actually in Japan time, yesterday) is the 20th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. But Mario debuted in the American Donkey Kong arcade game in '81 or so. After that, there was the game in which he and Luigi fought crabs in underground pipes, Mario Bros. The game Super Mario Bros. came much later than either of those.

Of course, Super Mario Bros. did rock socks, so it's worth celebrating on its own. But it's important for us to know what exactly we're celebrating.

NINTENDO PEOPLE CAN NOT COUNT HAHAHAH (Score:1)

by i_ate_god ( 899684 ) writes:

hahahahaa [mobygames.com]

2005 - 1983 = 22

Yes, this means that nintendo is off by two years. It explains why they came out with the N64 while Sony was kicking their ass.
- Re:NINTENDO PEOPLE CAN NOT COUNT HAHAHAH (Score:1)
  
  by basscomm ( 122302 ) writes:
  
  From the article in question:
  
  "Although he made his debut in 1981's Donkey Kong, Nintendo has pronounced today, September 13, as Mario's official birthday. It's 20 years since his first proper adventure, Super Mario Bros. was released for the Famicom in Japan."
  - Re:NINTENDO PEOPLE CAN NOT COUNT HAHAHAH (Score:1)
    
    by i_ate_god ( 899684 ) writes:
    
    Point taken, however Mario Brothers was his first real debut, not donkey kong. So I disagree with nintendo's timing.
    
    His first real adventure was his first real game named after him and his loyal brother Luigi.
You can watch him TV too... (Score:2)

by antdude ( 79039 ) writes:

Yahoo! [yahoo.com] has his old TV shows from the old days. He looked a lot older than 20 back then. ;)
The stuff you accept as a kid... (Score:2, Insightful)

by Nerdposeur ( 910128 ) writes:

I was playing some Mario 3 the other day on a friend's NES, and realized what screwy concepts abound in the game. You're an Italian plumber out to rescue a princess in a land ruled by mushrooms and lizards. If you get a feather, that turns you into - of course - a racoon, which logically would help you fly.

Loony Toons are also funnier to me now. I used to take it for granted that you could unfold an Acme Hole and lay it on the ground as a trap, but now I realize how creative those cartoonists were to bend r
- Re:The stuff you accept as a kid... (Score:1)
  
  by KDR_11k ( 778916 ) writes:
  
  It's the leaf that gives you the tanuki (that's a racoon-like creature in japanese mythology) power, the feather gives you a cape.
Woo-Hoo! (Score:1)

by Bob-o-Matic! ( 620698 ) writes:

I am looking forward to the US release of Mario Cocktail Party Game.
Great day for me (Score:1)

by Jakeypants ( 860350 ) writes:

Hey, that's awesome. September 13 is also my birthday, programmer's day (and I'm a programmer), and my half anniversary with my girlfriend.

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Dang, he's older than me :-P (Score:1)

Age (Score:2)

Re:Age (Score:1, Funny)

Re:Age (Score:5, Interesting)

Naturally... (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Naturally... (Score:1)

Re:Naturally... (Score:2)

Re:Naturally... (Score:1)

Re:Naturally... (Score:2)

Shigs (Score:1, Interesting)

Re:Shigs (Score:2, Funny)

Grasping at straws... (Score:2, Flamebait)

Re:Grasping at straws... (Score:1)

Re:Grasping at straws... (Score:1)

Re:Grasping at straws... (Score:1)

Re:Grasping at straws... (Score:1)

Mario's full name (Score:1)

Re:Mario's full name (Score:2)

Re:Mario's full name (Score:3, Informative)

I drink to your health Mario (Score:1)

Re:I drink to your health Mario (Score:1)

Re:I drink to your health Mario (Score:1)

Re:I drink to your health Mario (Score:1)

Umm, since when? (Score:2)

Hey (Score:3, Funny)

hoskins/leguizamo (Score:1)

Mario Rap (Score:1, Interesting)

Re:Mario Rap (Score:1)

Re:Mario Rap (Score:1)

Re:Mario Rap (Score:2)

Patents (Score:2)

Oh my (Score:2, Insightful)

Re:Oh my (Score:2, Interesting)

Re:Oh my (Score:1)

Re:Oh my (Score:1)

Re:Oh my (Score:1)

The big N's Birthday is coming up, too! (Score:2)

More than 20 years (Score:2)

MarioKart (Score:2, Funny)

He's the best anti-piracy gimmick EVER. (Score:1)

Next year is going to be boring... (Score:5, Funny)

Wrong anniversary (Score:4, Interesting)

NINTENDO PEOPLE CAN NOT COUNT HAHAHAH (Score:1)

Re:NINTENDO PEOPLE CAN NOT COUNT HAHAHAH (Score:1)

Re:NINTENDO PEOPLE CAN NOT COUNT HAHAHAH (Score:1)

You can watch him TV too... (Score:2)

The stuff you accept as a kid... (Score:2, Insightful)

Re:The stuff you accept as a kid... (Score:1)

Woo-Hoo! (Score:1)

Great day for me (Score:1)

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