In the 1980s, that skilled plumber with a winning personality and mustache named Mario appeared on the world stage. Instead, his early days were spent as a player-character called Jumpman in the classic arcade game Donkey Kong, and from that took root what would eventually become one of video gaming’s most memorable characters. Lead by project leader and game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario had a profound influence on how the industry would tell stories via games in years to come.