Games Every Gamer Should Know
This is going back to the basics of video gaming in general. There are so many licenses that gamers should know, and I'll try to touch on as many as I can think of to help you out. For this first entry in this line, let's start with the top gaming icon that, at the height of its popularity, had the main character more recognizable in the US than Mickey Mouse.
The Mario Brothers series
The Mario Brothers are more familiar to gamers than members of those gamers actual families sometimes. Mario and Luigi have been around for over twenty years, and are still some of the most popular gaming icons that the world has ever known (and, arguably, the most popular plumbers EVER). There were many extremely popular games in the Super Mario Brothers series, and much debate over not only whether or not one title is the best of the bunch, but which game could be considered the best video game ever.
Mario, the first-born brother, actually made his debut in the game Donkey Kong starring alongside the giant ape that would make his own mark on arcade (and later, home console) gaming history. He wasn't named Mario at that point, he was Jumpman, trying to save his then-girlfriend Pauline (this was before he was transported to another dimention and kingdom) from the clutches of the hairy kidnapper. He wasn't even a plumber then, he was a carpenter.
When Nintendo found out that Donkey Kong was such a huge success, they decided to give the mustache-ed hero his own title, and not only that, but gave him some kin to help him out (and thus give the player the ability to play with a friend for another quarter or token). Named Mario after Nintendo's first warehouse landlord Mario Segali, he jumped into action with his brother Luigi (NO clue where Luigi came from, probably just sticking to the Italian name theme) to clean out the monsters that were let loose through open sewer pipes.
Then it seems that Mario and Luigi went down one of those sewer pipes themselves, and entered into the world of the Mushroom Kingdom. One of the greatest journeys that they (and Nintendo in tow) had ever been through. And they did it through Nintendo's world-wide famous toaster console, the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Dubbed Super Mario Brothers, Mario and Luigi set off to save the Princess Toadstool of the Mushroom Kingdom from the clutches of another large, angry animal: the dreaded King Koopa , the cold-blooded, evil reptile (later given the name Bowser. Did Nintendo listen to the band Shanana...?). In the game, the brothers could grow larger by eating mushrooms (no drug reference there...) and throw fireballs by grabbing hold of the magical Fire Flower. They even gained invincibility by catching a falling (and bouncing) star. They needed all of these tools to get past the bevy of enemies that stood in the path between them and the desperate princess.
The Mario Brothers were Super two more times on the NES (and found themselves dressed as racoons, frogs and tanooki by the time they were done, and finding out that Mario and Luigi weren't really twins as they appeared to be through Super Mario Brothers 2) before embarking on a brand new world on the NES's successor, the Super NES. Super Mario World expanded the universe of Mario to 16-bit glory, taught him new techniques (like running up walls and flying like Superman, cape and all), introduced the family of the evil King Koopa (who knew something that ugly would have children?), and introduced the world to the lovable, devoted dino Yoshi. The adventure was enormous, expanding on the advancement that Super Mario Brothers 3 had introduced: not only the option to pick your next stage, but the ability to play levels over again, looking for secret areas and even more levels. Super Mario World had taken the universe to the next level, and kept Nintendo in the forefront of the minds of gamers across the planet.
After a few little side-trips and experiments in other genres of games (like the racing title Super Mario Kart and the educational geography game Mario Is Missing! starring Luigi), Mario and the gang were back when Nintendo brought up their next platform: the Nintendo 64. And with it, there were only two launch titles, and only one that everyone was clamouring to see: Super Mario 64. The world of Mario was expanded even further, this time moving into the third-dimention, which was (for the most part) uncharted territory in the virtual world. With full 3-D movement and an absolutely huge world packed to the breaking point of enemies and traps, SM64 really started the movement of gaming into polygons and go-anywhere worlds, and thus putting Mario on the map as the top innovative force in the gaming world.
Since then, Mario has been spending most of his focus on other interests, even going on vacation in his latest 3-D adventure Super Mario Sunshine where he must not only save his girlfriend (not Pauline, now he's dating the princess, who now goes by the nickname Peach) but clear his own name by cleaning up the resort island Isle Delfino. He's been taking his time working on his baseball swing, putting game and his soccer skills in other titles, and has kept himself busy while apparently Peach has been safe (maybe they finally purchased a security system?).
The gaming world wouldn't be where it is today (and neither would I, since Super Mario Brothers was my first gaming experience) without the plumber. SMB brought gaming out of a virtual depression when the market was driven next to dead, and kept the thrill alive with every new incarnation. And that's why this series must be appreciated, and that's why it's been written here to teach every gamer, every potential gamer, just why it's an important license in the world of interactive entertainment.
The Mario Brothers series
The Mario Brothers are more familiar to gamers than members of those gamers actual families sometimes. Mario and Luigi have been around for over twenty years, and are still some of the most popular gaming icons that the world has ever known (and, arguably, the most popular plumbers EVER). There were many extremely popular games in the Super Mario Brothers series, and much debate over not only whether or not one title is the best of the bunch, but which game could be considered the best video game ever.
Mario, the first-born brother, actually made his debut in the game Donkey Kong starring alongside the giant ape that would make his own mark on arcade (and later, home console) gaming history. He wasn't named Mario at that point, he was Jumpman, trying to save his then-girlfriend Pauline (this was before he was transported to another dimention and kingdom) from the clutches of the hairy kidnapper. He wasn't even a plumber then, he was a carpenter.
When Nintendo found out that Donkey Kong was such a huge success, they decided to give the mustache-ed hero his own title, and not only that, but gave him some kin to help him out (and thus give the player the ability to play with a friend for another quarter or token). Named Mario after Nintendo's first warehouse landlord Mario Segali, he jumped into action with his brother Luigi (NO clue where Luigi came from, probably just sticking to the Italian name theme) to clean out the monsters that were let loose through open sewer pipes.
Then it seems that Mario and Luigi went down one of those sewer pipes themselves, and entered into the world of the Mushroom Kingdom. One of the greatest journeys that they (and Nintendo in tow) had ever been through. And they did it through Nintendo's world-wide famous toaster console, the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Dubbed Super Mario Brothers, Mario and Luigi set off to save the Princess Toadstool of the Mushroom Kingdom from the clutches of another large, angry animal: the dreaded King Koopa , the cold-blooded, evil reptile (later given the name Bowser. Did Nintendo listen to the band Shanana...?). In the game, the brothers could grow larger by eating mushrooms (no drug reference there...) and throw fireballs by grabbing hold of the magical Fire Flower. They even gained invincibility by catching a falling (and bouncing) star. They needed all of these tools to get past the bevy of enemies that stood in the path between them and the desperate princess.
The Mario Brothers were Super two more times on the NES (and found themselves dressed as racoons, frogs and tanooki by the time they were done, and finding out that Mario and Luigi weren't really twins as they appeared to be through Super Mario Brothers 2) before embarking on a brand new world on the NES's successor, the Super NES. Super Mario World expanded the universe of Mario to 16-bit glory, taught him new techniques (like running up walls and flying like Superman, cape and all), introduced the family of the evil King Koopa (who knew something that ugly would have children?), and introduced the world to the lovable, devoted dino Yoshi. The adventure was enormous, expanding on the advancement that Super Mario Brothers 3 had introduced: not only the option to pick your next stage, but the ability to play levels over again, looking for secret areas and even more levels. Super Mario World had taken the universe to the next level, and kept Nintendo in the forefront of the minds of gamers across the planet.
After a few little side-trips and experiments in other genres of games (like the racing title Super Mario Kart and the educational geography game Mario Is Missing! starring Luigi), Mario and the gang were back when Nintendo brought up their next platform: the Nintendo 64. And with it, there were only two launch titles, and only one that everyone was clamouring to see: Super Mario 64. The world of Mario was expanded even further, this time moving into the third-dimention, which was (for the most part) uncharted territory in the virtual world. With full 3-D movement and an absolutely huge world packed to the breaking point of enemies and traps, SM64 really started the movement of gaming into polygons and go-anywhere worlds, and thus putting Mario on the map as the top innovative force in the gaming world.
Since then, Mario has been spending most of his focus on other interests, even going on vacation in his latest 3-D adventure Super Mario Sunshine where he must not only save his girlfriend (not Pauline, now he's dating the princess, who now goes by the nickname Peach) but clear his own name by cleaning up the resort island Isle Delfino. He's been taking his time working on his baseball swing, putting game and his soccer skills in other titles, and has kept himself busy while apparently Peach has been safe (maybe they finally purchased a security system?).
The gaming world wouldn't be where it is today (and neither would I, since Super Mario Brothers was my first gaming experience) without the plumber. SMB brought gaming out of a virtual depression when the market was driven next to dead, and kept the thrill alive with every new incarnation. And that's why this series must be appreciated, and that's why it's been written here to teach every gamer, every potential gamer, just why it's an important license in the world of interactive entertainment.
posted by Unknown at 8:07 PM
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