Marios 25th Anniversary – The good, the bad, the future

Our thoughts on where Mario has been, for better or worse and where he is going next

If you hadn’t noticed all the coverage last week, it was Mario’s 25th Anniversary. The Nintendo branches have celebrated it in many different ways, from new Club Nintendo items, a whole new complilation disc (featuring the re-mastered All-Stars collection and other Mario-related media) and competitions galore. We thought we would take the time to share our thoughts regarding the best and worst about the Super Mario franchise. We’re also asking for your opinion on the same subjects, but be sure to share it in the forums.

Adrian Verna

Favourite Mario Moment: Wow, what to choose. Mario games are full of amazing moments, but the one that sticks out in my mind is also one of the most recent. I remember when I first picked up Super Mario Galaxy, and long long-jumped off the edge of the Good Egg Galaxy’s first planet… and I kept going, and landed on the bottom. That was amazing, and I still love to just pick up Super Mario Galaxy or it’s superior sequel and just jump around the worlds and experience the crazy gravity effects. Also, being a lover of retro games and video game music I have to mention that hearing a a remixed version of an old Mario tune in a new Mario game always manages to put a smile on my face. Also, beating Culex in Super Mario RPG was one of the most satisfying moments I’ve had in gaming.

Favourite Mario Game: A year ago my answer would’ve been Super Mario Galaxy. It redefined the platformer, and in my opinion, bettered the almighty Super Mario 64. However, a little game called Super Mario Galaxy 2 walked onto the scene this year. Because the devs already knew how to use the engine, and how to make the gravity effects work, they spent the entire development time just making fun levels, and produced a sequel that was in fact better than the original. It was funner, harder, had a better soundtrack and included the almighty Yoshi.

Ditching the original hub world layout for a tighter World Map layout seemed like a bold decision when it was first announced, but it payed off, and made Super Mario Galaxy 2 a great game where you didn’t have to waste time finding levels; you could just pick it up and within a minute or so you were smack-bang in the middle of another incredibly tough, incredibly fun level.

Worst Mario Game:  Oh yeah, Super Mario World, easily. That game was terrible, the controls were unresponsive and the level design was horrid….

YES, I was kidding.

I can honestly say that I’ve never played a bad Mario game, so I’m going to have to pick the least best Mario game that I’ve played. Hmm. I suppose Super Mario Bros. 2? Even that game was still a pretty decent platformer in it’s own right. I really don’t know. I hear Super Mario Ball isn’t that good, but I haven’t actually played it.

What’s next for Mario: I can’t even begin to imagine what Shigeru Miyamoto’s got in mind for his next Mario game, because, let’s face it, there aren’t really many places you can go once you’ve been to space. Maybe he’ll fight terrorists in some far off country? Your guess is as good as mine, and that’s the genius of Mario and Miyamoto; you never know where Mario’s going to have his next adventure, or what new gameplay mechanics will be involved, but you do know that you will always play a fun game, and it will always be as fun and inventive as it’s predecessors.

Phantom Ganon

Favourite Mario Moment: The first Mario game I ever owned was Super Mario Bros. Deluxe for the Game Boy Colour. It had the original Super Mario Bros. game along with a mode where you could race against Boo and an unlockable in the form of The Lost Levels. But the game wasn’t actually my most memorable moment, it’s remembering how I used to tilt my Game Boy just to try and get Mario some extra leverage on his jumps. My parents told me I was mad, and so they were right.

Favourite Mario Game: Super Mario Galaxy. This was really a toss-up between this and its sequel, but SMG created the whole idea of Mario in space. It worked to perfection, the variety was abundant, the gameplay never got dull and the music was a joy to behold. Even though there was no story to speak of, I still remember when the Luma that followed you on your journeys said goodbye and threw itself into the black hole at the very end of the game.

Worst Mario Game: Well some of the many of the spin-off titles could take this spot, maybe one of the more recent Mario Party games (anything after 5 really). None of the main platforming games have disappointed me to the point where I could label them as the "worst" of anything. I hear the CD-i had some terrible Mario games along with the infamous Zelda ones too.

What’s next for Mario: Well that last step for Mario was to add a fourth player, so maybe they’ll try to make a co-op title in the 3D space. Of course if that doesn’t work then they might try something else. Maybe Mario will be sent to the bottom of the ocean. Or maybe he’ll become extremely tiny and have to navigate the Mushroom Kingdom as a tiny Mario. Whatever it is, I doubt it’ll disappoint.

Scott Dowson

Favourite Mario Moment:  Experiencing Super Mario Bros. 3 for the first time is one of my most beloved memories of gaming. I hadn’t experienced such responsive controls for a 2D platformer and I really reveled within my newly found capacity to control Mario even more accurately than before. I still consider it the best of 2D platforming.

Favourite Mario Game:  Super Mario Galaxy is platforming perfection. It breathes new life into the genre with the imaginatively limitless level design and just oozes high levels of quality presentation and gameplay. So basically, it’s really, really fun. I’ve yet to play Super Mario Galaxy 2.

Worst Mario Game:  Hotel Mario.

If we disregard that for obvious reasons, then the answer is none. Mario titles are always quality.

What’s next for Mario: Now that Mario has visited space, it’s difficult to see where his adventures will take him next. Obviously we’ll see a Mario title on 3DS, but what will be innovative about it? It’s probably a little too early to call, but I’d bet we’ll see some great perception based puzzles that really make great use of the 3D effect for added depth. I think there’s a general consensus that Mario always brings his best game (no pun intended) for every release.

Daniel Vuckovic

Favourite Mario Moment: Mine would have to be the first time I played Super Mario 64. It must have been just New Years or just before Christmas but we were at a family gathering down south and it was at a beach. A day of surf and sand was planned, if it wasn’t for that pesky Nintendo Australia. It just so happens that they were touring the Nintendo 64 around in a giant display van, let me tell you. No beach was had that day. Now that sounds like a dream, but it was real and it was the first time I played a Nintendo 64 and Super Mario 64. It truly was the future.

Favourite Mario Game: Has to be Super Mario Galaxy. Now I could say something older which is more nostalgic and I have fond memories of but Galaxy was the next step Mario had to take and he took it well. Nintendo didn’t even have to change it that much for the sequel, which was an even better and tighter game.

Worst Mario Game: Now I could do the cliche response here and say something like Mario Pinball on the Gameboy Advance, Mario Party on the Nintendo DS or Mario is Missing because, well, it’s just rubbish. However, I’m going to say something that may and probably will shock and confuse you. My least liked Mario game is Mario Kart Double Dash. Now before you send me hate mail, let me explain. Coming off the back of Mario Kart Super Circuit on the Gameboy Advance which I poured untold hours into Dash was just a pure disappointment to me. The double drivers, the floaty steering and the soundtrack just didn’t grip me at all. Since then I’ve come to live with it but it just didn’t stack up against the rest.

What’s Next for Mario: The 3DS of course, that makes sense. Hopefully less New Super Mario Bros DS (which is fun) but more Super Mario Galaxy 3D. Imagine a Mario game that doesn’t just use 3D for effects but also for puzzles and in the platforming. In Shiggy we trust.

Excite

Favourite Mario moment: Moment? Is this how you torture people, VOOK? By asking them to select one favourite Mario moment? You sick, evil man.

Okay. None of these moments are my absolute favourite as they all share a special place in my heart. Most of my most cherished Mario moments are from Super Mario 64. The first time I booted up the game was probably the best day of my life. On the first play-through, I played for a couple of hours and had so much fun, yet… I hadn’t even entered the first level. Why? For one thing, I spent at least half an hour just after the title screen, trying to make Mario’s face as messed up as possible (which was always a laugh). After finally selecting a save file, my breath was taken away by the swooping camera intro and its accompanying music – best game opening ever. Then while exploring the castle grounds, I realised that the game was actually really hard, as I spent another hour trying to figure out how to get into that damn cannon!

My next most memorable Mario moment occurred no less than a decade later. Now before I share it, I’d just like to say this: I wasn’t fortunate enough to own a GameCube, so Super Mario 64 was the only Mario platformer I played before I bought the Wii. For those ten years in between, I yearned for a game that would take me back to that first time I played Mario 64, another game that could provide that same level of pure, unadulterated fun. Then Super Mario Galaxy came. I anxiously booted up the game, not knowing what to expect, and as soon as I began to explore the first level, a feeling of nostalgia came flooding into me. The Mario I knew all those years ago was back, and better than ever. The bright colours, the familiar enemies, and the new effects of gravity combined with the delightful music made me smile from ear to ear. I shed many manly tears that night.

I have many more favourite moments but I’ll save you from reading another million words.

Favourite Mario game: I could just say both Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy and reiterate my previous points, but that would be cheating. I haven’t had to think this hard since the last time I tried to turn on a light switch (clockwise?)… Hmm, look, they really are my two favourite games and I love them for all the reasons the world loves Mario games: for the imaginative worlds, the catchy music, the pick-up-and-play gameplay, the recurring elements (like Bowser kidnapping Peach, the various power-ups), and of course the lovable characters. A genius is Miyamoto.

Worst Mario game: I can’t believe my freaking eyes. "Worst" and "Mario" in the same heading? It’s an outrage! It’s a scandal!

There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and no Mario game being bad. Though if I were to choose my least played Mario game, that would have to be Mario Party. No, it isn’t a bad game. I love it dearly, from the one-player Mini-Game Island to the plethora of game boards to Mushroom Mix-up, this was the game to take out when you had enough people (like at birthday parties). But when Mario Party 2, and then 3 were released, this great little title was sadly relegated to the back of the shelf.

What’s next for Mario: I was already asking this question when Super Mario Galaxy came out, and I’m super eager to find out what the answer will be. In terms of setting, there’s nowhere further to go than outer space, but I think I can safely say that there won’t be a Super Mario Galaxy 3. Adrian’s got it spot on with his answer.

So Happy 25th Anniversary Mario – I hope the next 25 years keep bringing joy to our lounge rooms, and moulding future generations of Nintendo fanboys and fangirls.

Flamecondor

Favourite Mario Moment: First time you visit Egg Galaxy in Super Mario Galaxy, the music is so epic sounding, it’s the first time you really get to have fun with the gravity in the game. It really is a true stand out moment for the game. Yes, it’s bettered by lots of other things that happen in the game like the first time you fly through space or the epic boss fights. But it’s just those first few minutes on Egg Galaxy that will always stick with me forever.

Favourite Mario Game: I’m going to be different here and say Donkey Kong ’94 on the Game Boy. I only played the game for the first time last year despite it being 15 years old at the time, but oh my does it hold up so well. It takes everything you knew about the original Donkey Kong game and just builds on it. 101 bite-sized levels of amazingness and some of the best gosh darn 2D platforming action I have ever played.

I could not put it down and the only bad thing about it was it had to end. I’d go so far as to say its the single best puzzle platformer ever made. Shiggy and his crew really nailed it on the head with this game and made the perfect handheld Mario game, it has some of the best level design I’ve ever seen in a game period, it controls soo well and has a great difficulty curve. It never feels cheap or unfair, you know you can do what you need to do, it’s just doing it that’s the challanging part. I urge everyone to track down a Game Boy on eBay and a copy of Donkey Kong ’94, you won’t be disappointed at all.

Worst Mario Game: Super Mario Bros. Lost Levels, I just didn’t enjoy it at all. I guess it comes down to the fact I’m not the best gamer in the world, heck I can’t even finish the first Super Mario Bros., no way I’m gonna enjoy the hard version of the same game. I also just think its badly designed in general. Has alot of stuff you won’t know about until you see it for the first time like invisible blocks that will knock you into a hole. Poison Mushrooms, gusts of winds to knock you around, floating Bloopers in the air. It plays more like a Super Mario Bros rom hack than anything else. People treasure it as some secret lost game and hate on Super Mario Bros. 2 cause we got that instead of this. I say thank god and I really wish it had of stayed in Japan.

What’s next for Mario: The dude has been a Doctor, a go-kart driver and a plumber. He’s solved pictures puzzles in Picross, gone turn-based in a few RPGs, and played too many sports to name. Oh and of course, been in some of the most amazing platforming games ever made. What is he going to be in next, I have no idea but I’m sure its going to be amazing whatever it may be.