Mario

Mario is the main character in the Mario Bros Franchise, which was created by the creative director and video game designer at Nintendo of Japan, Shigeru Miyamoto. Mario has appeared as a playable character in almost every Mario game, including the spinoff series, with a few exceptions including New Super Luigi U, Luigi's Mansion Games, Yoshi's Island Games, and similar counterparts. Mario first appeared as the player character of Donkey Kong (1981), a platform game. Mario's appearance and personality were inspired by the world of Donkey Kong. He soon started starring in the Super Mario platform game series, beginning with the critically acclaimed Super Mario Bros. in 1985.

He is Nintendo's mascot and the most famous video game character in history. His franchise has become the most profitable in history. He is more well-known in some parts of the world than Mickey Mouse. This short and chubby gentleman has appeared in almost 200 video games. Mario is capable of doing it all, from tennis to racing to practice medicine.

First appearance: Donkey Kong (1981)