Q: How many brothers does Mario have?

Mario has one younger brother, Luigi. Both are characters in Nintendo's "Super Mario" series of video games. Luigi first appeared in the 1983 arcade game "Mario Bros.," set in the sewer system of New York City.

The games follow the adventures of Mario in the Mushroom Kingdom. He is often joined by Luigi and sometimes by other fictional characters. Players control Mario as he runs and jumps on top of platforms and over obstacles in various levels with different themes. "Super Mario" is the best-selling video game series ever, with more than 262 million copies sold. The game series is part of a larger "Mario" franchise that includes TV programs, movies and merchandise.

The character "Mario" evolved from an original design named "Jumpman" created for the arcade game "Donkey Kong." Creator Shigeru Miyamoto initially designed Mario as a carpenter for that game, but after being told by a colleague that Mario looked more like a plumber, he changed his occupation accordingly and added the recurring use of pipes and sewers to his games. Mario is also employed as a plumber in the live-action "Super Mario Bros." movie.

Mario is a famous character of the Nintendo brand. He has starred in multiple video games spread throughout the Nintendo platforms beginning with the original Nintendo Entertainment System in 1981. Koopas are turtle-like invaders of the Mushroom Kingdom. Also known as Koopa Troopas, they act as primary antagonists in many Mario games. They first appeared in "Super Mario Bros." in 1985.

 

Mario was introduced in the early 1980s. Nintendo CEO Hiroshi Yamauchi and his team created "Donkey Kong." It was the first game that featured Mario, although at the time he was known only as "Jumpman."

As the game was being prepared to be released in the United States, Nintendo needed to find a name for Jumpman. He ended up being named after landlord Mario Segale after Nintendo of America president Minoru Arakawa thought the character looked like the landlord.

Since that time, Mario has appeared in dozens of games, including — most notably — the Super Mario Brothers franchise of games. As his popularity grew, a number of spin-off games and franchises were produced, including "Super Mario Kart," "Dr. Mario," Super Mario World," "Mario Paint," "Super Mario 64," "Mario Party," "Super Smash Bros.," "Mario Sports," "Super Mario Sunshine" and "Paper Mario."