Why There Are Coins In Super Mario Bros

One of gaming’s most iconic in-game items are Super Mario Bros’ coins. But why coins?

Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto admits that fruits were also a good choice, but tells Nintendo president Satoru Iwata that other items might confuse players, causing them to run away.

“Thus, when we were thinking about something that anybody would look at and go ‘I definitely want that!’, we thought, ‘Yep, it’s gotta be money.’”

And, as they say, the rest is gaming history.

Super Mario Bros went on to become one of the most successful franchises ever, earning Miyamoto and Nintendo their share of real-world gold coins.

社長が訊く「スーパーマリオ２５周年」 [Nintendo]