Recliner of Rage: McMario

There is a lot of anger in the world today. Between rising oil prices, wars, and political scandals, tempers are really rising.

But there is one among us tonight who is particularly angry. He knows how you feel, and he is ready to articulate it. He is Sherlock. I am Sherlock, and I might as well be comfortable while I speak for the world.

I am comfortable and furious.

I love the Mario franchise. I remember sitting as a young child watching in awe as my neighbors played all summer long. I was incredibly excited, and satisfied, when I got my very first Mario game, Super Mario Bros Deluxe for the Gameboy Color. However, in recent times I have noticed a change in my favourite plumber.

There was a time years ago when we saw multiple Mario platforming games per generation. On the NES there was Super Mario Bros 1, 2, and 3, which were both commercially and critically successful and continue to place well on many people’s lists of best games of all time. The SNES had Super Mario World and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. The first Mario World was, and still is, hailed as a masterpiece, and Yoshi’s Island, while a bit different from previous Mario games (Baby Mario?), was still noted for exceptionally strong gameplay and creative visuals. Then there came a time for Mario that was both a rebirth and somewhat of a mudslide with the N64. Super Mario 64 reinvented Mario in 3D while keeping the feeling of the 2D games fans loved. However, there was never a sequel on the N64. Instead gamers say a boom of spin-off games. Mario Tennis, Mario Golf, Mario Party, Paper Mario, Mario Kart, there were a lot of new games coming out based on the Mushroom Kingdom, but no true Mario platformer to be found. Yes, spin-offs had been around since the NES, but never had they gathered this much attention to the point they arguably overshadowed Super Mario 64. With the Gamecube and the DS, we saw even more spin-off games! Soccer, baseball, basketball, sequels to the previously mentioned spin-offs. Probably the lowest Nintendo ever went was putting Mario in SSX On Tour just to sell copies. Clearly Mario did not belong in that game, but they did it anyway.

We need more platformers. Can you imagine if we got twoMario Galaxy’s this generation? Can you imagine another New Super Mario Bros? Its possible. If Nintendo takes funds away from some of the spin-offs (preferably some of the more mediocre ones like Golf, Tennis, and some of the Mario Party games) and uses them to create more platformers, we could have it. Does every spin-off need to cease? No, but I believe there should at least be an equal, if not, greater number of platformers to spin-offs.

People criticize EA for releasing a new Madden game every year, saying there is little innovation or improvement from game to game. Although that is essentially true, I find little issue in that because each game stays true to the franchise. Nintendo has deviated from the essence of the Mario franchise. Even if ultimately, both releasing a new Madden clone every year with little improvement and making Mario do everything but prostitution (but that will come up by the end of the decade in “Super Mario Sex Trade”) are done to increase revenue, Madden is more honorable because it keeps the franchise’s integrity in tact.

Sales is not the mark of excellence. If it were, both Mario and Madden would be the best games ever. The mark of excellence for a franchise is having consistently strong gameplay from game to game. It is also innovation, meaning the game grows and expands. But it is also staying true to it’s roots, when a game has a familiar feeling, linking it to past games in a deep way. This is a delicate balance, but also a recipe for true success.

And guess what else happens when you do this?! THE GAME SELLS. Whats the perfect example of this? Well… Super Mario Bros 3. It is the biggest selling game of all time, and it also combines the gameplay style of the previous Mario games and innovates it to new depth, adding new levels that feel congruent with levels of the past while expanding their possibilities. It was made back when Nintendo still respected Mario. Remember, Nintendo’s past success was based on one idea and one idea alone.

If you have good software, the hardware will sell itself.

Nintendo could keep Mario Kart, they could keep Paper Mario/Mario and Luigi (which seem like more or less the same series as far as I’m concerned), and maybe even get away with one Mario Party, but we need to see Nintendo treat it’s finest franchise with respect and dignity.

Bottom Line:

Mario is not just a way for Nintendo to cash in, it is a franchise worthy of respect and dignity. Arguably, it is in great part responsible for the revival of games after the industry almost collapsed. The generation of the quickly made, cheap and slick, quick to sell McMario game must end. Nintendo, we need to see more platforming games and less unworthy spin-offs.

Stay strong, my brothers.