What If Mario Never Became Nintendo's Mascot?

The Actual History

In the early 1980s, the video game industry was still in its infancy. Nintendo, a Japanese company founded in 1889 as a playing card manufacturer, was beginning its transition into electronic entertainment. After modest success with arcade games like Radar Scope, Nintendo of America faced significant financial challenges. In 1981, company president Hiroshi Yamauchi tasked a young designer named Shigeru Miyamoto with creating a new game that could convert unsold Radar Scope cabinets into a more marketable product.

Miyamoto, despite having no previous game design experience, created Donkey Kong, an arcade game featuring a character originally called "Jumpman" – a mustachioed carpenter in red overalls who needed to rescue his girlfriend from a giant ape. Due to housing constraints in the United States, Nintendo of America's staff began calling the character "Mario" after their Italian-American landlord, Mario Segale, who reportedly shared some physical similarities with the character. The name stuck.

Donkey Kong became a massive success, saving Nintendo of America from financial ruin. Following this success, Nintendo released Mario Bros. in 1983, which introduced Mario's brother Luigi and established that the characters were now plumbers rather than carpenters. However, it was 1985's Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) that truly catapulted Mario to international fame. The game sold over 40 million copies and cemented Mario as Nintendo's primary mascot.

Over the subsequent decades, Mario appeared in over 200 games spanning multiple genres – platformers, racing games, sports titles, role-playing adventures, and more. The Super Mario franchise became one of the most successful and recognizable in entertainment history, selling more than 380 million units worldwide. Mario transcended gaming to become a global cultural icon, appearing in movies, television shows, merchandise, and even at Olympic Games ceremonies. The character's simple design, family-friendly appeal, and consistent quality established Nintendo as a dominant force in the video game industry.

Through various industry transitions and technological evolutions, Mario remained the consistent face of Nintendo, helping the company weather challenges like the video game crash of 1983, competition from Sega and Sony, and the shift to mobile gaming. Mario's creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, rose to become one of the most celebrated game designers in history, eventually becoming Representative Director and Creative Fellow at Nintendo. The decision to focus on Mario as Nintendo's mascot shaped not just the company's identity but influenced the entire gaming industry's approach to character creation, franchise building, and family-oriented entertainment.

The Point of Divergence

What if Mario never became Nintendo's mascot? In this alternate timeline, we explore a scenario where a series of different creative and business decisions in the early 1980s led Nintendo to rally behind another character as their primary representative.

There are several plausible ways this divergence might have occurred:

First, Nintendo might have chosen to focus on Donkey Kong rather than his human adversary. In our timeline, Nintendo split these characters into separate franchises, with Mario receiving the primary focus. Had early market research indicated stronger player connection with the ape character, Miyamoto and Nintendo might have pursued Donkey Kong as their primary mascot, relegating Mario/Jumpman to a secondary role or phasing him out entirely.

Alternatively, Shigeru Miyamoto might have created an entirely different character for his first major game design project. If Miyamoto had been influenced by different cultural touchstones or artistic inspirations during this formative period, he might have designed a protagonist with a completely different aesthetic – perhaps a ninja, samurai, or distinctly Japanese folk character rather than an Italian plumber. Had this alternative character resonated with audiences, it could have become Nintendo's flagship representative.

A third possibility involves Nintendo's early business strategy in North America. If Nintendo of America's leadership had pushed harder for a mascot designed specifically for Western audiences (similar to how Sonic the Hedgehog would later be created with American sensibilities in mind), they might have sidelined Miyamoto's creation in favor of a character developed by an American team.

Finally, Nintendo might have embraced a different successful early franchise. If The Legend of Zelda (1986) had been released before Super Mario Bros. and achieved greater initial success, Link might have been positioned as Nintendo's primary character rather than Mario. Similarly, if early games featuring characters like Samus Aran (Metroid, 1986) or Fox McCloud (later of Star Fox) had been prioritized in Nintendo's development pipeline, these characters could have become the company's main representatives.

For this alternate timeline, we'll focus on the scenario where Nintendo makes a deliberate decision in 1983 to elevate Donkey Kong to mascot status while relegating Mario to a supporting character who eventually fades from their lineup.

Immediate Aftermath

The Rise of Donkey Kong (1983-1985)

In the wake of arcade success with the original Donkey Kong, Nintendo makes a strategic decision to position the titular ape as their primary character moving forward. Rather than developing Mario Bros. as their next arcade game, Nintendo instead releases "Donkey Kong's Jungle Adventure" in 1983, featuring a more sympathetic and playable version of the character navigating various jungle environments.

When Nintendo prepares to launch their Famicom system in Japan (1983) and the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America (1985), their flagship title is not Super Mario Bros. but "Donkey Kong Country," a side-scrolling adventure that establishes Donkey Kong as a heroic character defending his jungle home from invading crocodile-like creatures called Kremlings, led by the villainous King K. Rool. The game establishes a distinctive visual style emphasizing lush environments and fluid character animation.

Shigeru Miyamoto, still emerging as Nintendo's key creative force, focuses his energy on developing the Donkey Kong character and universe rather than Mario. He establishes a rich cast of supporting characters including Donkey Kong's nephew Diddy Kong and various animal friends. The iconic gorilla's character design evolves to be more expressive and relatable while maintaining his recognizable silhouette.

Nintendo's Marketing Revolution (1985-1986)

Nintendo of America, under president Minoru Arakawa, builds their marketing strategy around Donkey Kong rather than Mario. The character's strong visual appeal and jungle theme provides rich material for merchandise, promotional materials, and tie-ins. The recognizable gorilla silhouette becomes Nintendo's corporate logo, replacing the simple red Nintendo wordmark. Television commercials feature the tagline "Go Ape with Nintendo!" instead of focusing on the Italian plumber.

When Nintendo launches The Legend of Zelda in 1986, the game is positioned as a complementary franchise rather than a competing mascot. Nintendo establishes a two-pronged approach to their game library: Donkey Kong titles provide accessible, family-friendly platforming adventures, while Zelda offers more complex, exploration-based experiences for slightly older players.

The Fate of Mario (1983-1988)

Without being elevated to mascot status, Mario's trajectory changes dramatically. After his appearance as Jumpman in the original Donkey Kong arcade game, the character makes a few appearances in minor roles but fails to develop the iconic status he achieved in our timeline. By 1988, Nintendo has largely phased out the character, occasionally using him as a minor supporting character in Donkey Kong games but without his own dedicated titles.

Shigeru Miyamoto later reveals in interviews that he had initially considered the Mario character a simple placeholder – a character designed for functional gameplay rather than personality or storytelling. Without the push to develop him as a mascot, Miyamoto redirects his creative energies to other projects.

Industry Reactions (1985-1987)

SEGA, Nintendo's emerging competitor, observes Nintendo's success with Donkey Kong and accelerates development of their own animal mascot. However, instead of creating Sonic the Hedgehog (who wouldn't appear until 1991 in our timeline), they develop "Dash the Cheetah" in 1987 – a speed-based platformer character who provides a sleeker, cooler alternative to Nintendo's gorilla. This earlier introduction of a mascot rivalry shifts the competitive dynamics of the console market.

The absence of Mario as a guiding design philosophy affects the broader game industry. Without Mario's straightforward "jump on enemies" mechanics becoming the platformer template, early game designers experiment with more varied gameplay approaches. The platformer genre evolves along different lines, with greater emphasis on environmental interaction rather than enemy stomping.

Long-term Impact

Nintendo's Product Philosophy (1990s)

Without Mario as their central character, Nintendo's approach to game design and hardware development follows a different trajectory. The Donkey Kong-led Nintendo embraces a more naturalistic aesthetic across their products, contrasting with the abstract, primary-colored worlds that characterized Mario games in our timeline.

The Nintendo Game Boy, released in 1989, comes bundled with "Donkey Kong Land" rather than Tetris, establishing the portable device as an extension of Nintendo's console experience rather than a separate puzzle-focused platform. This strategic decision results in stronger initial sales among existing Nintendo fans but less penetration into non-traditional gaming demographics that had been attracted to Tetris.

By the mid-1990s, Nintendo's creative direction under Miyamoto emphasizes detailed world-building and character-driven narratives rather than the more abstract, gameplay-first approach that Mario titles often embodied. Games feature more complex stories and environmental themes, with Donkey Kong adventures addressing deforestation, habitat preservation, and harmony with nature – subjects that resonate particularly well with the growing environmental consciousness of 1990s youth.

The Console Wars Redefined (1990-2000)

The famous Nintendo-SEGA rivalry of the 1990s takes on a different character in this timeline. Rather than Mario vs. Sonic, the competitive narrative centers on Donkey Kong vs. Dash the Cheetah. SEGA positions their mascot as the urbane, cool alternative to Nintendo's more nature-oriented gorilla. This shapes both companies' broader identities: Nintendo leans into themes of exploration, discovery, and environmental harmony, while SEGA embraces speed, technology, and urban aesthetics.

Sony's entry into the console market with the PlayStation in 1994 still disrupts the Nintendo-SEGA duopoly, but their approach differs. Without having to differentiate from the family-friendly, whimsical Mario, Sony doesn't push as aggressively into the "edgy" teen and young adult demographic. Instead, they position PlayStation as a more sophisticated evolution of video game entertainment with an emphasis on immersive 3D worlds and cinematic experiences.

The Evolution of Platformers and Game Design (1990-2005)

The absence of Mario's specific design philosophy creates space for a more diverse platformer ecosystem. Without Super Mario 64's blueprint for 3D platforming in 1996, the transition from 2D to 3D gameplay follows multiple competing approaches. Donkey Kong's move to 3D emphasizes expansive natural environments and collection-based gameplay rather than the precision jumping and obstacle courses that characterized Mario 64.

Other developers, lacking Mario's template to either follow or reject, experiment more freely with 3D design. Companies like Rare, Naughty Dog, and Insomniac develop distinctive approaches to character-based platforming that are less derivative of Nintendo's flagship series. Games like Banjo-Kazooie, Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro the Dragon emerge not as responses to Mario but as original interpretations of the possibilities of 3D character-based games.

The concept of the "mascot platformer" evolves differently, with greater emphasis on character personality and world-building rather than innovative gameplay mechanics. This leads to richer narrative development in the genre but potentially slower advances in 3D control schemes and camera systems that Mario pioneered in our timeline.

Nintendo's Business Trajectory (2000-2015)

Without Mario as their consistent commercial safety net, Nintendo experiences both greater risks and potentially greater rewards in the 2000s. The GameCube era (2001-2006) becomes more experimental, as Nintendo can't rely on the guaranteed sales of Mario titles to support their hardware. This leads to either an earlier shift toward the "Blue Ocean" strategy (targeting non-traditional gamers) that characterized the Wii, or potentially a stronger push toward technical parity with competitors like PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

The absence of Mario-specific titles like Mario Kart, Mario Party, and Paper Mario forces Nintendo to either develop these concepts with different characters or create entirely different supplementary franchises. Donkey Kong Racing becomes their flagship kart racer, while the party game and RPG spaces see the emergence of new Nintendo properties or greater emphasis on existing franchises like The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, or Animal Crossing.

By 2010, Nintendo's identity is less centered around a single character and more defined by their distinctive approach to game design and hardware innovation. Without Mario as their fallback, they've either developed a broader stable of equally prominent franchises or have potentially lost market share during challenging transitions between console generations.

Cultural Impact and Global Recognition (2000-2025)

The cultural footprint of gaming evolves differently without Mario as its most recognizable ambassador. Donkey Kong, while successful, lacks certain qualities that made Mario so globally adaptable – particularly the character's simplicity, human relatability, and versatility across different game types and cultural contexts.

Nintendo's brand recognition remains strong but with different characteristics. Rather than being known for bright primary colors, whimsical mushroom kingdoms, and an Italian plumber, Nintendo becomes associated with lush natural environments, animal characters, and possibly more complex narrative worlds. The company's merchandising strategy evolves accordingly, emphasizing different visual elements and character relationships.

By 2025, the absence of Mario has altered gaming's place in popular culture. Without Mario's appearances in the Olympics, cameos in films like "Wreck-It Ralph," or the 2023 "Super Mario Bros. Movie," gaming's integration into mainstream entertainment follows a different path. Video games might be seen as more niche and less universally approachable, or alternatively, different characters from various companies might collectively fill the cultural space that Mario solely occupied in our timeline.

Expert Opinions

Dr. James Lin, Professor of Interactive Media Studies at Northwestern University, offers this perspective: "Nintendo's decision to build their brand around Donkey Kong rather than Mario represents one of the most consequential forks in gaming history. Mario's fundamental design – a human character with simple, relatable goals and accessible mechanics – helped Nintendo bridge cultural divides and demographic boundaries. Donkey Kong, while visually distinctive, carried specific cultural connotations and limitations that would have restricted Nintendo's versatility. The company might have maintained strong success in certain markets, but I doubt they would have achieved the universal, multigenerational appeal that Mario facilitated."

Erica Rodriguez, Gaming Historian and Author of "Pixel Pioneers: The Untold Stories of Early Game Design," provides a different analysis: "The elevation of Donkey Kong over Mario would have fundamentally altered Nintendo's design philosophy in fascinating ways. In our timeline, Mario games typically emphasize abstract, gameplay-first environments where the mechanics drive the experience. A Donkey Kong-centric Nintendo would likely have developed a stronger emphasis on world-building, environmental storytelling, and character relationships much earlier. This might have accelerated gaming's narrative evolution by a decade or more. We might have seen the sophisticated environmental storytelling of games like 'The Last of Us' emerge much earlier in gaming's developmental trajectory."

Takahashi Kentaro, Former Nintendo Developer (1994-2008), suggests: "Without Mario as their primary character, Nintendo would have needed to address certain creative limitations sooner. Mario's versatility allowed the company to continuously reinvent a single character across genres – racing, sports, RPGs, party games – without significantly altering their core design approach. A Donkey Kong-led Nintendo would have been forced either to stretch that character beyond credible contexts or develop multiple distinct franchises earlier. This could have resulted in greater creative diversification within the company, potentially bringing voices beyond Miyamoto's to prominence sooner, but with the risk of diluting their focused identity that made them so successful against technically superior competitors."