FROM HIS INTRODUCTION AS JUMPMAN IN DONKEY KONG TO THE RECENTLY RELEASED SUPER MARIO WONDER, NINTENDO’S ICONIC SUPERSTAR HAS BEEN DELIGHTING GAMERS FOR GENERATIONS. VETERANS FROM ACROSS THE INDUSTRY REVEAL WHY MARIO HAS LOST NONE OF HIS APPEAL
There’s a reason why Mario has graced the cover of Retro Gamer multiple times. He’s become one of gaming’s cornerstones, a character that’s every bit as synonymous with videogames as Pac-Man, Lara Croft or those pesky little aliens from Space Invaders. There’s a good chance that even your dear old nan will recognise Mario – that’s how much of an important cultural icon he’s become.
Originally making his debut in single-screen platformers like Donkey Kong and Mario Bros, in 1985 he starred in his first side-scrolling adventure, Super Mario Bros, and the moustachioed hero hasn’t looked back since. For many gamers and developers, the Super Mario Bros series is considered a template for how to create the perfect platformer. Many have attempted to emulate Mario’s success over the years and very few have succeeded – fewer still have actually bested him. Aside from the recent success of Crash Bandicoot and Spyro, only Sonic could be considered as Mario’s biggest competitor today and even with all his popularity, he’s rarely had the critical acclaim in his 3D adventures like Mario has had. Even an average Mario game can feel special when placed against the competition, and it’s telling that of all the platform heroes of the Eighties and Nineties, only Sonic has endured for as long as Nintendo’s lovable plumber.
From his 2D adventures of the mid-Eighties and early Nineties, to his innovative modern 3D outings of today – Mario’s games have always managed to impress and it’s a rare Mario adventure that isn’t critically acclaimed by reviewers. Super Mario 64 for example, not only redefined platforming in a 3D space, but also set new standards for 3D games in general – particularly when it came to how characters should control in this exciting new environment.
In more recent years the adv
