The Glory of Mario: A Gamer's Rant

[Ñólendil]

There was a time when I couldn't get that super-jumping Italian plumber out of my head. In elaborate dreams Mario and his brother Luigi would figure prominently in quirky tales that lingered on in waking life, and soon after I opened my eyes I would concoct a plan to write it all down, to put some good fiction to the most popular video game character of all time.

A few hours later I would come to a couple startling realizations. First of all, Mario would make a horrible story--you just can't make a worthwhile fantasy about a fire breathing dinosaur villains named Bowser Koopa. Second of all, and most disturbing, I was not a Mario fan. Why was I dreaming about this mustached hero? What was so intriguing about "Itsa me, Mario!"?

But I remembered my childhood with the Nintendo, moving the brothers up through tiers to save the princess from an oversized ape named Donkey Kong, one of the original platform adventure games. And I remembered so many other wondrous Mario games, and the strange and yet somehow miraculously interesting characters, like Toad and Princess Peach, and her father that always managed to be transformed into something bizarre. And I remembered, too, some later games, and the first Mario game of the RPG genre: Mario RPG, Legend of the Seven Stars (for the Super NES). That game had depth, in gameplay and story telling. No other development company could pull off such a world, could make such characters in such an environment work. There was Geno, and incarnation of a spirit from above, inhabiting a child's toy, and Prince Mallow of the clouds, raised by Frogfucious, believing always that he was a tadpole who couldn't grow up. And I remember the parade to celebrate Mario's victory over an entirely new threat, a parade led by Luigi, who despite his happy, optimistic demeanor seemed deep, deep in his brother's shadow. He was always left out.

Was I a Mario fan? Certainly, I had never played a Mario game that I did not enjoy. Maybe I was, but I left it to peculiar dreams.

Until this morning.

I hadn't slept in many hours, and to pass the time I picked up a copy of Electronic Gaming Monthly at about 3am. Flipping through, I saw some information about the new handhelds being released: the Sony PSP and the Nintendo DS. The Nintendo DS attracted me: the dual screens, the stylus-touch pad chat system, and namely the line up of games. At the launch was a platform adventure title by the name of Mario 64 DS, a remake of Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64. It looked fun. It looked very fun. Then I looked at the release date of the Nintendo DS, and the Mario game. They had the same release date: the 21st of November. Interesting ... wait a minute ... "today's the 21st". And after that I never had a chance. I called my local GameCrazy and made sure they had some extra copies for those who hadn't reserved it, and I arrived at the store five minutes after they opened, and bought my Nintendo DS (which comes with a demo of Metroid Prime, a first-person shooter), and my Mario game. I was hooked, and I fell in love all over again with Mushroom Kingdom, and it's childlike, endearing qualities.

Yes, I now realize, I'm a Mario fan. Always have been. And I've got furious ideas racing through my head ...

[Ñólendil]

Mario World Online

This would be a dream come true. I'm not talking about a haloesque set-up, where players unite to play cooperative or verses modes with up to four players. I'm talking a full-fledged Mass Multi-Player Online Role-Playing Game, based on the Mario Bros Universe. Create your own character from a wide variety of diverse races from the Mario games, and jump, bash, and stomp your way through a vast, vibrant world with thousands upon thousand of other players, going head to head, possibly, in Player vs. Player brawls which pit the evil minions of the antagonist against the allies of Mario, President of Mushroom Kingdom. Or group up with friends, and tackle quests of exploration, and real-time combat.

And who's the antagonist? The shadow that has grown too great--Luigi, the "hero" he always should have been, fighting against his brother for supremacy, fame, and revenge.

Now that's a rediculous, but charming premise that would make a lot of money.

And I think I have entered the heart of Geekdom on earth.

[BeardofPants]

Ooh, I'm currently playing Paper Mario, and it rawks. Incidentally, metroid prime rockers!!!!1111 one one one one one as well.

[Lizra]

Son loves the new Pokemon games...but wants what you talk of for Xmas. Must be fun...

[Ñólendil]

Ooh, I'm currently playing Paper Mario, and it rawks. Incidentally, metroid prime rockers!!!!1111 one one one one one as well.

Cool--tell me about Paper Mario. What do you like about it?

Son loves the new Pokemon games...but wants what you talk of for Xmas. Must be fun...

That's one of the cool things about the Mario franchise. Jaded Mircosoft and Sony fans like to walk away in disgust from the family appeal of Nintendo, but I think it's nice that kids still have a video game they can play that is actually worth their parent's money. And adults can get into it too.

[HOBBIT]

lizra talk your son out of the pokemon :P

Those games take up so much of your time and are virtually identical. Believe me :P I played the original pokemon games in 1998 and 1999. Played and completed Pokemon Red, Blue (the two originals), Yellow, Gold, Silver. There have been like 5 or 6 more pokemon games after this and I'm glad that I stopped after gold and silver. Huge time waster, lol.

The "new" pokemon games are just remakes of the two games that I wasted weeks of my time with - "Fire Red" is a remake of "Red Version" and "leaf green" is a remake of "Blue" Both are virtually the same game
------------------------

Anyway, back on Mario.

Mario games that I like:
-I love Donkey Kong
-Super Mario Brothers
-Super Mario World
-all Mario Kart games

Mario Games that I think are OK:
-SMB 3
-SMB 2 Japanese Version (never released in USA and very hard, often called the "lost levels" or "super mario for super players")

Mario Games I don't like
- American SMB2, horrible
-Super Mario 64 I reallly don't like this game.

Never played paper mario

[Wayfarer]

Heh. They remade Pokemon Red&Blue? I've been predicting that for years. It's just sound business strategy - and the original carts were half finished, if that.

I never got into Nintendo as a kid. I do remember the SMB cartoon... and that borderline awful live-action film.

I liked the original Mario RPG. Hate Mario Kart.

[Finrod Felagund]

Super Mario RPG for SNES is SOOO much better than Paper Mario for N64.

I bought my little bro Paper Mario for Gamecube, so I'll see how it is Christmas day.

[BeardofPants]

Paper mario for the 'cube rocks my socks.

[Janny]

I love Mario Karts SNES and N64... but Double Dash is sacrilige! (I mean... you know)

[Lizra]

Originally Posted by HOBBIT

lizra talk your son out of the pokemon :P

Those games take up so much of your time and are virtually identical. Believe me :P I played the original pokemon games in 1998 and 1999. Played and completed Pokemon Red, Blue (the two originals), Yellow, Gold, Silver. There have been like 5 or 6 more pokemon games after this and I'm glad that I stopped after gold and silver. Huge time waster, lol.

The "new" pokemon games are just remakes of the two games that I wasted weeks of my time with - "Fire Red" is a remake of "Red Version" and "leaf green" is a remake of "Blue" Both are virtually the same game
------------------------

Anyway, back on Mario.

Mario games that I like:
-I love Donkey Kong
-Super Mario Brothers
-Super Mario World
-all Mario Kart games

Mario Games that I think are OK:
-SMB 3
-SMB 2 Japanese Version (never released in USA and very hard, often called the "lost levels" or "super mario for super players")

Mario Games I don't like
- American SMB2, horrible
-Super Mario 64 I reallly don't like this game.

Never played paper mario

Well shoot HOBBIT! All these games are time wasters! He's playing fire red version now, last week ruby...whatever!

[Nurvingiel]

I love SNES Super Mario! (The one where you get the flute that lets you go behind the level, whatever that game is.) I never finished it though - since I never actually owned a Super Nintendo! However, I think this is the best gaming system of all-time, it beats Play Station, Sega (a lot of things beat Sega), and even N64.

That being said, I absolutely love Super Mario Kart for N64! Many good times were had by my best friend and I playing that game. *gets all emotional*

I had a Game Boy when I was a kid, and that is the second greatest gaming system of all time. (Tied with N64.) I could play the Mario game for that, beating it 2.5 times. After that my batteries died. If I had infinite life batteries, who knows how many times I could beat that. Incidentally, Game Boy Colour is wicked cool. My best buddy (the same that I played N64 with) gave me one. But when I was a kid I had the clunky old-school green and yellow one. Booya!

[Pytt]

Originally Posted by BeardofPants

Ooh, I'm currently playing Paper Mario, and it rawks. Incidentally, metroid prime rockers!!!!1111 one one one one one as well.

do you have a GC? should I try Paper Mario?

[BeardofPants]

Originally Posted by Pytt

do you have a GC? should I try Paper Mario?

Yep, it's a fantastic game.