Times change. This also extends to companies, franchises, and characters, but if there is an exception to the rule, it is Nintendo. On more than one occasion, the Japanese giant has been accused of being too traditionalist and sacrificing market presence for its lack of flexibility. However, in the official Super Mario profile, they just made a small change: He is no longer a plumber. After seeing him fight hand-to-hand, play tennis and golf, race karts, and practice medicine, are we surprised?
A career defined by the setting
History tells us that Mario's first appearance in a video game was thanks to Donkey Kong in July 1981. In fact, he wasn't even called Mario. His original name was "Jumpman", something logical if we consider that Donkey Kong never stopped throwing barrels. Another notable detail is that the "damsel in distress" of Donkey Kong is not Peach, but Pauline (called "Lady" at that time). Now, when we talk about associated professions, Shigeru Miyamoto explained in 2010 that the available technology limited character design, and since Donkey Kong's scenarios were construction zones, they decided to turn Mario-Jumpman into a carpenter.
Two years later, "Mario Bros." debuted on the market, and since the setting of that game is underground, Mario and his brother Luigi transformed into plumbers. In Miyamoto's own words, "the scenario dictates the role". With almost four decades of activity, Mario has developed a notable résumé. He has rescued princesses, played tennis and golf, been a juggler, practiced medicine, and found great success in kart racing and the MMA circuit (well, not MMA... but it's close). The latest news? According to his official profile on Nintendo's Japanese portal, Mario gave up plumbing. The new profile highlights the character's athletic abilities and mentions that he "worked as a plumber some time ago...".
In Luigi's case, the text says he can do the same things as Mario, but when they work together they are "like 100 people". Peach is a lover of cooking and cakes, excellent at sports, very close to Mario (!), and with a much more elaborate fashion sense, as she also has summer dresses and sportswear. The rest? You'll have to translate it yourself...
