Mario Bros. (1983) : le chaînon manquant de la saga

Mario Bros. (1983): The Saga's Missing Link

1291 words | Reading time : 6 minute(s)

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Before the mushrooms and the princess, there were the sewers. Released on 21 June 1983, the Mario Bros. arcade cabinet was developed by Nintendo R&D1, from a design by Miyamoto and a production by Gunpei Yokoi. This entry tells how Mario became a plumber, how Luigi stepped into the spotlight, and how the POW Block and the saga's founding bestiary were invented.

Before the mushrooms and Princess Peach, there were the sewers. In 1983, Nintendo released an arcade cabinet with a plain name: Mario Bros. (Mario Bros. — the title is identical in French and in English). It is the very first arcade game to carry the mascot's name.

Wedged between Donkey Kong (1981) and Super Mario Bros. (1985), this little game is a quiet giant: it turns Mario into a plumber, unveils Luigi and lays down mechanics that are still very much alive today.

Contents

The missing link between two legends

In 1981, a certain Jumpman climbed the scaffolding of Donkey Kong to rescue his sweetheart: he is the future Mario. Two years later, he finally landed a game bearing his own name, Mario Bros., an arcade cabinet released on 21 June 1983 (Japan). It is the first arcade game in the series to be called “Mario”.

Developed by Nintendo R&D1, designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and produced by Gunpei Yokoi, this platform game is the true bridge between Donkey Kong and the future Super Mario Bros.. Many ingredients of the legend are laid down here for the very first time.

Famicom artwork for Mario Bros., Mario and Luigi in the pipes
Between Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros., this title lays the foundations of the series.

Mario becomes a plumber

In Donkey Kong, Mario was introduced as a carpenter. It is Mario Bros. that turns him into a plumber, a job that has been his trademark ever since. The action leaves the building site for the sewers of New York, overrun by strange creatures crawling up through the pipes.

Why plumbing? Shigeru Miyamoto explained it: the setting was packed with Warp Pipes, so it seemed only logical for the hero to be a plumber. The character thus swapped the carpenter's overalls for the nearly identical ones of the mustachioed plumber we all know.

Luigi steps into the spotlight

The big new face is Luigi. To allow simultaneous two-player play — a first in the series — Nintendo created a second character through a simple palette swap: a copy of Mario dressed in green and white. Luigi was literally born from a technical trick.

Beware of one common misconception, though: while the arcade cabinet is often cited as Luigi's debut, a Game & Watch game of the same name, released on 14 March 1983 (Japan), beat it by about three months. The arcade game nevertheless remains the one that fixed his image as the younger brother in green.

Coins, Warp Pipes and the POW Block: the toolbox

For all its apparent simplicity, Mario Bros. is a genuine toolbox for the saga. The green Warp Pipes , which enemies burst out of, would become an unmissable piece of scenery. The coins also make their series debut: you pick them up during the bonus stages in particular.

The star of the show is the POW Block, sitting in the middle of the screen. Hitting it from below flips every enemy on screen at once (except flies in mid-jump). Usable three times per stage, it makes its debut here before crossing decades of Mario games.

A founding bestiary

Enemies are beaten without ever jumping on them: you have to hit the platform right under their feet to flip them over, then kick them away before they get back up. A flipping brilliant mechanic, in the most literal sense.

  • Shellcreeper: the little green turtle, the very first turtle in the Mario universe and the direct ancestor of the future Koopa Troopa.
  • Sidestepper: a tough crab that takes two hits — the first angers it and speeds it up, the second flips it over.
  • Fighter Fly: a hopping fly that can only be flipped while it is touching a platform.

Add to them the Slipice, which freezes the platforms, and a few fireballs. Lacking official localized names, these creatures keep their original English labels.

Artwork of a Fighter Fly, an enemy from Mario Bros.
Crabs, turtles and flies: the series' first bestiary is born right here.

A legacy that flows naturally

Two years later, Super Mario Bros. (1985) picked up the duo, the Warp Pipes and the spirit of the game to invent the modern platformer. As for the Shellcreeper, it handed its shell over to the Koopa Troopa; in some re-releases it is even replaced by a Spiny to avoid confusion.

Ported to the Famicom and re-released many times over, Mario Bros. also popularized two-player versus. Small in size, immense in its descendants: this really is where the plumber, his brother and the whole toolkit that would make Nintendo's fortune were born.

Mario Bros. (1983) at a glance

Name (France) Mario Bros.
Original name (Japan) マリオブラザーズ (Mario Burazāzu)
Release (Japan) 21 June 1983 (arcade cabinet)
Developer Nintendo R&D1
Design Shigeru Miyamoto (design), Gunpei Yokoi (production)
Genre Platform / action game
Players 1 to 2 simultaneously
New to the series Luigi, Mario the plumber, coins, Warp Pipes, POW Block
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FAQ

  • Is Mario Bros. the very first game with Mario?
    It is the first game to bear his name, but not his first appearance: Mario was already there in 1981 in Donkey Kong, under the name Jumpman.
  • Is it really the first game with Luigi?
    The arcade cabinet (June 1983, Japan) is often cited as his debut, but a Game & Watch game of the same name, released in March 1983 in Japan, came about three months earlier.
  • Why did Mario become a plumber in this game?
    According to Shigeru Miyamoto, the setting full of Warp Pipes, down in the New York sewers, made it logical to turn the hero into a plumber. He was a carpenter in Donkey Kong.
  • What is the POW Block for?
    Hit from below, the POW Block flips every enemy on screen in one go (except flies in mid-jump). It can be used three times per stage.
  • What is the link between the Shellcreepers and the Koopa Troopas?
    The Shellcreeper is the very first turtle in the Mario universe and directly inspired the Koopa Troopa. In some re-releases it is replaced by a Spiny.
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