The genius of Mario and the video game's longevity is in its simplicity, says a superfan.
Steve Bagley from Staffordshire remembers Super Mario Bros being released in 1985, when he was five years old.
Forty years on, and he has spent "many, many thousands" on what he believes to be one of the most comprehensive Mario-related collections in the world, including almost 500 games.
The NHS worker even runs a website dedicated to the iconic video game character, called Mario Museum. "Mario has definitely stood the test of time... it takes something really special to last that long and be stronger today than he's ever been," said Mr Bagley.
The character's first appearance was in 1981, in the arcade game Donkey Kong, when he was known as Jumpman.
