All good things come to an end

It's always sad to see something with so much history behind it get demolished in order for it to continue to progress. With the positive vibe that the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. has generated, it's a shame to see Nintendo of America's old Redmond, Washington offices; the birthplace of Mario, get bulldozed to the ground.

A reader at CVG sent in pictures of the mound of rubble at the demolish site, where it was once the company's U.S. headquarters; after relocating from New York City in 1982.

It was during this time that Nintendo's courageous moustached hero, then known as Jumpman, was 'reborn' as Mario. Nintendo's president at the time, Minoru Arakawa, noticed the landlord with whom the company rented their warehouse from bore a resemblance to the Jumpman character and so it was decided to rename the plumber Mario after Mario Segale. Although Segale himself has not confirmed reports that the character took on his name after he angrily stormed into Nintendo's offices demanding overdue rent, his business associates say it certainly sounds like the hard-driven businessman that they know him as. Maybe he should have smashed some of those nearby blocks, there's always a few coins tucked away in those things.

Still, even though it may be the end of an era, it's the beginning of a new one as Nintendo of America has moved into a new office block that's next to its old spot and it looks pretty slick.

[source computerandvideogames.com]