Answer:
We must consider the facts. Mario wasn't the first videogame character. He may have revolutionized the video game industry, but it doesn't make him the most important. The most important character would have to be Pac-Man, because that, aside from Pong, was the turning point and the birth of home and arcade gaming. I tend to ramble when it comes to video game history so I'll stop here. Hope this helped you enough! Have a nice evening!