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The Super Mario Bros. Movie has been a highly anticipated film among fans of the video game character and Chris Pratt, who will be voicing Mario.
However, once the trailer was released, it received negative reactions due to the lack of authenticity in Mario's voice and character. This led fans to suggest that the filmmakers hire trained voice actors instead of popular celebrities to gain traction.
Mario is undoubtedly one of the most popular video game characters and has remained so since his first appearance on Donkey Kong in 1981. Ever since becoming a pop culture icon worldwide, the character has been a part of over 200 video games.
With Mario's character migrating to other visual art forms like comics and television series, his appeal has grown among the general audience. But the ideas that went into the creation and evolution of Mario are not widely known. On that note, here are some fun facts about the fan-favorite character to get you familiar with him.
5 interesting facts about Mario
1) He was originally named Jumpman
Mario is an Italian character conceptualized by Shigeru Miyamoto of the Japanese video game company Nintendo. While the name suits his Italian descent and makes him just as popular as the game itself, Mario was initially named Jumpman. However, the name was later changed by Nintendo of America.
The most interesting fact is the origin of the character's name and how Nintendo of America came up with it. One day, the landlord of Nintendo's US office walked in while the workers were brainstorming the character's name. The man was of Italian descent, and his name was Mario Segale. It was then that the name "Mario" was adopted for the character that would later take over the gaming world for years to come.
Miyamoto also expressed his initial intentions to name the character Mr. Video, which he acknowledged wouldn't have gotten the character the fame that the game later gained.
2) He was initially a carpenter
Donkey Kong is set on a construction site, where Mario's character was initially conceptualized as a carpenter for players and fans to identify with him as an ordinary hardworking civilian. Later, when he began appearing on Mario Bros., the setting was shifted to New York sewers. This underground backdrop demanded that the character be a plumber rather than a carpenter.
While it seemed effortless to find a profession that would blend into the setting, much thought was put into choosing his profession. The video game character subsequently became a household name because of its appeal and how easy and attractive it was to remember him.
3) He was an antagonist in Donkey Kong Jr.
After making his screen debut in Donkey Kong, the character appeared in the sequel game Donkey Kong Jr., which was released in 1982. Unlike all of his other appearances, where he is designed to be a simple and likable man that the players will root for, he was selected as the villain in Donkey Kong Jr.
He traps the titular Donkey Kong in a cage as his son tries his best to rescue him in the game. Mario's look in Donkey Kong Jr. contrasts most of his roles in other games, as his evil nature was willfully highlighted with a longer moustache and a less appealing esthetic on the whole.
Of all the video games that he appeared in, Donkey Kong Jr. was the only one that featured him as an antagonist.
4) Mario, Wario, and Luigi are voiced by the same man
Charles Martinet is a French voice actor who not only lent his voice to Mario but also to Luigi and Wario, other important video game characters and pop-culture icons. He got the job when he nailed an audition where he was asked to act like an Italian plumber from Brooklyn. Today, he is known for his friendly and familiar portrayal of the character.
Luigi, the twin brother and sidekick of the lead, first appeared in the 1983 game Game & Watch. Being voiced by Martinet, Luigi also shot to fame in no time after his first appearance. Additionally, Wario, the arch-rival of Mario, is also voiced by the same man, who manages to display clear distinction and range in his portrayal of all the three characters.
5) Bowser, the villian in the movie, has also been the good guy
Bowser has been featured in several Nintendo games as the primary villain who tries to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom. The character is designed to be a mix of a turtle and a dinosaur. Other powers of the creature include fire-breathing abilities and his coarse and cruel nature, which adds to the conflict in the show.
However, Bowser has a history of being a good, playable character in games such as Itadaki Street. The character also became part of Super Smasher Bros. outside of the video game franchise.
The trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie was released on October 6, 2022. The film stars Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, and Charlie Day in lead roles.
