Happy 20th Anniversary Super Mario

Media Release Wednesday 21st June 06

Happy 20th Anniversary Super Mario

Twenty years - not many pop-culture icons last that long. However the world’s favourite Italian plumber, Nintendo’s Super Mario has survived the test of time and in June this year, Nintendo New Zealand will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of this international star.

Unless you’ve been in the dark ages during the games technology revolution, you’re sure to have come across the gaming icon Super Mario. Super Mario Brothers, popularly called Super Mario Bros, was first produced by Nintendo in 1985. His creation changed the world of gaming forever and the jolly plumber became a household name.

Universally considered a classic of the medium, Super Mario Bros. was one of the first side-scrolling platform games of its kind, introducing players to huge, bright, expansive worlds that changed the way video games were created.

Mario has explored just about every genre of video game. Aside from action platforms, the plucky plumber has also starred in puzzle, racing, sports, fighting and educational games, as well as a Hollywood movie. After 20 years of action packed adventures, the New Super Mario Bros. game retains all of its well-known thrilling escapades while featuring eight exciting new worlds to explore with multi-player challenges, and addictive mini-games. This is the first time since the eighties that the original game has been reformatted.

The new Super Mario Bros. game can be played on the DS Lite which will also be available in June. The Nintendo DS has undertaken a facelift, emerging as the DS Lite and creating an impact with its sleek and glossy new look – think “iPod white”. The DS Lite provides users with a unique game-play experience using features never before offered by any other home console or hand-held game system. It boasts dual screens that give users new perspectives while playing and new control using both touch screen and voice recognition.

A few quirky facts about Mario:

- Mario was originally called Jumpman. The name was changed to Mario after it was noticed that the landlord of Nintendo of America’s offices looked like the character, his name was Mario Segali.

- Mario started his adventures as a carpenter; he became a plumber a short time after.

- Mario has appeared in over one hundred games, many of them bestsellers.

- The original Super Mario Bros. sold over 40 million copies (pack-in copies included). Nearly 200 million copies of games featuring Mario have been sold worldwide.

Nintendo are also giving away the chance to WIN a trip for four to LA and shopping spree worth $1000. Entry forms are available when you buy the New Super Mario game.

ENDS

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