Retro|Spective 075R: Super Mario

[Neon Ignition]

Game 42 - Mario Golf
Developed by Camelot, this golfing game saw multiple Mario characters selectable whilst its companion GBC version offered a similar pared down experience but had an RPG style experience built into it as well. The aim was for players to experience a golf game that was more pick up and play than sim style experiences both versions were well received.







Was this golfing duo a hole in one?

[Neon Ignition]

Game 43 - Mario Party 2
The expansion of the Mario themed tie-ins during the Nintendo 64 era continued with this rapid sequel to the first Party entry. The sequel was very straight forward offering new boards and mini-games whilst addressing some of the issues raised about the original, most notably not destroying your controller quite as quickly.








Was this your Party or did it make you cry if you wanted to?

[Neon Ignition]

Game 44 - Mario Tennis
As Nintendo pushed out the Mario Artist tools for 64DD, the main console received another dose of spin-off treatment as Mario and friends turned their hands to Tennis. As well as heralding the introduction of WaLuigi, the game followed the exact model used for Mario Golf in providing a simplified experience accompanied by a Game Boy version with an RPG mode built in. The result was another win for the system.







A good or bad addition to the line up? The ball's in your court

[Neon Ignition]

Game 45 - Paper Mario
The Mario spin-offs just kept on coming with another that saw a reboot of the RPG approach to the IP now that Square was no longer involved. Using a turn based system, albeit a simplified one, the game uses a paper craft visual style making it visually distinct from the prior game but retaining the tongue in cheek humour. The resulting game was a hit that launched a myriad of follow ups.







Did you take to the reinterpretation of Mario in RPG form?

[Neon Ignition]

Longest run of well received successful entries no-one cares about continues!

Game 46 - Mario Party 3
Mario does many things but more than anything he parties, parties o hard that he just can't stop as the next entry rolled off the production line in double quick time with another 70 minigames. This entry added Daisy and Waluigi to the non-story modes and dual maps in an addition that scored only average reactions thanks to how iterative the series was quickly emerging to be.






Ain't no Party like a Mario Party?

[Asura]

Sonic Shuffle is the true Mario Party 3

[Neon Ignition]

Game 47 - Dr Mario 64
Whilst the GBA received a tweaked port of the second entry under the guise of Super Mario Advance, the next new game in the franchise came in the form of yet another N64 spin-off, this one a sequel to the earlier puzzle game. The game took the basis of the NES and Game Boy entries then updated them along with merging some characters from Wario Land 3. The game only scored middling reviews due to how little it altered the formula of the entries from two generations before.







Did this entry make you feel better?

[Neon Ignition]

I feel like this is the point where it's good timing, knowing there's plenty yet to come, to step in and say that when it comes to the many spin-offs that Nintendo releases for Mario on its systems they're.... very mediocre and carried by the IP. Don't get me wrong, they're competent and the gaming pages of history are littered with worse efforts but the combination of passing that bar and mixing in the liked characters feels like Nintendo isn't above shoveling out filler itself despite its anemic rate at giving you sequels to the stuff you do want. None of this sub-series are ones where I would consider them to actually be that great.

[Neon Ignition]

Game 48 - Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Fans waited five years and finally Mario Kart 3 arrived as the first handheld entry to grace gamers palms. Due to the systems power levels this entry harked back to the Mode 7 style era of the original game but with a visual upgrade and gameplay tweaks following nearly a decade that had passed between the two entries. Acclaimed on release and a huge hit for the system, it's now one of the less discussed entries in the Kart series.






Super?

[wakka]

I had a very quick burst on this recently for the first time in a very long time and it didn't quite grab me in the way I was hoping. I'm going to go back to it and play some more though, so I'm gonna have some more detailed impressions.

My memories of it from the time are that it was absolutely brilliant. Some real standout tracks, Sky Garden in particular (which I was so happy to see revived in MK8's DLC), and really precise, satisfying controls. A real fave for me on GBA when it was contemporary.

Used to play it quite a bit at the time with friends via the link cable, and the feature that allowed you to play with only a single cart was most welcome, if slightly limited. Was really cool how you could play with up to four with the multitap without needing loads of carts, in particular.

[Asura]

Loved Super Circuit. In particular, while it wasn't the first game to do it, I think it sold the "game-sharing" functionality of the GBA, which would be a big part of the DS library... Then dropped for the Switch leading to such ludicrous things as Nintendo supporting multi-system multiplayer in Super Mario Party but needing every system to have a copy of the game, ensuring a cool feature will have been played by about 7 people outside of Nintendo's office.

But I digress; Super Circuit was fantastic. It melded together some great elements from the original game and 64, and was amazing to see on a handheld at that time. It's a shame because I rarely go back to it, what with there being so many others and its primary focus, i.e. being a stand-out handheld game, being a bit passe now; but it really was quite special.

[Nu-Eclipse]

F-Zero Advance/Maximum Velocity did game sharing before MKSC did, and was arguably better at doing so.

I've said it before, will say it again and will keep on saying it: MKSC plays like an excellent blend of SMK & MK64. It's the game that MK64 probably wishes it was.

I'm just happy that it was part of the 3DS Ambassadors Programme.

[Neon Ignition]

I nabbed an import copy of Super Circuit from a local shop as soon as it was available. I enjoyed it but it never really made too much of an impression on me. The step back to 2D seemed to rob it of a sense of impact, nothing stands out in my mind despite the time spent on it back in the day.

[Neon Ignition]

Game 49 - Luigi's Mansion
A new Nintendo console meant a new Mario game and after the classic of the N64's launch anticipation was huge. But then Mansion made its appearance and the bubble burst. The game wasn't the platforming adventure fans had been waiting for for five years. Instead it was a visually lush ghost nabbing game with Luigi working his way through a haunted mansion to save his brother.






Located the key to your heart or just sucked?

[Neon Ignition]

It was kind of hard to side step the disappointment of not getting a 'true' Mario game back in the day which was unfair to LM but by god, the actual game might have been short but it was stunning and an absolute little gem. One of the very finest spin-offs Mario ever recieved.