For many gamers, this was what it was all about.

I’ve been gaming for a long time and it feels almost cliché to say that one of my first experiences in the gaming world was Super Mario Bros. But hey, that game was a key factor in the lives of many gamers.

Released in 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the game has been going strong for over 20 years. Some games don’t age well over time, but Super Mario Bros. is a game that I’ve always been able to go back in play anytime I feel like it. The game mechanics are simple, as was standards of games back then. With the B button to run and the A button to jump, the game mostly consists of stomping on enemies and jumping around.

The game itself is practically revered amongst the gaming community and I challenge anyone to claim to not have even heard of the Super Mario series. The music is great, even by today’s standards. Admittedly, the game is rather simplistic and, aside from the increase in difficult, the game mechanic never builds into anything new. But the game itself is fun and it is a timeless classic. Nintendo has rereleased and repackaged the game several times and every time, the game sells very well.

Everyone knows Mario, even non-gamers. Super Mario Bros. is where it all really started, despite Mario appearing in the original Donkey Kong and Mario Bros. arcade games beforehand. No matter how much I move onto bigger and more innovated games, I always make my way back to the NES and Super Mario Bros.