Most ubiquitous sports videogame character

No real-life competitor comes close to matching the prowess of Mario. The Nintendo favourite has appeared in 30 sports titles over the years, starting with the Game & Watch title Donkey Kong Hockey (1984), followed by his console sports debut in Golf (Nintendo, 1984) on the NES.

Mario has tried his hand at a huge range of sports including baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis, snowboarding, archery, fencing and gymnastics. With all that exercise it’s difficult to believe he still hasn’t managed to shift his trademark “pasta paunch”!