ELI5 Super Mario Bros - how did it fit into 32KB?

ELI5 Explain Like I'm 5: Bite sized answers to stuff you should know about - in a mini podcast

How did Shigeru Miyamoto come up with Mario, and how has this character evolved over the years? How is it that the first Mario Bros. game was about 32kb, but a JPEG of the game is over 300kbs in 2023? What made the game mechanics so special? Why is the first level of Super Mario still studied today? Who is the real-life Mario that the character is named after?

... we explain like I'm five

Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: mrblackops16, sneaky_gopher, displacedpie, grumblyoldman, summerandtinkles and mrdrofficer

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