(gaming music) - [Narrator] Crawling
through underground pipes. Racing to catch a mushroom. And saving Princess Peach. All things you did in
the Mushroom Kingdom. You might think you know
everything about your favorite high-pitched, turtle-
squashing, Italian plumber but, you have no idea. (gaming music) Let's start from the
beginning, the very beginning. Guess when Nintendo was founded. In the 19th century, 1889 to be exact. They started out as
playing cards manufacturer and, as years passed, expanded
their lines of products. Going from toys to instant
rice and even taxi services. Fast forward to the 1970s, the company is in dire financial straights and is looking to reinvent itself. With the
golden age of video games in full swing, Nintendo saw an
opportunity to join the fray. So, they entrusted a young
artist to lead their initiative. A man that would ultimately
change video games forever. This is Shigeru Miyamoto,
the world famous creator of the world famous character - [Shigeru] Mario. - [Narrator] And this is
how Mario got his look. (Shigeru speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] But that was
quite a challenge in 8-bit. (Shigeru speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] And one thing let to another. (Shigeru speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] Now our
character needed, well, a name. (Shigeru speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] That video
game was Donkey Kong. (Shigeru speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] And that silly
hero had a signature move. (Shigeru speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] Mr. Video become Jumpman, a carpenter climbing ladders
on a construction site. But, he needed a more relatable name. (Shigeru speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] To a warehouse
in Seattle to be precise. And what happened there? (Shigeru speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] That
landlord was Mario Segale, and he looked like this, with a mustache. (Shigeru speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] Wait, so that
guy inspired Mario's name? (Shigeru speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] So, we had a funny idea: We wanted to look for Mario Segale. That elusive landlord,
turns out he still lives in the Seattle area, and
he's still in real estate. In fact, he's quite a mogul. His name is even on a street sign. We tried to call him to ask about Mario, but he didn't want to
comment on the matter. What happened in that warehouse
stays in that warehouse. (Mario sound effects) - After Donkey Kong, our
hero was ready to be a star on his own, so Miyomoto set out
to design him his own world. (Shigeru speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] Mario was jumping over pipes. So naturally, he became a plumber. (Shigeru speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] Instead,
Mario was kind of a chubby, blue collar hero. (Shigeru speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] And players
got to enjoy even more of Mario with his doppelgänger. (Shigeru speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] Like Mario,
his name has quite a story. (Shigeru speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] And it was meant to be. (Shigeru speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] Although the
Mario brothers have a lot in common, Mario, he
remained the true star. And ultimately, he's more
than a video game character. (Shigeru speaks in foreign language) - [Narrator] We see him
pretty much everywhere. But, we'll never look at the
Nintendo mascot the same way. Mario is a legend, and so is his creator. (Shigeru speaks in foreign language) (gaming music) - [Mario] Yi-hoo-hoo. (chime)
