Going into 1981, Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto was facing a problem. Working on one of his first games ever, he hoped to use Popeye, the famed sailor of 1930s cartoons, to serve as the hero. Yet despite the fact that Nintendo held the rights to make Popeye-themed playing cards and handheld games, a full-fledged title wasn’t approved for unknown reasons . The solution was to create original characters: Popeye became a plumber, simply dubbed Jumpman, while brutish antagonist Bluto ended up the titular ape Donkey Kong ( a legend in his own right ).

Following his impromptu genesis, Mario quickly evolved. By 1982, he had a real name, as well as a set of core elements. Miyamoto didn’t have a lot of specifics for him, but he knew the basics. “Mario’s around 26-years-old,” Miyamoto tells Rolling Stone. “Has a mustache. May not be the brightest, but has guts.…