Mario may be the most recognisable videogame character of all time, having seized family living rooms by the million via the NES and SNES consoles back in the '80s and early '90s, since when his vice-like plumber's grip on the game industry has only tightened.
We on PC remain one of the last bastions of resistance, our towers still holding firm against the sinister cheerfulness of the moustached fiend and his dungarees. But while we may thank our own idols - Doomguy, Kane, Commander Keen - that our houses are mercifully free from chipper, irritating cries of 'It's-a me, Maaaario!', we will admit that Mario's creator (or summoner), Nintendo, knows how to make a damn good game. And we're a little salty that we don't get to play them because Nintendo hoards its toys.
Thankfully, this has opened the door to any number of competitors over the years who are happier to share - even those who have their own consoles. Given his longevity - acquired through some sort of moonlight skin-flaying ritual, no doubt - Mario has taken a number of forms over the years, but his main sequence games are 2D and 3D platformers. And there are a lot of really, really good games in those genres which affect a similarly family friendly tone. Without also wishing to take over the world.
RELATED LINKS:
Former Sonic Mania devs are making an original 3D platformer
Next week's free games from Epic have been revealed
Someone is making a Sonic fan game set in a Sega Cinematic Universe