how did Mario get so popular? Usually in cartoons and movies aimed at children, they'll make the protagonists about the same age as the target audience in the hopes it'll be more relatable, and marketable, to them, and I know that's largely due to pressure from the executives and soulless market studies but then at least part of it has to be based on some kind of truth.
Meanwhile here you got Mario who is supposed to be this 50 year old chunky Italian plumber from New York who seems to be from the 50's.