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30 years ago this weekend, video gamers grabbed their first super mushrooms — and stomped Goombas and Koopas for the first time.

On Sept. 13, 1985, “Super Mario brothers” was released in the u-s – along with the nintendo entertainment system, or n-e-s.

And Mario has been high-scoring with gamers ever since.

Super Mario Bros. is one of the most iconic video games of all time, one of the first platform games to give players a world to explore — from the open air, to the underground, even underwater.

It was released in Japan in September of 1985 for Nintendo’s Family Com — which would become the NES in the United States.

The gaming industry in the U.S. was recovering from a crash just two years earlier.

With Super Mario Bros., Nintendo sparked another video game boom — and launched the industry’s most successful franchise.

Mario’s adventures weren’t limited to running and jumping; today, the Mario series includes kart racing, fighting games, even sports like tennis and golf… All starring Nintendo’s famous plumber.

Mario was created by Shigeru Miyamoto — and his design owes everything to the technical limitations at the time.

He wears a hat because Miyamoto couldn’t animate hair; he has a mustache because there wasn’t enough space to draw a mouth — and he wears overalls so you can see his arms when he walks.

30 years on, this incredibly simple character has become a cultural phenomenon and an enduring icon for the video game industry.

Saturday also happens to be “National Video Games Day” — in case you needed an excuse to join Mario, Luigi and friends on their adventures.