Arguably the most iconic video game of all time, Super Mario Bros. has spawned not only one of the largest and most successful video game franchises in history, but also near single handedly saved the video game industry from drastic sales decline and extreme apathy in the first half of the 1980s. After countless best selling Mario sequels, spin offs and iterations, the original game has found new life in a surprising modern format over 35 years later.

Super Mario Bros. 35 takes the classic side scrolling platformer and adds a modern battle royale element to the proceedings, challenging 35 players to simultaneously compete for survival through an ever increasing difficulty spike. Developers Akira have also worked with Nintendo in creating additional challenges for the active community, which have recently not only been met, but exceeded.

RELATED: Super Mario Bros. 35 Bowser Kill Challenge Reaches Half Its Goal

Announced a few weeks prior, it was made public that a world count challenge for the game would be issued. The challenge required that the combined player base defeat the iconic villain Bowser in 3.5 million unique instances.  Gamers not only rose to the challenge but exceeded it, ultimately defeating the fire breathing menace an impressive 5,363,696 times. Every single player who defeated even a single Bowser will be receiving 350 My Nintendo Platinum points as a reward for the hard work and participation in the ongoing event.

Originally released last October, Super Mario Bros. 35 was created in celebration of the ubiquitous plumber and how far the franchise has come. In an interesting if not controversial wrinkle, the game itself will only remain playable until March 31st of this year, lending a sense of urgency for players to enjoy this nostalgic hybrid while it is available.

It is indeed astonishing and wholly unique for a game to be played by millions of gamers decades after its original release. This is the enduring legacy of both Mario and Nintendo as a whole, which continue to master the art of blending nostalgia and innovation.

Super Mario Bros. 35 is available now for Switch.

MORE: Nintendo Confirms New Set Of Super Mario Bros 35th Anniversary Pins

Source: NintendoSoup