Mario one-ups Paris Hilton in survery

A survey has found that more people can name Nintendo's iconic plumber Mario than the Simple Life star Paris Hilton. The hotel heiress might be a paparazzi favourite, but she's still got a way to go to be as well known as Mario, a survey of 1,000 adults has found.

The results showed that 69 per cent recognised the world's most famous plumber, although only 53 per cent could name Paris Hilton and 51 per cent recognised Justin Timberlake. Nintendo announced the survey findings to coincide with the release of Mario's latest adventure, Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii.

To celebrate the UK launch of the long-awaited title, eight Game stores across the UK will be holding special launch events tonight and offering prizes for those in costume.

Nintendo also projected a giant image of Mario onto Battersea Power Station to promote the title. David Yarnton, general manager of Nintendo UK, said, "We expect the release of Super Mario Galaxy to help break the 200-million franchise barrier."