Mario Fans Still Want More After A Decade

Back in the old days, gamers didn't realize how much and how rapid technology would advance. But everything was still good, thanks to this little plumber and his less-known, slender and taller brother. Fans were just satisfied with brick smashing, Goomba stomping, fireball throwing, and the horrible, rough graphics of this fantastic game. Little did they realize that after a decade, their little hero would still be very popular and loved by the world.

Mario was first introduced to the world even before the debut of the Nintendo. Originally a carpenter instead of a plumber (that's why he has a hammer in Donkey Kong), this little round guy became a popular icon all over the world and was even more famous than Mickey Mouse! Throughout his career, he's been a plumber, a doctor, a referee, and an archaeologist. Now he returns as his more favorable profession, a world-saving plumber.

Nintendo always had an advantage over its competitors, but again, no one really knew about it until they experienced it themselves. The Nintendo 64 was a powerful machine (and I say was because it sucks now) and Mario would just demonstrate how powerful it really is. Way before Dual Shock, Nintendo released their system with an analog controller. Hmm... interesting, but what does it exactly do? Well, the analog stick is very sensitive. If you lightly touched it, Mario would slowly tip-toe. Push it a bit harder and he's walking. Push the stick to its fullest, and Mario's running for his life here. And because you could turn the stick 360 degrees, Mario could move that way too. But wait, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks (something like that). Instead of just jumping, Mario can punch, kick, slide, wall-kick, somersault, backflip, fly, swim, and the list just goes on. He could do everything we can, even stuff we can't do.

Mario's in a whole new world, and of course, a whole new adventure. So what's the story? Same as always (with the exception of Super Mario 2 and the recent Mario Advance), to rescue the princess. Yes, Princess Toadstool, except she has officially adopted her Japanese name, Peach. And Bowser didn't kidnap Toad either, he just imprisoned him in a wall. Bowser also steals the stars to gain power, and it's your job to get them back. And Mario doesn't need to get all 120, just enough to save the princess.

Of course, Mario did learn a few new tricks in addition to all his cool acrobatics. To fight Bowser, Mario has to grab him by the tail and throw him into a bomb. With the analog stick, you spin it and Mario spins that way. Spin the stick faster, and he'll swing Bowser faster. You just have to swing him into a bomb.

But Mario can't just get to Bowser that easily. He'll need to unlock some magical doors, sealed by the stars' power to get to him. Mario must travel through 15 worlds (by jumping through paintings) to get stars. In each world, there are quests he must accomplish to find a star. But no one ever said it was easy. Each world has a variety of cool enemies, and some are harder to kill than others. And of course, there are some people that try to help Mario. They can prepare a cannon for you or carry you through treacherous terrain. Some familiar faces return while others meet Mario for the first time.

Of course, Mario has some new items to help him. He has a wing hat to fly, a metal hat to become invincible and sink to the bottom of an ocean, and an invisible cap to make him invisible and pass through certain walls. Sorry, no Fire Flowers, Starmen, or Tanooki suits.

Mario doesn't grow or shrink. Instead, his health is represented by a pie chart of eight pieces. Each time he takes a hit, one is depleted (fire takes more), but he can gain back health by collecting coins. But worse yet, that buzzing noise when he dies isn't there anymore!

Hardcore Mario fans may be a little disappointed. Most Mario games are two playered, but this one isn't. Luigi doesn't even make an appearance! Instead, Mario's dumb dinosaur pal does. Furthermore, there are no bricks to smash, and no question blocks! They're just substituted with exclamation blocks! Most of the classic items aren't in this game, and Mario surfs on a koopa shell rather than kicking it. And what ever happened to Bowser's kids?

The graphics in this game are simply amazing. Mario is in full 3D, with colorful backgrounds and smooth polygons. You can even control the camera angles. But sometimes when you're close to a wall, you can see right through it and there are some rough clipping problems. If you even reach a place in a world that you're not supposed to reach, an imaginary wall stops you, often resulting in the loss of a life.

Better than the graphics are the sound. Mario makes all his lovable sounds with even a few voices. The soundtrack is also great, and the classic Mario theme is the title screen's music.

Mario fans rejoice! If the death of your SNES has you disappointed, then there's no need to cry. Nintendo never fails to amaze, and with a professional plumber doing all the dirty work, the only thing they have to worry about is their pockets ripping from the increasing profits.