Luigi (Japanese: ルイージ, Hepburn: Ruīji, [ɽɯ.iː.dʑi]) (English /luːˈiːdʒi/; Italian: [luˈiːdʒi]) is a fictional character featured in video games and related media released by Nintendo. Created by prominent game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Luigi is portrayed as the slightly younger but taller fraternal twin brother of Nintendo's mascot Mario, and appears in many games throughout the Mario franchise, often as a sidekick to his brother.Luigi first appeared in the 1983 arcade game Mario Bros.