But the original pixelated look has long inspired artists making their own riffs on the character.

Lyon-based street artist In The Woup, who declined to give his real name, has been mashing Mario up with other characters like Gandalf from The Lord Of The Rings or Star Wars antagonist Darth Vader in guerilla mosaics dotting cities around the world for years.

"Bringing things from my games console out on the street means bringing immaterial things out into real life. I thought that was pretty crazy," the 39-year-old said, a Mario mask securely concealing his face to keep up his anonymity.

Many of today's children and teens have turned towards more recent heavyweight gaming titles such as Fortnite and Roblox.

But Mario still enjoys a high "parental nostalgia" quotient, with those now heading into middle age still buying the games and playing together with their offspring, said Rhys Elliott of analytics firm Alinea.

Nintendo has looked to evolve along with its audience, recently launching a range of baby clothing and accessories in Japan.

Mario also graces goods from luxury watches to Lego, as well as being the star of theme parks in both Japan and the US.

And in 2023, the plucky plumber made a successful leap to the big screen after a 1993 flop that was one of the first ever game-to-movie adaptations.

The more recent film brought in over US$1.3 billion, with a sequel in the works for next year.

With gender relations in a different light today than 40 years ago, Mario's objective in-game is no longer securing a kiss from a grateful rescued princess.

Nintendo's princesses are more likely these days to star in their own titles, as the company "adapts to new audiences, following little by little developments in society", author Bross said.

Even now, fans are eagerly awaiting a new Mario-led 3D adventure following the blockbuster release of the Nintendo Switch 2 console this June.

Bross hopes to see "a totally new idea that will be a new milestone in the history of videogames".