51 Interesting Backstories for Famous Video-Game Features

Video games don't just magically come to life fully formed, they’re the product of many people working tirelessly to create digital worlds and the challenges located within them. Games, of course, are constrained by the technology available to these designers at the time of their creation — and one of the greatest tools in their arsenals is knowing how to cheat a little bit.

Super Mario Bros. appears most frequently, and is maybe the best example of how to make a lot happen with very few resources. Nearly all of Mario's characteristics — his hat, his overalls, his mustache — exist to give his little animated sprite more definition. The bushes you run past on the ground? The exact same art as the clouds. And don’t get us started on the long road of Luigi becoming more than just Mario’s palette-swapped twin…