Product package:Nintendo 64 Super Mario 64 Product Package

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 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 1996, Nintendo released Super Mario 64, which revolutionized the franchise by becoming the first 3D Mario console game. Prior to this entry, the Mario series had been confined to a two dimensional arena. This new game, however, enabled players to view richer and more nuanced worlds for the first time in Mario history. Super Mario 64 enabled players to traverse Princess Peach's castle and enter various worlds by jumping into paintings on the walls. Similar to other Mario games, Mario 64 presented the protagonist with the challenge of saving the princess from Bowser. It was unique for changing the face of gaming and revitalizing the Mario series in ways that many would never have imagined. The game changed the way developers made 3D games, as well as the way Mario games were designed. Super Mario 64 sold nearly 12 million copies, making it the most successful Nintendo 64 game of all time.