Surrounded by thousands of objects bearing the likeness of Nintendo's moustachioed plumber, 40-year-old Kikai reflects that his "life would be totally different without Mario" who also marks four decades this week.

The colourful "Super Mario Bros.", released for Nintendo's home consoles in Japan on September 13, 1985, was a landmark of early video gaming.

Players controlled the eponymous character as he ran and hopped his way from left to right through a colourful world of platforms, pipes and scowling enemies -- all set to the jaunty eight-bit music that has stuck in minds for decades.

"My father bought me the game, and I've been playing for as long as I can remember," Kikai told AFP in his office lined with somewhere between 20 and 30 thousand Mario-related objects, from plastic figurines to plush toys and carpets.

Created by legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario has obsessed several generations of fans like Kikai.

The character's first appearance came in 1981 arcade game "Donkey Kong", when he was known simply as "Jumpman".

Mario's christening came in 1983 with the........

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