35 years of Super Mario: five great games to enthrall and entertain

Trips to Nintendo's Mushroom Kingdom that will suit videogamers of all ages, including retro favourites, kart-racing action and an Odyssey unlike any other

Stepping into the spotlight: Nintendo's intrepid mascot Mario

He doesn't look a day over 30, but middle age is creeping up slowly on videogaming giant Nintendo's moustache-sporting mascot, Mario.

While the Mushroom Kingdom's resident plumber had popped up in Nintendo's early hits, including a turn as the unlikely villain in arcade coin-gobbler Donkey Kong, it's arguable that his journey begins in earnest with all-time run-and-jump classic Super Mario Bros, which hit its 35th anniversary yesterday - releasing on September 13th, 1985, on the company's Famicom system in Japan before a phased worldwide release on its Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) counterpart.