Jumpman

With Pauline trapped at the top of a tall construction site with an angry gorilla keeping her close, it was time for the main playable character to jump into action. This was her boyfriend and the gorilla’s owner, a gruff blue-collar worker, probably a plumber, with a unique talent for jumping.

Though he would eventually be renamed Mario, this figure was originally simply known as Jumpman. For most of the early 1980s, before he became entangled in the political battles between magical mushrooms and turtles, this man found work across the gamut in the field of heavy labor. He frequented construction sites and cement factories, working as part of a demolition crew, cleared out turtle and crab pests from the sewers, and even wrapped presents over the holidays.

This version of Mario represents that time period in his history. He will likely be heavier than regular Mario, with attacks that hit harder, though still with extraordinary jumping abilities. His moveset will pull from the original Donkey Kong arcade game, as well as Donkey Kong Jr., Mario Bros., Wrecking Crew, and even the Game & Watch games Mario’s Cement Factory and Mario’s Bombs Away.

Likelihood rating: Probably not