September 13, Sunday marked the 30th anniversary since the launch of Shigeru Miyamoto's Super Mario Bros. in 1985, the classic Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) title that launched the biggest franchise in video game history. Google provided a special gift in its search engine for fans of the Famicom vintage game: an iconic flashing question mark box that produces a coin.
After Google users search for "Super Mario Bros" on the Web or mobile device, a question mark box from the game appears, according to The Next Web. Clicking on it produces a familiar coin and a ping ring.
Super Mario Bros. was first released for the Family Computer or "Famicom" game console. That was the original version of NES in Japan. It was later launched in North America on May 15, 1987.
The classic Nintendo game became an instant hit. It has sold over 40.2 million units, making it one of the best-selling games of all time. It follows only Tetris (2006), Wii Sports (2006), Minecraft (2009), and Grand Theft Auto V (2013), respectively.
Since the original Super Mario game, the franchise has produced several titles that have collectively sold over 310 million units. Some of the top-selling games include Super Mario World (1990), New Super Mario Bros. (2006), and Mario Kart Wii (2008).
The franchise's newest spin-off is Super Mario Maker. It allows gamers to build and play their own level using familiar objects and characters from past games.
Super Mario Bros. was so innovative that earlier this year it was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame. That is located in The Strong museum in Rochester, New York.
The new Mario Google doodle is a fun feature of its search engine. They commemorate anniversaries and events that are occurring on a particular day, according to Mirror.
Here is a vintage Japanese ad for Super Mario Bros.: