"Super Mario" celebrated its 30th anniversary with a Nintendo-style party where artists performed the game's theme music for fans dressed as the renowned plumber.
The venue, capable of housing 700 people, was packed. Shigeru Miyamoto, the game's series creator, made an appearance on stage, alongside a life-size Mario mascot who blew out the candles on the birthday cake, Japan Times reports.
The character of Mario actually debuted as Jumpman in the Nintendo arcade game, "Donkey Kong." It hit the screens as "Mario" on September 13, 1985 and has since sold more than 300 million units of the game, featuring the plumber fighting off Goombas and Koopa Troopas in order to save the abducted Princess Peach.
Mario the plumber instantly became a recognizable character in the games market because of his uniform and moustache. "Mario now has a status in popular culture equal to Mickey Mouse," said Florent Gorges, the French author of a book on Nintendo's history, according to AFP on MSN.
Marking the celebration of 30 years of Mario's existence, Nintendo is releasing "Super Mario Market." It will be available on the WiiU console, and it will allow players to create their own Mario worlds, which they can share via the Internet for everyone to use.
Nintendo is also eyeing the booming smartphone games market which is a long awaited departure from its consoles-only policy, Yahoo News reports.
