Who would have thought 25 years ago that a tubby little plumber with mad hops would have entered the entertainment world and become one of the leading icons in video game history. With more games than I could think to count, Mario has provided us with countless hours of fun, button smashing and frustration. And who could forget that awesome movie starring Bob Hoskins, Dennis Hopper and John Leguizamo.

Today we salute you, Mario, without you I’m sure I would have had a higher G.P.A. and perhaps more of a social life and childhood. But then again, I have a really good knack of timing, castle scouring, and race car tactics. Check out the anniversary movie after the break!