Handheld video game:Nintendo Game Boy Advance Mario Pinball Land

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 1990s, 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 2004, Nintendo released Mario Pinball Land for the Game Boy Advance (GBA). The game begins when Princess Peach is kidnapped from an amusement park called The Fun Fair. Taking the form of a pinball, Mario must travel through various locations in the Mushroom Kingdom in order to save the princess from Bowser's machinations. This entry is a unique addition to the Mario franchise, as it is the only title that centers on pinball. While Mario Pinball Land sold under a million copies, critics praised it for its unique gameplay.