As the Year of Luigi draws to a close, it’s important to take a look back at Nintendo’s favorite green plumber.  Originally announced during a Nintendo Direct video in February 2013, Satoru Iwata declared that 2013 would be the Year of Luigi, celebrating the character’s 30 year history since his initial debut in the arcade classic Mario Bros.

Since then, Luigi has always been by Mario’s side throughout many of their adventures; even though most of the time Mario is the one getting most of the attention.  In fact Luigi was initially a mere palette swap of Mario, and it wasn’t until Super Mario Bros. 2 that Luigi had his own unique design and abilities.

Thankfully Nintendo went all out to celebrate Luigi’s big year, and released several great games that put him in the spotlight for a change.  These games included Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, New Super Luigi U, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, and Dr. Luigi.  Additionally, Nintendo released a special edition Luigi-themed 3DS XL, and distributed numerous promotional Year of Luigi collectibles such as pins, coins,  and even pillow cases at special events including the San Diego Comic Con.

Personally, my favorite memory of Luigi is being able to use his high jump from Super Mario Bros 2. in the Super Mario All-Stars game.  Though I mostly picked Mario for being an all-around character, I liked playing as Luigi because he could jump higher than the other characters; not to mention it was funny seeing his legs kick while he was in mid-air.

As a long-time fan of the Super Mario franchise, it’s nice to see Nintendo give one of its star characters some well-deserved fame and recognition.  The Year of Luigi officially ends today on March 18^th.

What are some of your favorite memories of Luigi?