Super Mario Bros.

[The Boston Crab]

I've been meaning to start a Mario thread for a long time. Yesterday my classes were cancelled so I got stuck into Super Mario World and I'm really thinking of phoning in sick today so I can play until evening. I probably won't though because I'm 27 years old.

I never played Mario in the arcades but we got a NES around 1988 I think and I can still play through that first level with my eyes closed, no doubt my brothers and cousins can do the same. That game and Zelda dominated my early console memories, which explains the bias I have for Nintendo games. However, it's not just nostalgic preciousness, that first game is still incredibly playable today - such are the joy of gloriously-designed platformers.

I think the second greatest feature shared by every Mario game is that the controls are instantly hardwired from brain to thumbs. You pick up the controller and within thirty seconds you can pull off any move the game requires. They're very instinctive and straight-forward - the challenge only comes from the level design. Herein lies the real triumph.

I've never played any games as frustrating, fair and satisfying as Mario Bros. As I worked my way through Super Mario World yesterday (a game which I didn't actually play much at the time), there were numerous moments where I was a heartbeat away from glassing the TV. Damn, you mother fucking cunt green shell MOTHER FUCKING CUNT! However, it's always because you just haven't developed enough skill to get past a certain part. Eventually, whether it's after one life or one hundred, you'll get it because you've developed the ability. There is precious little element of luck, there are rarely soft workarounds, you meet a problem and the only way to solve it is intense and prolonged hand-eye coordination.

Now, of course this is true of many many games but the platform game design means that you constantly face hurdles and challenges to your ability. This is perhaps something that's been lost in the transition to 3D, there's too much breathing space. Mario levels are designed so that you very rarely have a break, you're constantly thinking and reacting to the environment. Is there anything quite as infuriating as working through two solid minutes of a fiendish castle level of perfectly-timed twitch jumps and ducks only to get to the boss, panic, get a rush of blood and jump straight into his flaming face before the fight has begun? On the other hand, this quest for coordinated perfection is so satisfying when you finally nail it and unlock a new secret area. "In your fucking face, Roy Koopa!"

The games have evolved but I think the core elements of immaculate control and level design pin them all to the same rare cloth. Super Mario Bros. is obviously the most important and holds up well today form a gameplay perspective. Super Mario Bros 2 was a very different beast, as you probably know it was based on a completely different Jap platformer with all the sprites changed - an odd one, my least favourite but inspired stuff nonetheless. Super Mario 3 was a return to form, possibly the greatest game of all time for playability, challenge and learning curve. There were so many ideas introduced in this game regarding level design, secrets and control method (using two buttons where many modern games would use nine). The thrill of the 'P Bar' hitting maximum and beep-blinking just in time for you to take off flying just before you run off into a bottomless pit - nerve-jangling. This game finally stopped my brothers and I from attending church when I was 10. I've never looked back.

I would say that Super Mario World is very very nearly on a par with 3, I'm playing it on the Wii and have got about halfway through the normal levels and I've found a handful of secret locations too. I'm really enjoying going back through levels to find the difficult hidden exits. I was also delighted in the Forbidden Forest section when my wild goose chase through several levels led to my coming full circle, only to realise that the conjoined paths had outlined a picture of Link's head from his SNES incarnation. Simple stuff but it raised a smile.

After 3, I didn't really play any Mario besides Kart until the N64 came out. I don't think anybody could have quite expected how successful the transition to 3D really was. It's still an amazing game if you play it now. The graphics stand up less well than the 2D incarnations in my opinion, they're less stylised and suffer for it but the controls are there and the levels are magnificent. This is the true realisation of "Miyamoto's playground". It's a stroke of genius to have players re-enter the same level space to complete another task in a newly-unlocked section, using newly-learned skills. The way that all the tasks are built into each other's proximity without resulting in repetition (bar the red coin tasks) shows unbelievably inventive design. No other game has levels as tightly-packed with invention as this.

Sunshine I only played for the first time a couple of months ago, it's an oddity, a sabbatical in the same way that 2 was (thought it retains the core controls of 64) but it's well worth a look. I think it's the most underrated game in the series. It suffers in my eyes because the learning curve is a little too steep, however I'm playing the Jap version so all those on-screen messages are probably saying "No you twat, jump on it." The water pump/spray schtick is a decent enough gimmick but it didn't really need to be stretched out over the whole game, it detracts from the basic Mario action a little. It does still look lovely though.

And onto Galaxy...I've read very little about it, I've seen a couple of videos at IGN etc but I've tried not to spoil it too much. I'll be back in England when it launches which is a shitter because I'll probably have to find a Jap copy to play on my Wii. It will make or break Christmas.

Without Mario, the home console as we know it today would arguably not even exist. Share your Mario love/hate memories here.

[Pogue Mahone]

I much prefer the Mario games in the 2-D format. They possess a certain fluidity that their 3-D counterparts badly miss. Flying straight through a level with enough skill to wipe out everything in your path is immensely satisfyng.

Mario Kart is thoroughly enjoyable and many of the mini-games in the Mario Party series are fantastic fun altogether.

Mario is an all-round great guy.

[alan nagsworth]

What can I say that hasn't already been said here? Excellent post Crabsta! I remember when my grandad bought me a SNES (looking back, brand new games cost the same as they do on the next gen consoles! £30 for a SNES game!) and it was good times. I won't go on about Donkey Kong Country and its sequel being my personal favourites of the day.

I remember the frustration of the first game, running with your finger on Y and timing your jump so you're right on the edge of the precipice just to make it across, jerking the pad diagonally up/right as if it makes him jump harder. And my god, painful memories of panicking when fighting Bowser and jumping right into his ugly face. And the joys of the underground levels, using those elevator things to get on top of the bricks and find the warp pipes? Awesome stuff.

Mario 2 was a freakshow, scared the life out of me. The mystery doors, the weird music, the even weirder bad guys (Birdo, what the fuck?!) Me and a mate recently got to the last boss and just couldn't do it, the rest of the game was fairly easy in comparison if I remember correctly.. or was that Mario 3? Who the fuck knows. Mario 3 was amazing though, the raccoon suit and the warp whistles... and the one thing I feared the most: that level where the sun starts attacking you in the desert.

Never really got into Mario Kart on the SNES, there was a big Mario-shaped void in my life up until Mario 64 came out. This stands as one of my favourite games of all time because... because of all the stuff you already said, damnit. Then there was Mario Kart 64, a phenominally addictive game with no flaws as far as I'm concerned. The multiplayer took over my life somewhat, trying to pop each other's balloons and frantically avoiding stray green shells.

Alas... I've lost faith in the GameCube releases, Sunshine was childish tripe from what I gathered, played it for a couple of hours and was just repulsed. The same applies for MK Double Dash; slow, clunky, basically just boring and shitty. This, added to the fact I watched a friend play it on acid and then chuck the pad in disgust because he "didn't feel connected to the game at all" sums up that I just hate it!

Still, not checked out this new release you speak of. I'll give it a looksee tomorrow when I feel more awake.

[The Boston Crab]

Galaxy's not out for another couple of months.

Mr. Mahone, I agree with what you say about the 2D incarnations having a certain 'fluidity' to them, you're able to approach a level of 'perfection' which isn't as possible in a 3D space. I feel the same way about SNES Mario Kart in comparison to Mario Kart 64. The tightness of the shorter tracks, the constant turns and obstacles mean that you're able to come closer to mastering a course and shave tenths of a second off your (and your friends') times.

[Famous Mortimer]

Top post, Mr. Crab, I feel pretty much the same way although I missed everything between the first game and "Sunshine" the first time round, and have been working my way backwards. Super Mario 64 is one of my very favouritest games ever now though.

[Xander]

This is quite odd, as I bought Super Mario World on the Wii the other day and completed it last week. If, like me, you want something to fill you up Mario-wise in the period between completing SMW and Mario Galaxy, I can heartily recommend Super Paper Mario. It arrived yesterday morning, and I played it non-stop until about 1am. The ability to flip into the thrid dimension adds a very nice twist to what is essentially a 2D Mario platformer with a couple of spangly (but unobtrusive) RPG elements. The only thing I will say is that it's bloody wordy. So much text. But a lot of it is quite chucklesome anyway, so it's not too bad.

[Jemble Fred]

I'm still disappointed they never made a sequel to the movie, with Hoskins doubling up as Wario.

No, really.

[alan nagsworth]

I've never played Paper Mario or any of the Mario Party titles. I don't own a Wii but I've got SNES & N64 emulators, so if there's any titles on those two consoles, someone recommend 'em to me.

[Godzilla Bankrolls]

Super Mario World, man! One of the best things there is.

I've bought consoles just to play Mario games in the past.

[TotalMink]

Great thread. I have gone about mario in completely the wrong way.  I was an expert on super mario brothers on the original gameboy but the only other nintendo i owned was the N64 and I never had any Mario games. The first proper mario game i ever played was Super Mario Party 8 on the wii.  I fell in love with the way Luigi says "Im Ready" and since then I have back tracked via the wii virtual console via paper mario, mario kart 64 and super mario world.  Magic stuff.  Mario Kart on the 64 is a work of art.

[Jemble Fred]

Mario Kart on the 64 is a work of art.

YES! Not a popular opinion that one, bit it is unquestionably my favourite incarnation. I can't really go back to the 2D-centric SNES original, and sadly haven't seen the DS (or, obviously, Wii) versions. But you can't beat the N64 one.

I do insist that Super Mario World is the single greatest console game (ir non-Dizzy game) ever made.

[Godzilla Bankrolls]

I'm still disappointed they never made a sequel to the movie, with Hoskins doubling up as Wario.

No, really.

Whither Captain Lou Ferrigno?

[alan nagsworth]

Mario Kart DS is sort of similar to Mario Kart 64 in the sense that it's fucking great fun. Some old courses revamped on there aswell, and some interesting weaponry. Also, the good ol' DS having the one cartridge for 4 players is awesome.

[drberbatov]

Mario 64 was fantastic, a golden age of gaming with Zelda, Goldeneye and ISS.

Reminds me of the gold old days and the fact that I am still guttered that my record time on Rainbow Road was disputed by N64 magazine

[CalamityScrimshaw]

I don't own a Wii but I've got SNES & N64 emulators, so if there's any titles on those two consoles, someone recommend 'em to me.

Mario Party's pretty useless emulated since it doesn't really work.  The Game Boy Advance version is pretty good fun - and features a mini-game where you provide jokes to a stand-up comedian octopus.

[thugler]

Mario 64 was fantastic, a golden age of gaming with Zelda, Goldeneye and ISS.

ISS was great. I always preferred the N64 ISS games to all this PES stuff. They were just more fun.

[Jackson K Pollock]

Whither Captain Lou Ferrigno?

Lou Alberto, shurely?

[Godzilla Bankrolls]

Lou Alberto, shurely?

Shit.

[Jackson K Pollock]

Shit.

Actually, Albano, now I come to think of it.

Nothing like an innacurate pedant!

[eluc55]

What, what, what? No-one's mentioned quite possibly the best mario title of the lot: "Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island".

It's just utterly perfect (Yoshi's Island, not Story). The most interesting visual style of any mario game (the Paper Mario games coming a close second), and some of the most varied and exciting levels of any platformer full-stop. When the second level of a game features screen sized chomps leaping out of the background to obliterate the scenery, you know you're playing the right platformer.   

Certainly it's true that Mario has starred in some of the greatest games ever made. Just off the top of my head: Super mario brothers 3, Super Mario World, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, all three console Mario Karts (yes, even the hugely underrated Gamecube iteration), Mario 64 (I must have played through through this game some thirty times), Luigi's Mansion, The Paper Mario series, Mario Golf and Mario Tennis.... Even sunshine was massivly under-rated; a superb platformer - possibly better than Mario 64 - just hampered by an utterly pedestrian "world" dominated by hotels, beaches and some utterly charmless blue cunts (pianatas?)...         

In fact, that game highlighted why I love Mario so much; the games have charm by the bucketloads. They're not cool, they've never tried to be (Well, apart from Sunshine where you could put shades on, and look at how people view that game). The fact that Mario's a fat, middle aged plumber with a thick moustache and clashing dungarees - that's half the charm. The fact he's completely gullable, more than a little dim, blushes when kissed, and considers a well iced cake reward enough for saving the world... I just think that's so unusual in an increasingly cynical industry.

Oh, and two more things to finish this rambling madness.
While their not true "Mario" games, the smash bros series are the best multiplayers I have ever played.   
And secondly, any game player that doesn't think "Tank you so march fo playin ma gamer" deserves more than a cake, doesn't deserve to play games.

Sorry about that. I think I'll go have a lie down.

[Fry]

My first brush with Mario was 'all stars', my grandfather brought me it along with the Snes when I was about 6/7. It was just a perfect game, the Mario theme tune just brings such a rush of nostalgia, it's amazing.

[AC]

What, what, what? No-one's mentioned quite possibly the best mario title of the lot: "Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island".

It's just utterly perfect (Yoshi's Island, not Story). The most interesting visual style of any mario game (the Paper Mario games coming a close second), and some of the most varied and exciting levels of any platformer full-stop. When the second level of a game features screen sized chomps leaping out of the background to obliterate the scenery, you know you're playing the right platformer.   

Absolutely agreed, it's incredible. Loved it more than other game I've owned. Unfortunately the DS sequel is a bit Disney-direct-to-video, it's alright but not in the same stratosphere.

Playing the SNES Mario Kart a fuck lot over the last year with a friend confirmed my childhood memories of it indeed being the best Mario Kart that has ever been. The greater sense of speed, the far greater fallibility of red shells, the perfectly timed hop that loses you almost no speed when you smack something... just the millions of little things that add up to what's practically a perfect game. I've loved the later ones too, but they're just not the same.

[alan nagsworth]

My first brush with Mario was 'all stars', my grandfather brought me it along with the Snes when I was about 6/7. It was just a perfect game, the Mario theme tune just brings such a rush of nostalgia, it's amazing.

Are you me? You seem to have lived a small portion of my life.

While their not true "Mario" games, the smash bros series are the best multiplayers I have ever played.

I agree, I always played as Luigi anyway so it's sort of Mario-related. I remember on the N64 version, it took me ages to unlock Ness, and you have to fight him as a final challenge to unlock him. I lost and kicked a hole in the side of my mom's armchair. The GameCube version was infinitely better and I can't wait to see what they cook up on the Wii version.

[Glebe]

Been playing Nintendo's Super Mario Land on the 'ol Gameboy recenlty, easy enough to win, but seems there are few secret areas that prove inaccesible.

[Mojo Flopcock]

Mario rules.
Recently finished Paper Mario (64) which was a fantastic romp, £7 on Virtual Console for 40(ish) hours of RPG-lite Mario goodness. Completely recommended. Paper Mario: 1000 year Door on Gamecube is also a really enjoyable title and well worth picking up.
I'd also give a big 'heads' 'up' for Wario World on Gamecube. It's by developer Treasure and although it's really under-rated it's a really ace little game. Tons of very pure platforming as well as a completely solid graphical style. Luigi's Mansion's another enjoyable GC title.
Of course the WarioWare games are brilliant too. The only series of titles I think which are really lacking are the Warioland GBA/DS games. I played Master of Disguise recently and traded it within a week, it's really poor.
I'm finding the new Super Paper Mario a bit of a come-down after Paper Mario 64 as although it's by-and-large enjoyable it doesn't seem to have a lot of depth and some sections are properly frustrating.
And then there's SMB2: The Lost Levels which is on VC until the end of September. Played it today and it's the hardest bastard Mario game I can remember. Pure evil and well worth a look.
With the 'resurection' of Nintendo we're overloaded with Mario at the moment but I've got a feeling that with 'Galaxy' the best is yet to come. Overall though the Mario games are of a really high quality and even the also-rans (Sunshine, MK:DD) are better than most other titles. You just can't go wrong with Mazza.

[Geraint]

My first ever console was a SNES, on my 8th birthday, bundled with Mario World. I was only allowed on it for 1-2 hours per day, and obviously i wasn't that good at games in general then, so it took me and my dad 8 months to complete (towards the end i was splitting my time between that, Pilotwings and Jurassic Park - but games were still £50-60 then so we'd only get a couple every year). Only recently have I gone back to it on emulators and 100%-ed it with all the secret exits. I remain convinced, however, that it's the best 2D platform game ever, Mario 3 included. The level design is amazing, the graphics stand up brilliantly for a 16-bit launch title (whack on one of the filters on ZSNES and it's gorgeous), and it really balances accessibility with frustration, so you're always wanting one more try rather than flinging the controller around. Hundreds of people STILL use level editing tools to make their own custom ROMs with the Super Mario World game engine, and it's fascinating to see what they come up with. The current trend in Japan is to make levels that play themselves - taking Mario across long and complex levels via pixel-perfect pathing of shells, enemies, jump blocks etc, like Rube Goldberg devices playing on a SNES.

Of the many, many Mario spinoff series my favourite is by far the Wario Ware games. All are fantastic single player, incredibly frantic, reducing it to pure gameplay with not a second wasted, while packing in an incredible level of visual humour and charm. the levels that homage a string of classic Nintendo games are particularly impressive. The games are pretty short, but the original in particular keeps you playing to get high scores in each game. Special mention must go to the Gamecube incarnation - a pretty bare-bones port of the GBA original for the most part, but with some excellent, innovative multiplayer modes that make this the single best game around if there's 4 of you - better than Mario Kart, better than Bomberman, better than PES... It has modes where you're encouraged to obscure your opponents view while he plays the minigames, modes where a slightly unnerving 'doctor' tells you to do stupid tasks as you play (your opponents rate you on this), and some great tie-breaker multiplayer games including 4-man nose-picking, jump-rope, etc.

I'd agree with Mojo Flopcock about the Wario Land series being poor - with the exception of the very first one. It was a fairly traditional Mario game boy platformer with a few changes - Wario, being bulkier than the mario bros, had more joy shoulder-barging enemies than jumping on their heads, and the games structure played up to his greed - the game was fairly easy but it had 6 or 7 endings based on how many coins and hidden treasures you hoarded over the course of the game - Wario was saving up for a castle and depending how well you do, you get endings ranging from a sandcastle to a planet with Wario's ugly mug emblazoned on the side. I think ater that they basically turned the series into puzzle games with platform elements, which never appealed to me.

[EFB]

If you like the Final Fantasy style RPG, you absolutely must check out Paper Mario (N64) and Paper Mario 2 (Gamecube). Amazing games. Super Paper Mario on the Wii is ok, but they took out all he RPG stuff that made the originals so great.

[Steve Lampkins]

Thanks, partly, to this thread, I finally got round to getting myself a classic controller and some Wii Points.

Got Super Mario Bros 1, Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels (never played this Japanese only release), and Bomberman 93.

Wow, what a nostalgia rush!

Though I did play Mario 1 at a bachelor party last summer (it was hosted at someone's house and they had an original NES and several games). Even (or perhaps because) playing drunk, I was able to whizz through the levels.

Probably gonna get Mario 2. And can't wait for Mario 3 to come out.

I never owned any Mario games past the NES, so only had tried Super Mario World. Probably should get Mario 64 too, preparation for Super Mario Galaxy.

[EFB]

I hated SMB2. It wasn't a mario game. What's on the virtual console now as the "lost levels" is actually SMB2. The version that was released outside of japan was actually a reskinned Doki Doki Panic.

[Steve Lampkins]

I hated SMB2. It wasn't a mario game. What's on the virtual console now as the "lost levels" is actually SMB2. The version that was released outside of japan was actually a reskinned Doki Doki Panic.

I know that, but still - I liked it a lot.

I only bought this Lost Levels because I'm a fool who falls for marketing tricks (this limited release business).