Summary
TheMariofranchise doesn’t need much to coerce gamers into buying new entries in the massiveSuper Mario Bros.series. However, Nintendo is also unafraid to try something new to entice even more people, utilizing different gimmicks to attract players and help the game stand out in the franchise’s long history.
Gimmicks can come in many forms, from a certain gameplay mechanic being a vital component to simply how the game looks and sounds. These things can drastically change how a person perceives a game and, in a number of cases, help elevate the Mario games to cement their place in the series.
Since the beginning, collecting coins has been a satisfying thing to do in Mario games, playing to the inherent but innocent greed that all humans have. That’s whereNew Super Mario Bros. 2shined on the Nintendo 3DS, utilizing the sound effects and the visual of the coin counter rising as the player collects dozens and sometimes hundreds of coins every level.
From the golden color scheme to power-ups that reward players with even more coins, New Super Mario Bros. 2 is all about the coins while providing a fun adventure. It was considered charming gaming that did more innovation for the New Super Mario Bros. series of games than any other,becoming a cherished Mario sequelthat many feel deserves a remaster on the Switch.
Before remasters and remakes were commonplace, Nintendo was ahead of its time when they took fourMario games on the N.E.S.and remade them on the S.N.E.S. in the form ofSuper Mario Bros. All-Stars. Not only did the games look prettier, but even the music was given a 16-bit enhancement without removing what fans loved about the games.
Super Mario Bros. All-Stars could have been a simple remaster of the originalSuper Mario Bros., but it also brought backSuper Mario Bros. 2,Super Mario Bros. 3, and the first international release ofSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, which was originally a Japanese exclusive.
Over the years,Super Mario Sunshinehas become infamous for being a divisivegame on the Nintendo GameCube. It was due to the introduction of the F.L.U.D.D., a backpack invented by Professor E. Gadd, who made Luigi’s ghostbusting Poltergust pack from theLuigi’s Mansiongames. It allows Mario to fight the caustic ink plaguing Isle Delfino and have new traversal abilities.
As a result of the F.L.U.D.D., some appreciated that Nintendo embraced the gimmick so heavily inSuper Mario Sunshine, while others felt that it was invasive to the Mario experience. However, that doesn’t stop it from creating a unique Mario adventure, allowing Mario to shoot water, hover, spin jump, and more using the F.L.U.D.D., for better or worse.
Most sequels would only introduce one new playable character, butSuper Mario Bros. 2went above that and introduced two with Toad and Peach. This was the game that cemented that Princess Peach could float, Toad was a fast character,and its version of Luigiwas able to jump higher than anybody else.
Unlike in the first game where Luigi was only for the second player,Super Mario Bros. 2allows gamers to pick any of the four characters at the beginning of every stage. It was a way to experiment and see which character could work for the entire game or perhaps better for certain levels. This concept would later return in Super Mario 3D World.
Most people love to see heroes getting a cute pet sidekick and that was the case whenSuper Mario Worldintroduced the lovable dinosaur named Yoshi.In the jump to the S.N.E.S., not only could the player choose between Mario and Luigi at any time, but they could ride Yoshi, who could run fast, eat enemies, and jump to high areas to help the brothers progress.
WithSuper Mario 64being a revolutionary title that is still loved over twenty years later, the 2005remake on the Nintendo DScould have been a 1:1 port and most would have appreciated it. However,Super Mario 64 DSis a total remake that adds new levels to enjoy as four characters instead of one.
Mario is present, but he, Luigi, and Wario are captured at first. Yoshi is the first playable character and the others have to be unlocked, each with a unique ability they bring to the traversal. This gimmick of four characters led toSuper Mario 64 DSbecoming a bestseller for the handheld console.
While Mario is more known for being a sidescroller, the 3D games are just as beloved and that is all thanks toSuper Mario 64. It not only revolutionized Mario games but laidthe foundation for 3D platformersin general that populated the late 90s and early 2000s.
In 1996, it was considered to be mind-blowing to move freely in a 3D environment like Peach’s castle inSuper Mario 64. That was just the beginning, because inside the castle walls was just the hub to access a plethora of other 3D levels, utilizing more traversal mechanics that seem basic today, but back then on the Nintendo 64, it was unlike anything else, and it changed Mario games forever.
WhenSuper Mario Odysseyintroduced the sentient hat known as Cappy, some were concerned it would be another F.L.U.D.D. situation, but that was not the case. Instead of removing anything from Mario, Cappy simply adds to Mario, being more of an extension of what fans already enjoyed about 3D Mario controls.
Cappy allowed Mario to extend his jumps, acting as another spring-like platform, and it gave Mario the power to possess any enemy or movable object in the massive worlds. These not only allowed for new ways of solving puzzles to gather the new moon collectibles but also allowed players to experiment with new kinds of combat and traversal, unlike Mario in nearly every way.
A common complaint in recent years was that Mario games have become stagnant in terms of their visuals, with characters and enemies looking the same in nearly every game.Super Mario Bros. Wonderfeels like a direct response to that, as it not only introduced a new voice for Mario and Luigi, but everything got a new art style that is far more expressive and full of personality.
The new Flower Kingdom and all its different regions are visually distinct, playing on familiar tropes while still having their twist on them. With many familiar Mario universe characters to play as,Super Mario Bros. Wonderalso introduces a badge system that allows any character to have any single ability of the player’s choice, adding more customization than ever before.
Many expected theBowser’s Furycampaign to be nothing but a mod of theSuper Mario 3D Worldremaster. While that is partly true, fans were shocked that it provided fans with a completely open world for Mario to explore and collect the new Cat Shines. There is no hub world or loading screens, allowing total freedom in how players want to progress.
On top of the open world aspect,Bowser’s Furyearns its titlethanks to its unique NPC mechanicof having Bowser transformed into a giant monster that drops from the sky sporadically to attack Mario for a few minutes. Fury Bowser not only adds tension, but certain things can only be done while he is attacking, making for puzzling situations and forcing proper timing for certain Cat Shines.
