About Mario

[ultrabiome]

The time and energy that was put into Mario's signature feature... running and jumping, was leaps and bounds above its contemporaries in 1985. Everything from initial velocity, air control, inertia both in air and on landing, height both walking and running were all tested and retested to give Mario the "feel" that is lacking in most platformers, then and often still.

Plus Nintendo also knew how to make a good game that teaches you as you go, giving you room and time to figure out each new obstacle or enemy before adding them all together in increasingly difficult combinations. Excellent but simple music and effects completed the package. And none of those details have been lost over the years, even with transitions to 3D. The abilities of Mario in SM64 were so much fun and still very much Mario as it was in SMB.

I love Mario, and think Mario games are the pinnacle of platformers, and video games in general. Not my favorite video game ever (Mega Man...) and not the only platformers I feel worth playing (Castlevania series and Super Metroid come to mind, as well as Shovel Knight), but Mario is synonomous with video games, more recognizable than Mickey Mouse.

 

[Foolery]

Honestly, Mario is by modern standards the King of Platforming still.

Who is there to contest him? The closest to mind is Banjo-Kazooie, but they are not just platformers, and platforming is not the sole focus. But Mario games even at their most complex, like 64 and Sunshine, are almost solely about platforming.

Someone never played Tropical Freeze. Or even just the original DKC trilogy. Traditional 2D Mario was surpassed in the gameplay department a long time ago. SM64 was pretty groundbreaking though, with its analog controls.

 

[Saelune]

Honestly, Mario is by modern standards the King of Platforming still.

Who is there to contest him? The closest to mind is Banjo-Kazooie, but they are not just platformers, and platforming is not the sole focus. But Mario games even at their most complex, like 64 and Sunshine, are almost solely about platforming.

Someone never played Tropical Freeze. Or even just the original DKC trilogy. Traditional 2D Mario was surpassed in the gameplay department a long time ago. SM64 was pretty groundbreaking though, with its analog controls.

I have, and I will stick with Mario, though I suppose DK is a bigger contender than I thought. DK is too much a support Mario character at this point though.

 

[Tanis]

Nintendo, with Mario, SAVED GAMING AS WE KNOW IT.

That kind of history will get you a LOT of leeway and continued praise.

It also doesn't hurt that, even at its worst, the 'main' series of Mario games are good.

You almost never find that, especially with a franchise that's gone on as long as Mario.

 

[Foolery]

Honestly, Mario is by modern standards the King of Platforming still.

Who is there to contest him? The closest to mind is Banjo-Kazooie, but they are not just platformers, and platforming is not the sole focus. But Mario games even at their most complex, like 64 and Sunshine, are almost solely about platforming.

Someone never played Tropical Freeze. Or even just the original DKC trilogy. Traditional 2D Mario was surpassed in the gameplay department a long time ago. SM64 was pretty groundbreaking though, with its analog controls.

I have, and I will stick with Mario, though I suppose DK is a bigger contender than I thought. DK is too much a support Mario character at this point though.

Support character is an interesting point, as I haven't seen many DK/Mario mashups lately aside from the 'minis' spinoff. Also, I think Mario does gameplay experimentation better than DK, as seen in Galaxy, Sunshine, and Mario Maker.