Mario as a character had his origins in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong. In that game, he was a hero who had to save his friend, Pauline, from the seemingly villainous Donkey Kong, an escaped ape. The game was a major success, spawning multiple sequels focusing on Donkey Kong, who would become a major Nintendo franchise in his own right. Mario would soon star in a game with his name, the multiplayer-focused Mario Bros. The game helped define aspects of the series such as an emphasis on platforming and Mario's superhuman characteristics.