11 Video Games That Taught You Valuable Life Lessons

Mario has defied generation after generation by basing successive games on a time-old platforming principle that has become a staple in every gamer's history. The franchise has also championed one of the key elements to transcend all gaming genres and platforms like no other - the ability to try again.

After years and successive instalments of Mario, it is no great secret that players can fall, get back up and start again. The foundational principle of accumulating 'lives' is designed to offer the player multiple tries at a particular task, because, as sad as it is true, failure is an essential element of life. This is not to say that players are prone to fail in Mario and, therefore, doomed to fail throughout life; Mario is premised on the need to learn from one's own mistakes. 

The player is allowed to fall and make mistakes and take certain risks in Mario - as is the case in certain walks of life - but key to all forms of progression and development is the ability to learn from those mistakes, to get up, dust yourself down and face the music once again. This method of trial and error is essential to life - in education, careers and relationships - Mario's principles of trying again and learning from mistakes is a simple but powerful message.