Surrounded by thousands of objects bearing the likeness of Nintendo's moustachioed plumber, 40-year-old Kikai reflects that his "life would be totally different without Mario" who also marks four decades this week.
The colourful "Super Mario Bros.", released for Nintendo's home consoles in Japan on September 13, 1985, was a landmark of early video gaming.
kAm!=2J6CD 4@?EC@==65 E96 6A@?J>@FD 492C24E6C 2D 96 C2? 2?5 9@AA65 9:D H2J 7C@> =67E E@ C:89E E9C@F89 2 4@=@FC7F= H@C=5 @7 A=2E7@C>D[ A:A6D 2?5 D4@H=:?8 6?6>:6D \\ 2== D6E E@ E96 ;2F?EJ 6:89E\3:E >FD:4 E92E 92D DEF4< :? >:?5D 7@C 564256D]k^Am
kAmQ|J 72E96C 3@F89E >6 E96 82>6[ 2?5 xVG6 366? A=2J:?8 7@C 2D =@?8 2D x 42? C6>6>36C[Q z:<2: E@=5 pu! :? 9:D @77:46 =:?65 H:E9 D@>6H96C6 36EH66? a_ 2?5 b_ E9@FD2?5 |2C:@\C6=2E65 @3;64ED[ 7C@> A=2DE:4 7:8FC:?6D E@ A=FD9 E@JD 2?5 42CA6ED]k^Am
kAmrC62E65 3J =686?52CJ 82>6 56D:8?6C $9:86CF |:J2>@E@[ |2C:@ 92D @3D6DD65 D6G6C2= 86?6C2E:@?D @7 72?D =:<6 z:<2:]k^Am
kAm%96 492C24E6CVD 7:CDE 2AA62C2?46 42>6 :? `hg` 2C4256 82>6 Qs@?<6J z@?8Q[ H96? 96 H2D <?@H? D:>A=J 2D QyF>A>2?Q]k^Am
kAm|2C:@VD 49C:DE6?:?8 42>6 :? `hgb H:E9 E96 Q|2C:@ qC@D]Q 2C4256 423:?6E[ 3FE 9:D ECF6 C:D6 E@ 72>6 H2D H:E9 Q$FA6C |2C:@ qC@D]Q @? }:?E6?5@VD u2>:4@> 4@?D@=6 W<?@H? 2D E96 }t$ :? tFC@A6X[ H9:49 92D D@=5 >@C6 E92? c_ >:==:@? 4@A:6D]k^Am
k9am\ V{F4<J 244:56?EV \k^9am
kAmQxE H2D 2 =F4<J 244:56?E[ 3642FD6 2E E96 DE2CE E96C6 H2D ?@ A=2? 7@C E9:D 492C24E6C E@ 364@>6 2 G:56@ 82>:?8 :4@?[Q D2:5 p=6I:D qC@DD[ E96 uC6?49 4@\2FE9@C @7 E96 3@@< Q|2C:@ v6?6C2E:@?DQ]k^Am
kAm%96 A=F>36CVD =@@< H2D :?:E:2==J 49@D6? E@ 4@?D6CG6 D42C46 4@>AFE:?8 C6D@FC46D 2?5 >2<6 9:> DE2?5 @FE @? D4C66?[ H:E9 3C:89E 3=F6 @G6C2==D 2?5 2 42A E92E D2G65 @? 2?:>2E:?8 92:C]k^Am
kAm|:J2>@E@ 4C62E65 |2C:@ 2D Q2 4@>A=6E6=J 7F?4E:@?2= 492C24E6C F?56C G6CJ DEC:4E E649?:42= 4@?DEC2:?EDQ 8@G6C?:?8 E96 76H A:I6=D >2<:?8 FA 9:D :>286[ qC@DD ?@E65]k^Am
kAmqFE 2D E96 82>6D 6?5FC65 E9C@F89 E96 J62CD[ E96:C DE2C 3642>6 2 Q86?6C2E:@?\DA2??:?8Q 2?5 6G6? QC62DDFC:?8Q AC6D6?46[ 96 25565]k^Am
kAmQw6VD 2 C68F=2C >2?[ ?@E F?=:<6 FD[ H9@ 92D ?@ DA64:2= A@H6CD 2E E96 @FED6E 2?5 DE2JD 2 3:E 7C@K6? :? E:>6]Qk^Am
kAmq6J@?5 |2C:@VD >2:?=:?6 25G6?EFC6D[ DA:?@77 82>6D 92G6 5C@AA65 9:>[ 9:D 3F55:6D =:<6 3C@E96C {F:8: 2?5 9:D C:G2=D =:<6 5C28@? q@HD6C :?E@ Q|2C:@ v@=7Q[ Q|2C:@ %6??:DQ 2?5 E96 G2DE=J A@AF=2C Q|2C:@ z2CEQ]k^Am
kAmvC2A9:4D 92G6 6G@=G65 7C@> as E@ bs 2D E96 82>6DV C6249 92D DAC625 E@ >2?J 9F?5C65D @7 >:==:@?D @7 A=2J6CD H@C=5H:56]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 @C:8:?2= A:I6=2E65 =@@< 92D =@?8 :?DA:C65 2CE:DED >2<:?8 E96:C @H? C:77D @? E96 492C24E6C]k^Am
kAm{J@?\32D65 DEC66E 2CE:DE x? %96 (@FA[ H9@ 564=:?65 E@ 8:G6 9:D C62= ?2>6[ 92D 366? >2D9:?8 |2C:@ FA H:E9 @E96C 492C24E6CD =:<6 v2?52=7 7C@> Q%96 {@C5 @7 E96 #:?8DQ @C Q$E2C (2CDQ 2?E28@?:DE s2CE9 '256C :? 8F6C:==2 >@D2:4D 5@EE:?8 4:E:6D 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5 7@C J62CD]k^Am
kAmQqC:?8:?8 E9:?8D 7C@> >J 82>6D 4@?D@=6 @FE @? E96 DEC66E >62?D 3C:?8:?8 :>>2E6C:2= E9:?8D @FE :?E@ C62= =:76] x E9@F89E E92E H2D AC6EEJ 4C2KJ[Q E96 bh\J62C\@=5 D2:5[ 2 |2C:@ >2D< D64FC6=J 4@?462=:?8 9:D 7246 E@ <66A FA 9:D 2?@?J>:EJ]k^Am
k9am\ r92?8:?8 H:E9 E96 E:>6D \k^9am
kAm|2?J @7 E@52JVD 49:=5C6? 2?5 E66?D 92G6 EFC?65 E@H2C5D >@C6 C646?E 962GJH6:89E 82>:?8 E:E=6D DF49 2D u@CE?:E6 2?5 #@3=@I]k^Am
kAmqFE |2C:@ DE:== 6?;@JD 2 9:89 QA2C6?E2= ?@DE2=8:2Q BF@E:6?E[ H:E9 E9@D6 ?@H 9625:?8 :?E@ >:55=6 286 DE:== 3FJ:?8 E96 82>6D 2?5 A=2J:?8 E@86E96C H:E9 E96:C @77DAC:?8[ D2:5 #9JD t==:@EE @7 2?2=JE:4D 7:C> p=:?62]k^Am
kAm}:?E6?5@ 92D =@@<65 E@ 6G@=G6 2=@?8 H:E9 :ED 2F5:6?46[ C646?E=J =2F?49:?8 2 C2?86 @7 323J 4=@E9:?8 2?5 2446DD@C:6D :? y2A2?]k^Am
kAm|2C:@ 2=D@ 8C246D 8@@5D 7C@> =FIFCJ H2E496D E@ {68@[ 2D H6== 2D 36:?8 E96 DE2C @7 E96>6 A2C<D :? 3@E9 y2A2? 2?5 E96 &$]k^Am
kAmp?5 :? a_ab[ E96 A=F4<J A=F>36C >256 2 DF446DD7F= =62A E@ E96 3:8 D4C66? 27E6C 2 `hhb 7=@A E92E H2D @?6 @7 E96 7:CDE 6G6C 82>6\E@\>@G:6 252AE2E:@?D]k^Am
kAm%96 >@C6 C646?E 7:=> 3C@F89E :? @G6C S`]b 3:==:@?[ H:E9 2 D6BF6= :? E96 H@C<D 7@C ?6IE J62C]k^Am
kAm(:E9 86?56C C6=2E:@?D :? 2 5:776C6?E =:89E E@52J E92? c_ J62CD 28@[ |2C:@VD @3;64E:G6 :?\82>6 :D ?@ =@?86C D64FC:?8 2 <:DD 7C@> 2 8C2E67F= C6D4F65 AC:?46DD]k^Am
kAm}:?E6?5@VD AC:?46DD6D 2C6 >@C6 =:<6=J E96D6 52JD E@ DE2C :? E96:C @H? E:E=6D[ 2D E96 4@>A2?J Q252AED E@ ?6H 2F5:6?46D[ 7@==@H:?8 =:EE=6 3J =:EE=6 56G6=@A>6?ED :? D@4:6EJ[Q 2FE9@C qC@DD D2:5]k^Am
kAmtG6? ?@H[ 72?D 2C6 6286C=J 2H2:E:?8 2 ?6H |2C:@\=65 bs 25G6?EFC6 7@==@H:?8 E96 3=@4<3FDE6C C6=62D6 @7 E96 }:?E6?5@ $H:E49 a 4@?D@=6 E9:D yF?6]k^Am
kAmqC@DD 9@A6D E@ D66 Q2 E@E2==J ?6H :562 E92E H:== 36 2 ?6H >:=6DE@?6 :? E96 9:DE@CJ @7 G:56@82>6DQ]k^Am
kAm<7\>24^E83^4Hk^Am