Well Super Mario is 20, Mario himself is actually 24 as he first appeared in Donkey Kong in 1981.  But the Super Mario that we all know, the console Super Mario, is actually 20 this year.  He first appear on the NES in 1985.

I am actually surpise that Nintendo is not publishing any real Super Mario Game this year to underline this event.  Actually, I don't think we have had a real original Super Mario game since Super Mario 64 and that was all the way back in 1996.  Sure he has been in Super Mario Sunshine, and that was a very good game, but to me, that wasn't a real Super Mario game.  I got tired really fast of the whole water cannon mechanics, and the game wasn't even set in the Mushroom Kingdom!!  It was more of a side story then an actual Super Mario adventure.  Sure, there's also been Super Mario adventures on the GB, GBA and DS, but they were all rehash of old games

Of course he's been on the party scene quit a lot with what, 6 or 7 Mario Party Game, but again, these are not Super Mario games.  He also got in a fight or two in the Super Smash Bros. games, and yes, you've guest it, not Super Mario games.  And then there's the countless sports games... tennis... golf... soccer, all... well you get the point.

So at 20 Super Mario is a no-show, with no real Super Mario game in sight... and at this rate, he might have a gray mustache and run quite slowly by the time we see him again in a genuine original Super Mario Game!!