'I've spent many, many thousands on Mario'

Steve Bagley was five when Super Mario Bros. was released in 1985

The genius of Mario and the video game's longevity is in its simplicity, says a superfan.

Steve Bagley from Staffordshire remembers Super Mario Bros being released in 1985, when he was five years old.

Forty years on, and he has spent "many, many thousands" on what he believes to be one of the most comprehensive Mario-related collections in the world, including almost 500 games.

The NHS worker even runs a website dedicated to the iconic video game character, called Mario Museum. "Mario has definitely stood the test of time... it takes something really special to last that long and be stronger today than he's ever been," said Mr Bagley.

The Mario fan says he has spent thousands on his collection, and has almost 500 games

The character's first appearance was in 1981, in the arcade game Donkey Kong, when he was known as Jumpman.

But it was September 1985 with the launch of Super Mario Bros - featuring his brother Luigi - when the little plumber's legacy in the video games industry was officially cemented, said Mr Bagley.

His parents bought him his first console - the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) - to play the game on, and he said it was "wonderful" to now see his own child enjoying the character as much as he did as a boy.

"I'm playing Mario Kart at the moment with my son," said the fan, who describes playing the games as a big part of the hobby, along with engaging with like-minded collectors on social media.

In August, the Mario fan visited the Nintendo museum in Japan

There are regional variations in the games and exclusives to different parts of the world, said Mr Bagley, who thinks the really interesting elements in his "quite valuable and varied" collection are more the obscure titles from the 1980s, which are "really rare, even in Japan".

He also has all the games consoles from over the years, antique playing cards from when Nintendo was a playing card-making company, and the signature of Mario's creator.

"It's more than just nostalgia; it's going from strength to strength, and I think it has a big part to play in social history," he said.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros, Mr Bagley has been counting down 40 Mario game formats over 40 days on his social media and is showcasing his collection online on Saturday.

"It's the first time I've unveiled the full collection in over 30 years, so that should be really exciting for Nintendo fans," he said.