This 1985 classic
is...well...a classic. A new mario game nowadays comes alongside the launch of
a new Nintendo console and has become Nintendos trademark character. The
simple idea of a plumber is taken to abstract levels through this game and makes
an everyday normality become fantasy. The notion of this is quite desireable in
popular culture within the last 100 years. The success of Mario (and Luigi) in
my opinion spawns from the simple design starting point that has clearly
snowballed into something epic, also the archetype story narrative speaks to a
mass audience on a very basic level, It is a story (particularly for us working
class) about aspiration and fantasy. A plumber saving a Princess from a Monster
(Bowser) is a brilliant notion no matter how many times it is told. Mario seeps
into popular culture like not much else. Not many people look blank when you
talk about an Italian Plumber Clambering over a rainbow fighting flying
turtles.
Some bugs/cheats in Mario
also make the game very playable and socially interesting. In a way I think
that this element of fun is missing from many games today. I remember how
excited my friends and I were after we figured out how to make Mario move
behind the traversable bricks and how to enter the famous ‘minus world’. Even
in later games of the franchise this was still present, in Mario 64 for example
if you stood in a certain spot Mario would suddenly warp to another part of the
level. This did give the game some identity and made it definitively a ‘game’.
The power-up items in this
game are another achetype linked to the Mario franchise. The various ‘Caps’
(hats) activate different power-ups such as projectile fireballs and momentary
flight. These also affect health. Mario begins as a small version of himself, then
the player must collect a mushroom item to become full-size, then different
powerups are available. However if Mario takes damage he reverts back one step,
if he takes damage in his smaller state: Game Over. This is a simple HP design
and gives the player the satisfaction of feeling powerful and gaining the
benefits of success.
This was a great game for
multiplayer and encouraged co-operation. This was an early example of games
teaching life skills and encouraging them. This is one of the many positive aspects
of gaming that produce a healthy real-world outcome and Mario is responsible
for refining some of these things.
The soundtrack is another
famous aspect of this game (they keep on coming don’t they!), the instantly recognizable
looping, retro 8-bit style theme music causes an instant mental link to the
game when heard. This loop plays in the background as gameplay is going on,
this makes the player associate the great game with the music, so when heard
they would want to re-play the game.
Super Mario Bros is the
best selling Mario game (due to other console versions on top of the NES) and
the Second best selling game of all time.
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