Surrounded by thousands of objects bearing the likeness of Nintendo's mustachioed plumber, 40-year-old Kikai reflects that his "life would be totally different without Mario," who also marks four decades this week.
The colorful Super Mario Bros., released for Nintendo's home consoles in Japan on Sept. 13, 1985, was a landmark of early video gaming.
Players controlled the eponymous character as he ran and hopped his way from left to right through a colorful world of platforms, pipes and scowling enemies — all set to the jaunty 8-bit music that has stuck in minds for decades.
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