It’s been 32 years since Mario made his first appearance in the original Donkey Kong game, later going on to star in his own title, Super Mario Bros. Despite everything written and said about the popular video game series, there are quite a few things people don’t know about the characters in the games.

Mario’s Name

Mario’s first name was Ossan, which translates into middle-aged guy. It then turned into Mr. Video, before changing into Jumpman until reaching the version we all know today.

Sonic Inspiration

The creator of Sonic the Hedgehog, Yuji Naka, drew inspiration (obvious) from the Super Mario games to create his blue antagonist after repeadtly trying to finish the first level of Super Mario as quickly as possible.

Donkey Kong and Popeye

The Donkey Kong game, in which Mario made his famous debut, was originally intended to be a Popeye game, but Nintendo lost the rights to the character. Popeye was replaced with Mario, Princess Peach replaced Olive and Donkey Kong replaced Bluto.

Luigi’s Name

There’s a word in Japanese – Ruiji, which means similar, and Luigi is a pun of that word.

The Truth Behind The Blocks

According to the Super Mario Bros. instruction guide, the blocks Mario smashes are actually the early inhabitants of the mushroom kingdom, turned into blocks by the Koopas.

Yoshi’s Origin

The original idea in Super Mario World was to make Yoshi a Koopa, and for the saddle on his back to be a shell.

Bullet Bill & Torpedo Ted

Probably references to Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.

The Chain Chomp

Letting the chain chomp tug on its chain 49 times, it will break free (Super Mario Bros. 3)

Mario Maps

One of the islands in the Super Mario Bros. 3 map looks like Japan, with a castle near where Kyoto should be located, which is also where the actual Nintendo headquarters are located.

Making us Smarter

According to certain studies, playing Super Mario 64 helps with spatial orientation, memory formation, strategic planning, and fine motor skills.

You also probably didn’t know about the variety of cakes made in Mario’s honor.