34 Years Ago, Nintendo Released 'Mario Paint'

On this day in 1991, Nintendo released a very unique Super Mario game that became an unexpected best-seller and proved that the company's iconic franchise wasn't restricted to the typical platforming or racing games.

Mario Paint was released in Japan on July 14, 1991, where it quickly became a fan-favorite installment in the Super Mario franchise. The game was branded as an "art creation" game that allowed users to animate, compose, and design their own Super Mario-themed artwork using sprites and locations from the previous games.

The fact that Mario Paint didn't have any levels, challenges, or enemies to defeat was totally different from the previous games, which had been massive home console hits throughout the late '80s. It was released just a year after Super Mario World, which had received strong reviews for its innovative platforming mechanics.

Despite initial skepticism from critics, Mario Paint quickly became a SNES classic, selling over 2.3 million copies worldwide. Those same critics who had been hesitant about taking Mario outside of his comfort zone were quick to praise the game's low barrier to entry, creative artwork, and educational potential.

The game's reputation in recent years has been even more favorable, and Mario Paint is now considered one of the strongest and most admirable SNES games ever released. The decision to pivot away from the typical Super Mario structure and offer an entirely different gameplay experience while maintaining the franchise's branding was ingenious for the time, and contributed strongly to the brand's longevity.

Just one year later, Nintendo released Mario Kart for the SNES, which proved once again that Super Mario aesthetics could be applied to a fundamentally different game. This was the beginning of a pivotal era for Nintendo, as they continued to branch away from the side-scrolling platformers that had catapulted Super Mario to success in the first place, and find other subgenres where the brand could continue to exist for many years to come.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jul 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published July 14, 2026 at 8:39 AM.