When he is not out collecting coins or saving the princess, he might be playing tennis or riding his go-kart, or he could be refereeing a boxing match.

Now if you were to guess I was talking about the iconic video game character Mario, you would be correct. On March 10, we celebrate national National Mario Day.

This iconic red plumber has been around since his first game series back in 1985, over 35 years!

Mario’s popularity comes from is his massive impact in pop culture, with over 200 games under his red overalls He has been cemented as one of the major icons in the gaming industry. Nintendo, his founding company, has portrayed Mario as their official mascot and has spread his face from shirts, games, and billboards, and more, eventually being able to name a National Day after him.

On March 10 (often referred to as MAR10 which represents the character’s name), you can often find celebrations being held on Nintendo’s official website; https://www.nintendo.com/. These celebrations generally include. deals on video games, browser games to try out, and sales on official merchandise. For new and existing fans, this is a day you would not want to pass up.

For those wondering how this Italian plumber came to be, his history is quite packed. While we count Mario’s first game like Super Mario Bros. for the NES, his first appearance was actually in the Nintendo game Donkey Kong released in 1981, where he was referred to as “jumpman.”

Super Mario Bros. was a massive hit and opened up a realm of possibilities for Nintendo. As more Mario titles came out, such as the classic Super Mario 64 or Super Mario Sunshine, Mario’s popularity did not stop growing.

More recently, Nintendo has released award-worthy games such as Super Mario Odyssey, and it is likely more titles are yet to come.

So whether you are a longtime fan or if this is your first time hearing about Mario, MAR10 marks a National Day celebrating a big part of gaming history.

If you are interested in learning more about Mario or playing some titles, check Nintendo’s official website (https://www.nintendo.com/) for more details.

Without further ado, “let’s-a go!” and celebrate National Mario Day.