handheld video game: Nintendo DS New Super Mario Bros.

Mario is the most popular video game franchise of all time, selling over 260 million games worldwide. The character Mario appears in over 200 games on every Nintendo console ever made, and in the 1990, a survey discovered more children recognized Mario than Mickey Mouse. While the Mario series mainly features platform adventures, often involving the safe rescue of Princess Peach, it also includes role-playing, puzzle, racing, and educational games. The franchise further includes television shows, a live-action movie, comics, and promotional materials. Created by Shigeru Miyamoto in 1981, Mario first appeared as the protagonist Jumpman in Donkey Kong. As his name suggests, the character completed levels by jumping over barrels and climbing ladders to rescue the Lady kidnapped by Donkey Kong. In certain advertisements, Jumpman was named Mario, after the landlord of Nintendo of America's offices, and the name stuck. In 1985, Miyamoto produced the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) game Super Mario Bros. The game takes place in the mythical Mushroom kingdom and stars Mario as he attempts to save Princess Peach from an antagonistic, anthropomorphized turtle named Bowser. Similar gameplay, reoccurring characters and power-ups link the games of the main Mario series. In almost all cases, the goal is to navigate the titular character through various levels or worlds, each of which concludes with a castle or dungeon and a boss fight. In 2006, Nintendo released New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS. [The game is the first side-scrolling, platforming entry in the series to star Mario since Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992).] New Super Mario Bros. begins when Bowser and Bowser Jr. kidnap Princess Peach. Mario must travel through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue the princess. The game contains familiar power-ups, like the Super Mushroom, the Fire Flower and the Starman, along with new items like the Mini-Mushroom, the Mega Mushroom and the Blue Koopa Shell. Additionally, features from 3D Mario games such as the ground pound, the wall jump and the triple jump also make an appearance. The game has sold nearly 30 million copies to date, making it the highest performing Nintendo DS entry and one of the most successful Mario games of all time.