Chapter 1 FROM JUMPMAN TO MARIO You press a button and Mario races across a brick platform He nears an enemy Goomba a small mushroom like creature You tap another button and Mario jumps He lands on the Goomba and flattens it Video game fans around the world recognize Mario's moustache and red hat
People played Donkey Kong at places such as arcades and restaurants DONKEY KONG 1981 NINTENDO OF AMERICA INC Mario is one of the world's most popular video game characters But he wasn't always the star of his own game He first appeared in 1981 in an arcade game called Donkey Kong You put coins in an arcade machine to start a game
When Donkey Kong was designed by the Japanese company Nintendo Mario was called Jumpman He was named for his favorite move He jumped over barrels and from one platform to another Before the game was released Nintendo employees met in a warehouse in the United States to view the new game They thought Jumpman needed a different name During their meeting the owner of the warehouse arrived His name was Mario Soon Jumpman was named Mario too IIIIIIIIIIII Donkey Kong has a never ending supply of barrels to throw at Mario
This is just one of many levels that Mario must pass to save Pauline Most early arcade games focused on action Donkey Kong was different because it told a story In the story Mario was a carpenter Donkey Kong was his pet gorilla Donkey Kong escaped and kidnapped Pauline Mario's girlfriend The gorilla carried Pauline off to a construction site When you played the game you took the role of Mario You climbed platforms and ladders Donkey Kong threw barrels and fireballs at you You leaped over them and tried to rescue Pauline
