Nintendo’s Mario has been one of the most recognizable faces in Geekdom – and pop culture as a whole – since he came onto the scene in 1981 in the first Donkey Kong video game. Mario has undergone one heck of a makeover, starting as an 8-bit mustachioed (more on that later) character, becoming the star of his own video game franchise, and soon-after transforming into a cultural icon.

Here are some of the most fascinating facts about the world’s favorite chubby plumber from Brooklyn:

• Mario’s original name was “Jumpman” but after an encounter with the landlord of Nintendo’s US office, Mario Segale, they changed it to Mario. Legend has it that Nintendo was behind on its warehouse rent payments and after a heated discussion with Segale, in which he ultimately agreed to give them more time to come up with the money, they were so thankful that they named the game’s protagonist after him.

• The world’s most recognizable plumber actually started out as a carpenter – which made sense, given the original Donkey Kong’s action takes place on a construction site. Mario changed careers when the games switched to a pipe-filled underground setting.

• The perpetually smiling character hasn’t always been the hero; he starred as the antagonist in the 1982 game Donkey Kong Jr., where he trapped Donkey Kong in a cage and Jr.’s mission was to rescue him. Mario’s mustache is even twirled up in promotional materials to show he plays an evil role.

• Mario’s iconic look only came to be because of the limitations of 8-bit. He was too small for a detailed face and mouth, so the creators gave Mario a mustache instead. His hat can also be attributed to the limits of tech at the time – it was added so that programmers wouldn’t have to animate his hair during jumps.

• Who doesn’t get excited when you jump up and hit a question-mark block, a coin pops out, the question mark doesn’t go away, and you’re able to hit it again and again and again. It’s a unique high. Well, that wasn’t originally supposed to happen. You can thank an error in the code for that joy. Nintendo ultimately decided to add the “error” back in.

• Super Mario Bros. ventured out from the underground…and on to the ice. That’s right, ABC aired “Mario Ice Capades” in the late ‘80s, starring Jason Bateman, Alyssa Milano, and Christopher Hewitt. We’ll leave you with this. Fasten your seat belts (or should we say laces?)

From the odd to the awesome, Mario certainly has had a good run. And with the record-breaking sales of the NES Classic, it doesn’t seem like he’s going anywhere soon.

The innovation and outside-the-box thinking that sets Mario apart is also what drives what we do every day at Freedom Consulting Group. We’re proud to have a team that stays one step ahead of the game (pun, again, intended) and are excited for what’s to come. Let’s-a go!