NEW YORK -- Take that, Pokemon. On Sunday, the Japanese prime minister turned up at the Olympics closing ceremonies to promote the 2020 Tokyo games dressed up as Mario , the eponymous hero of the popular video game series created in 1985.Who is Mario and how did he come by his global appeal? Heres a closer look.---WHY SUPER MARIO?Japanese animation and game characters from Hello Kitty to Pac Man also made appearances in the closing ceremonies. But none of them may have the global reach of Super Mario, the game franchise that was a hit when Nintendos video game system and Game Boy burst onto the scene in the 1980s.Prime Minister Shinzo Abes appearance as Super Mario was a crowd-pleasing reminder of how much the game helped spur on the videogame revolution in the U.S. and globally. Abe emerged from a green pipe in a big red Super Mario cap and costume, holding a glowing red ball kicked to him by famed manga soccer star Captain Tsubasa.---HOW DID SUPER MARIOS APPEARANCE COME ABOUT?Tokyo 2020 organizers said in a statement that the Super Mario idea came up during a brainstorming session. Staff at Nintendo would say only that the government asked to borrow the character for the show.---MARIOS BACKSTORYThe franchise began in 1981, when Donkey Kong debuted as an arcade game. Donkey Kong soon became the hottest selling arcade game in the business. In that game, a character called Jumpman, similar to Mario, tried to save a damsel from a big ape. Super Mario came a long four years later, packaged with the Nintendo Entertainment System, popularizing the side-scrolling videogame format.Marios first job was carpentry, but later he became a plumber, and in many games he travels up and down in a world of underground pipes. In his book Game Over: How Nintendo Conquered the World, David Sheff wrote that Mario was named after Nintendos U.S. landlord, who was demanding back rent from the companys fledgling U.S. arm. Nintendo doesnt confirm or deny the story.---BY THE NUMBERSThere are more than 100 games, for various gaming systems, ranging from Donkey Kong to Super Mario Kart, in which Mario is the primary character, and many more in which he makes appearances. Mario Brothers is the best-selling video franchise of all time, with more than 490 million units sold since 1995, according to research firm NPD.Laurent Brossoit Jersey . Blackwood, 28, has played the last three seasons in the San Diego Padres system, including the past two summers with Class AA San Antonio of the Texas League. Dustin Byfuglien Jets Jersey . Instead of dwelling on the negative, Oates focused on what was good about the clubs recent play. It worked. http://www.jetsauthentic.com/authentic-patrik-laine-jets-jersey/ . Soukalova missed only one target and completed the 15-kilometre course in 40 minutes, 32.6 seconds for both victories in this seasons individual discipline. Darya Domracheva of Belarus was second, 34. Keith Tkachuk Jets Jersey . Fernandez, coached in Toronto by former two-time Olympic silver medallist Brian Orser, scored 267.11 points and is the first champion to successfully defend since Russias Evgeny Plushenko in 2005 and 2006. Keith Tkachuk Jersey . "I was fortunate to play many years at this level with a great organization and unbelievable teammates," said Hejduk in a statement.DEKALB, Ill. -- Marin Maric scored 22 points on 11-of-12 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds and Northern Illinois defeated Olivet Nazarene 95-69 on Wednesday night.Aaric Armstead added 16 points, Levi Bradley 12, Justin Thomas 11 and Dontel Highsmith and Eugene German 10 each for the Huskies (5-5), who shot 58.8 percent in their first home game since Nov. 26 to snap a two-game losing streak.Northern Illinois came in ranked second in the Mid-American Conference at 16.1 forced turnovers perr game and cashed in 21 Wednesday night for 31 points.ddddddddddddThe Huskies trailed 24-17 in the first half then outscored the Tigers 30-11 before the break. A 10-2 run to open the second half made it 57-37. The Huskies would lead by as many as 29.The NAIA Tigers, playing the game as an exhibition, shot 50 percent and were led by Tyler Crater with 12 points. ' ' '