Super Mario Bros. is 30 years old today and deserves our thanks

We can all argue about what game deserves the title of “best ever,” but it’s hard to debate Super Mario Bros.’s status as the most important.

Before its release on September 13, 1985 (30 years ago today), most games weren’t about progression. They were about getting a high score. Pay a quarter and see how long you last. Even earlier Mario games, like Donkey Kong and Mario Bros. (both originally arcade games), were like this.