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Gaming has come a long way since the first game of Pong in 1972. Today, games have 3D graphics, online play and so much more. One thing that will never be forgotten is the beloved characters that have changed with the times. Take a look into where Mario, Sonic, Donkey Kong and Kirby all began.

MARIO
Nintendo's beloved plumber made his debut in 1981 with the arcade game Donkey Kong. In this game, Mario tries to rescue his girlfriend from an evil ape by climbing ladders and dodging obstacles hurled by Donkey Kong to get to her. Since then, Mario has appeared in over 200 games, which have collectively sold over 210 million units. He is Nintendo's mascot and he is said to be the most famous character in video game history.

Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto originally wanted to name Mario "Mr. Video Game," and he was to be used in all of the games Miyamoto created. Miyamoto ended up named his character after Nintendo of America's warehouse landlord Mario Segale, so the story goes. Miyamoto named the character after Segale instead of paying back the rent for the warehouse. Settling this disagreement was crucial at the time, as Donkey Kong was being localized to North American audiences.

Miyamoto thought that Mario should be a plumber because most of the game is played in underground settings. Mario was designed wearing simple clothing — a red shirt and blue overalls — due to the limitations of the arcade game system. Mario's cap was added so that Miyamoto did not have to draw or animate Mario's hair, forehead or eyebrows as he jumped, and he was given a prominent moustache so the designer could avoid animating his mouth. As the years progressed, Mario's outfit became a little more detailed: a red circle with a red M was added to his hat and gold buttons were added to his overalls.

Today, Mario is in racing, puzzle, party and many more types of games. His latest is Super Mario Bros 2, for the Nintendo 3DS.

For more information, check out tinyurl.com/marioinfo1 and tinyurl.com/marioinfo2.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
Sega's speedy blue hedgehog made his debut in 1991 in Sonic the Hedgehog for Atari. Sonic was created to rival the popularity of Nintendo's Mario. Since then, Sonic's games have sold over 80 million copies, making him one of the world's best-known video game characters.

Sonic's blue colour was made to match the colour of Sega's logo, and his shoes were inspired by Michael Jackson's boots with an added splash of red, supposedly inspired by Santa Claus. His personality was inspired by Bill Clinton's get-it-done attitude. Sonic's appearance has also had an upgrade over the years. Originally in the video games, Sonic was short and round with short quills and no colour in his pupils. Over the years, Sonic has changed with the times. He now has longer quills, a longer body and green pupils.

Sonic's latest is Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II, for various platforms, where he is now accompanied by his two-tailed friend Tails. Up next for Sonic is Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed for various platforms, expected to come out in the latter part of this year.

For more info on Sonic, check out tinyurl.com/sonicinfo1, tinyurl.com/sonicinfo2, tinyurl.com/sonicinfo3 and tinyurl.com/segaallstarsracing2012.

DONKEY KONG
Donkey Kong stepped into the gaming world in 1981 with Donkey Kong. In this he was Mario's enemy as Mario tried to rescue his girlfriend. Since then, Donkey Kong had his own series starting in 1994 with Donkey Kong Country for the Super Nintendo.

DK came about because Nintendo could not get the license to make a game based on the Popeye comic strip, so Nintendo character creator Shigeru Miyamoto decided on to create a love triangle between a gorilla, a carpenter and his girlfriend that mirrored the rivalry between Bluto and Popeye for Olive Oyl. In later years, the original Donkey Kong from the arcade game became Cranky Kong, DK's grandfather.

DK is known for the bit of hair sticking up on his head and the red tie around his neck.

He has appeared in many Mario sports, party and other types of games, including every edition of Mario Kart. DK was also a playable character in the Mario Party series up until Mario Party 4, and he still appears in some games as a non-playable event character. Over the years, DK has occasionally traded places with spiny-back dragon Bowser as Mario's enemy.

Donkey Kong's most recent title is Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! There have been rumors of a Donkey Kong 3D game for the Nintendo 3DS, but nothing has been confirmed by Nintendo.

For more info on Donkey Kong, check out tinyurl.com/DKinfo1 and the book Power-up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life by Chris Kohler.

KIRBY
Nintendo's pink marshmallow debuted in 1992 with Kirby's Dream Land for the Game Boy. In this, he was a black and white two-dimensional sprite. There are many theories on how Kirby got his name — a popular one says that he was named after a vacuum cleaner manufacturer — but Kirby creator Masahiro Sakura said that he does not remember where the name came from.

Kirby is known for his pink colour, round shape, red shoes, stubby arms and his ability to inhale objects and exhale them with great force or take on the special abilities of the objects or characters he inhales. According to the Super Smash Bros. games, Kirby is eight inches tall. He hasn't changed much over the years, except for becoming more rounded and defined mainly in his face, and having larger eyes. Kirby's high-pitched voice suggests that he is fairly young. He is also a very positive character and enjoys singing, despite being tone-deaf.

Aside from video games, Kirby is also the star of many anime and manga comics. The longest-running series is Kirby of the Stars: The Story of Dedede Who Lives In Pupupu, written by Hirokazu Hikawa. This series has 25 books and was released only in the Japanese language. Kirby's most recent game is Kirby's Return to Dream Land, released in fall 2011 for the Nintendo Wii. Nintendo is rumoured to be releasing something for Kirby's 20th anniversary this year.

For more info on Kirby, check out kirby.nintendo.com.