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Donkey Kong 

is an arcade game developed by Nintendo

It is an early example of the platform genre, as the gameplay focuses on maneuvering the main character across a series of platforms while dodging obstacles. The storyline is thin but well-developed for its time. In it, Jumpman (now known as Mario) must rescue a damsel in distress, Lady (now known as Pauline), from a giant ape named Donkey Kong. The hero and ape later became two of Nintendo's most popular characters.

The game was the latest in a series of efforts by Nintendo to break into the North American market. Hiroshi Yamauchi, Nintendo's president at the time, assigned the project to a first-time game designer named Shigeru Miyamoto. Drawing from a wide range of inspirations, including Popeye and King Kong, Miyamoto developed the scenario and designed the game alongside Nintendo's chief engineer, Gunpei Yokoi. The two men broke new ground by using graphics as a means of characterization, including cut scenes to advance the game's plot, and integrating multiple stages into the gameplay.

Despite initial misgivings on the part of Nintendo's American staff, Donkey Kong was a success in North America and Japan. Nintendo licensed the game to Coleco, who developed home console versions for numerous platforms. Other companies cloned Nintendo's hit and avoided royalties altogether. Miyamoto's characters appeared on cereal boxes, television cartoons, and dozens of other places. A court suit brought on by Universal City Studios, alleging Donkey Kong violated their trademark of King Kong, ultimately failed. The success of Donkey Kong and Nintendo's win in the courtroom helped position the company to dominate the video game market in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Mario - The Top Star of Video Games 

Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation

Super Mario Bros 

is a platform game developed by Nintendo in late 1985 and published for the Nintendo Entertainment System, a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the titular character, Mario, must save Princess Toadstool (eventually renamed to Princess Peach) of the Mushroom Kingdom from the evil King Koopa (later known as King Bowser), king of the Koopas. In two-player mode, Mario is aided in his quest by his younger brother, Luigi. To save Princess Toadstool, the Mario Bros. must conquer the eight worlds that comprise the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario (or Luigi) must make his way to the castle in each world and defeat one of King Koopa's evil minions. To reach each castle, Mario or Luigi must battle through three "sub-worlds" by either destroying or avoiding King Koopa's henchmen. If Mario or Luigi successfully fights his way through the castle and defeats the evil minion, a Mushroom Retainer (later called Toad), is freed. Inside the eighth castle, the Mario Bros. will have a final fight with King Koopa and free Princess Toadstool.

As of late 2008, excluding Game Boy Advance and Virtual Console sales, Super Mario Bros. is the second best selling video game of all time (selling 40.24 million copies), surpassed only by Wii Sports. It was largely responsible for the initial success of the Nintendo Entertainment System, as well as ending the two year slump of video game sales in the United States after the video game crash of 1983. One of Shigeru Miyamoto's most influential early successes, it has inspired countless clones, two direct sequels and many spin-offs, as well as the Mario series itself. Mario went on to become Nintendo's most well-known mascot. The theme music, by K?ji Kond?, is recognized worldwide, even by those who have not played the game, and has been considered a representation for video game music in general.

The game was succeeded by a Category: Super Mario Bros. - : The Lost Levels|direct sequel in Japan, and by a slight revision of Category: Yume K?j?: Doki Doki Panic - (that introduces other characters from the Mario series) elsewhere in the world. In both cases, the games are titled Super Mario Bros. 2, causing both games to be re-released in different countries under different titles. There also have been many "alternate" versions of the game, such as All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros., which featured personalities from a famous Japanese radio show, as well as an arcade game. The success of Super Mario Bros. has caused it to be ported to almost every one of Nintendo's major gaming consoles, as well as the NEC PC-8801.