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Nintendo Opens Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary Tribute Site

This is enough to make me feel old. Yesterday, on the 25th anniversary of the release of the original Super Mario Bros. in Japan, Nintendo put up a new site that celebrates the anniversary with video of every major Mario game from Super Mario Bros. to Super Mario Galaxy 2. Seeing all the games side by side like that makes the early ones seem like such a long time ago. Mario Bros. has always been a paragon of the simple fun of letting people play with rudimentary physics. It's not the bright colors and the "Here we goooo!" that makes the Mario games great, it's things like that little touch of inertia that makes him slide a few feet when you turn to go the other way.

Those looking to celebrate with some classic Mario fare might have some good news on the way. Right now, the site only has the gameplay video and a short article talking about the anniversary, but it says that it will be the "hub of the 25th anniversary," and suggests that readers watch for new content in the coming weeks. In Japan, Nintendo announced a commemorative re-release of Super Mario All-Stars. Perhaps an American release will coincide with the 25th anniversary of Mario's stateside arrival next March?

Having recently hit the quarter-century milestone myself (where was my "this is how awesome your life has been" video?), I can say that my 25th was the first time I really felt old. Mario, on the other hand, doesn't seem to show any signs of age. In 25 years, he's become one of the biggest icons in anything. Oh well, here's to another 25 for both of us.