33-Down platform, for short

NES

["This classic gaming system brought Mario to life in the 1980s."]

The clue refers to a gaming platform, shortened to "NES," which stands for Nintendo Entertainment System. "33-Down" hints that this is part of a larger crossword answer, and "for short" signals the abbreviation. The NES was a popular 8-bit console released in the 1980s, making it a well-known reference for gamers.