{{nihongo|Mario|ãƒãƒªã‚ª is a fictional character created by game designer Shigeru Miyamoto as Nintendo's mascot. He is arguably the most recognizable video game character of all time. Mario has appeared in List of Mario games by year|over 200 video games since his creation. Though originally only appearing in platform game|platforming games, currently Mario appears in all types of games like Mario Kart (series)|racing games, List of Mario games by genre#Puzzle series|puzzle games, List of Mario games by genre#RPG series|role-playing games, Super Smash Bros. (series)|fighting games, List of Mario games by genre#Sports series|sports games, and many others.
Mario is depicted as a short, pudgy, Italians|Italian plumber who lives in the Mushroom Kingdom, where he is regarded as a hero; he is best known for constantly thwarting the plans of the evil Bowser (Nintendo)|King Bowser to kidnap Princess Peach and subjugate the Mushroom Kingdom. He is well known for his plucky personality, enthusiasm and spirit in the face of enemies, unexpected physical agility, cooperation with his brother, Luigi, and his close relationship with Princess Peach whom he has repeatedly saved. He has an evil doppelgänger by the name of Wario.
As Nintendo's mascot, Mario is one of the most famous characters in video game history,<ref>{{cite web | title=The History of Mario | url=http://www.gam... read all