Mario is now considered a pop culture mainstay because of his rich history of being the main character in Mario games. I began playing Super Mario games when I was very young.



The first installment was released a few years before I was born, actually, but I was given my first console, along with the original "Super Mario Bros." when I was four.

I really loved playing this game; in fact, I enjoyed it so much that I still dig out the old Nintendo Entertainment System every once in awhile just in order to play it. Even some of my friends like to play Super Mario games, even though we are all older now.

The original game has a very simple concept, really. There are eight levels, and three stages to each level, with a final castle stage in which Mario, the main character, must jump over his enemy, Bowser, in order to open a bridge so that Bowser will fall into a pit of lava.

In each castle (up until the final one), Mario is greeted by Toad, and told each time that the princess who he is trying to rescue is not located in the castle which he just conquered.

The storyline of each of the first few Super Mario games is very basic, but still enjoyable and fun even though it is not very complex. Each level in the first game is basic, as well.

The backdrop doesn't really change; sometimes Mario, a plumber, climbs down a pipe and has to complete a stage underground, or in the water. At other times, the usual backdrop is set to black, so as to put the setting at night.

The other characters in the game are mainly Mario's enemies. The most common enemy is Goomba, a tiny, brown creature that can't really do much except walk into Mario. Next, there are the Koopas, some of which walk and others that fly around.

In addition to these, there are fish that attach Mario and also flying fish in a few select stages. Oddball enemies include Lakitu, who flies around in a cloud above Mario attempting to drop spiked balls on top of Mario.

Also, the hammer brothers appear a few times in the game, as well, throwing hammers at Mario. Mario is a classic game that has been and will continue to be enjoyed for years to come.