10 Ways Nintendo Were Almost COMPLETELY Different
9. Super Mario Had No Resemblance To His Modern Image
Every facet of Super Mario is so engrained in the minds of Nintendo fans, it's hard to imagine him any other way. However, the Italian plumber could have turned out differently. The only reason he looks the way he does is because of the limitations of 1980s graphics. The reason why Mario has a hat is because it was easier to animate than hair. His mustache exists so his nose could be delineated with so few pixels.
He was originally called Jumpman but he was nearly known as Middle Aged Guy. (I don't think Super Middle Aged Guy Odyssey has the same ring to it.)
In the early stages of Super Mario Bros., the Koopa Troopas were supposed to be the game's most basic baddies. Since developers struggled with taking out these enemies, they decided to insert a simpler enemy called Goombas. Although the Goomba is the most famous enemy in the Mario franchise (and the first one you see in Super Mario Bros.) he was created very late in production.
After the game was a smash-hit, Nintendo unsurprisingly designated Mario as their mascot. If Super Mario Bros. wasn't successful, Nintendo would have stuck with their old mascot; a yellow blocky cross-eyed chap called Diskun.