How Mario Got His Name (and Mustache)


Great Big Story chats with legendary Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto about how he came up with the name and persona of his globally famous video game character, Mario.

“Gamer or not, you know Mario. Nintendo’s high-pitched, turtle-squashing Italian plumber has become a beloved stalwart of pop culture. But how did this video game icon come to be? Meet the man behind the mustache, Shigeru Miyamoto. As the artist behind 8-bit classics such as Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros., Miyamoto is largely responsible for shepherding Nintendo’s golden age of video games.”

Previously: Meet the Man Behind the Voice of Mario