The Super Mario Bros are a part of videogame royalty since their creation by Nintendo. When the first Nintendo came out in the mid 1980's it was incredibly successful, but it actually took a while to catch on. The very first Nintendo games didn't really offer anything different than what was already on the market from gaming companies like Atari. It wasn't until they released the game ‘Super Mario Bros' that the Nintendo really exploded on the scene with their first council system, and only then did they achieve icon status concerning 1980s entertainment.

Recognizing the breakaway hit that the first Super Mario Bros game was, Nintendo wisely decided to start including the game as part of the package when you bought the system. It was a smart promotion and no doubt increased sales of their gaming system. When I first got my Nintendo Entertainment System, it came with the Super Mario Bros game and I was in video game heaven.

I was off a big fan of Atari 2600 but I was blown away by the superior sound and graphics that Nintendo offered. More than the better graphics and sounds, the sheer size and scope of the Super Mario Bros game was what really made the Nintendo shine above the others. Atari games had always lacked layered depth, but the Super Mario Bros game had it and then some.

Super Mario Bros games are still being churned out today for the modern-day Nintendo systems, like the ‘Gamecube' and the ‘N64'. There is no question that the Super Mario Bros are the flag bearers and nationally recognized symbols for Nintendo systems, and have probably done more to bring in business for the Japan based company than all of their other advertising efforts to date. Just putting the Super Mario Bros into a game just about guarantees greater sales, it's that much of an enticement. It's no surprise then that there are so many different takeoffs of Mario Bros games out there now.

One of my favorite more recent Super Mario Bros games is the Mario Kart series. The really cool thing about these games is that you can play it against other players directly. You could play the original Super Mario Brothers games with more than one player, but not simultaneously, so you were always hoping that your buddy get killed so you could play the game. The Mario Kart games are fun because you can play with several players and have some good clean fun while you go at it and the is still leave there as friends.