Retrospective: The Super Mario Bros. Story

[Emabulator]

http://evavhost.com/i/news/MarioRetro1.jpg

This week's retrospective on Eurogamer (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/the-super-mario-bros-story-article) is a four page article by Oli Welsh, covering the history of Nintendo's iconic plumber, Mario.

It was surreal, it was impossible, but the Mushroom Kingdom was also more real than other videogame worlds, because you could interact with all of it. There were physical laws, consequences, complex relationships of action and reaction. Mario could bop the turtles (Koopas) out of their shells and kick the shells at other creatures. He could bounce a mushroom by hitting the block underneath it. If he was Super Mario, he could smash up walls. How many games still sell themselves on destructible scenery? Super Mario Bros. had it.

[Syl]

I find it strange how they left out all the 3d titles.

[saulob]

very strange indeed.

[KlausFlouride]

So much of my childhood wasted on this game. It took me months to finish it. My sister beat it way before I did and she wouldn't help me finish it. This is back in the day when if you wanted cheat codes you had to wait for Nintendo magazine or use a BBB to find someone that knew some.

[revelation]

Mario was the first game I had on the NES and the first game that really got me to love gaming. I was 4 or 5 when I first played it, and I still remember it vividly (that and the first Zelda). I had played videogames before like Space Invaders and Pac Man before on the Atari, but they seemed more like distractions when compared to Super Mario.

So much fun. Actually reliving a lot of fun with the new Super Mario Bros Wii. Playing it with my sister and mom has been incredible fun.

[JazGalaxy]

I like the fact that he mentions that secrets were everywhere. That was a MAJOR component to gaming back then and it hardly exists at all now. Jumping OVER the level in Mario. Walking through the walls in Zelda. Finding hidden treasure chests by kneeling in Castlevania. THey would introduce game rules just to be able to break them the next second. It was pure imagination.

[Suicidal ShiZuru]

It was pure imagination.

We want our games to be gritty and ultra realistic now with extra blood and film grain! No more originality and fun so put down the crack pipe.

/cry

[AlfredT]

I miss the bloodthirstiness of the game design in Mario. A lot of new games give you a helping hand, but this game always tries to kill you.

For ex.

Oh look, a block I can hit for a mushroom, but its suspended over a pit of nothingness... I think I can hit it, make it across, and jump back in time to get the mushroom and not fall to my doom....

4 deaths later...

Do you see the temptation, and the many many many possibilities for death in that small act of level design. :) Thats what i miss.

[Syl]

I miss the bloodthirstiness of the game design in Mario. A lot of new games give you a helping hand, but this game always tries to kill you.

For ex.

Oh look, a block I can hit for a mushroom, but its suspended over a pit of nothingness... I think I can hit it, make it across, and jump back in time to get the mushroom and not fall to my doom....

4 deaths later...

Do you see the temptation, and the many many many possibilities for death in that small act of level design. :) Thats what i miss.
This is back in full force in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, but it has the added evilness of "i can get that mushroom, but i just need to kill luigi to do it..."