It’s 2017, a año that will see the gaming industry change like never before, and our favorito! plumber is moving towards new horizons. Whether it is saving the princess, driving karts o taking part in fighting games, Mario has done it all; but most importantly, Mario is a character who was meant to last. más than just a video game character, Mario is a cultural icono and a symbol of what the gaming industry means to the world community.
One lingering pregunta in the minds of casual and diehard fans is whether Mario should change o not; and if so, why. Mario and his colorful supporting cast have adapted and changed to whatever circumstances the games place them in, but somehow they manage to stay recognizable to those who have followed them from the beginning. The main platformers are merely one way to see Mario and co., for there are RPGs, racing games, fighting games, tu name it. Each of them has their own interpretation of what the heroes and villains of the seta Kingdom are and represent.
For instance, the platformers see Mario as a cartoonish, whimsical protagonist who only serves as the player’s avatar to the game world, while Super Smash Bros. changes his personality to that of a cold, disinterested fighter, similar to what tu would see in an Old West movie. Even the sports games exaggerated his competitive side to shonen levels. On the other side of the morality spectrum, Bowser has been reinterpreted as a genuinely menacing villain, similar to Darth Vader; o a comedic Saturday morning cartoon villain who is not so bad once tu get to know him, o somewhere in-between.
If tu wanna get meta, Shigeru Miyamoto dicho that he keeps the narrative of the Mario games to a minimum as to not get in the way of fun, but the RPGs have deep, emotional storylines that showcase aspects of the series that remain untouched por the core games. Koji Kondo once dicho that he doesn’t see Mario as a kiddie character, and that his games are always cool adventures at heart.
One of the big advantages Mario has over his competitors is that he’s accessible. He’s not a stoic, emotionally conflicted soldier like the Master Chief o a teenager with attitude like Sonic; he’s whatever players want him to be. He’s an everyman, a character that represents the audience as a whole. When he wins, not only are we happy for him, we also get to keep some of that triumph for ourselves.
But that strength might also be a weakness. The fact that several developers have their own versions of the characters, instead of giving the series a single, unifying voice is something that has divided the fans for years now. Paper Mario: Sticker Star was criticized for being a typical Mario game, with only the paper aesthetic to distinguish it from the rest; even when the other Paper Mario have been opportunities to explore the Mario universe in ways the core games do not allow. Its sequel, Paper Mario: Color Splash, divided fans the same way, albeit to a lesser extent.
There will always be a challenge to make the Mario characters relatable to modern audiences, while keeping the consistent to their original concept. With each game, the Mario universe grows más varied and colorful and attracts más players to enjoy it. Mario and his friends are not in danger of losing their iconic status anytime soon, we honestly pray it never comes, but the people of nintendo must remain vigilant and keep their characters fresh and relatable to ensure that such a famous series remains a viable interest for future gamers.
With all dicho and done, the Mario series continues to this very día and we, as gamers, wouldn’t have it any other way!
One lingering pregunta in the minds of casual and diehard fans is whether Mario should change o not; and if so, why. Mario and his colorful supporting cast have adapted and changed to whatever circumstances the games place them in, but somehow they manage to stay recognizable to those who have followed them from the beginning. The main platformers are merely one way to see Mario and co., for there are RPGs, racing games, fighting games, tu name it. Each of them has their own interpretation of what the heroes and villains of the seta Kingdom are and represent.
For instance, the platformers see Mario as a cartoonish, whimsical protagonist who only serves as the player’s avatar to the game world, while Super Smash Bros. changes his personality to that of a cold, disinterested fighter, similar to what tu would see in an Old West movie. Even the sports games exaggerated his competitive side to shonen levels. On the other side of the morality spectrum, Bowser has been reinterpreted as a genuinely menacing villain, similar to Darth Vader; o a comedic Saturday morning cartoon villain who is not so bad once tu get to know him, o somewhere in-between.
If tu wanna get meta, Shigeru Miyamoto dicho that he keeps the narrative of the Mario games to a minimum as to not get in the way of fun, but the RPGs have deep, emotional storylines that showcase aspects of the series that remain untouched por the core games. Koji Kondo once dicho that he doesn’t see Mario as a kiddie character, and that his games are always cool adventures at heart.
One of the big advantages Mario has over his competitors is that he’s accessible. He’s not a stoic, emotionally conflicted soldier like the Master Chief o a teenager with attitude like Sonic; he’s whatever players want him to be. He’s an everyman, a character that represents the audience as a whole. When he wins, not only are we happy for him, we also get to keep some of that triumph for ourselves.
But that strength might also be a weakness. The fact that several developers have their own versions of the characters, instead of giving the series a single, unifying voice is something that has divided the fans for years now. Paper Mario: Sticker Star was criticized for being a typical Mario game, with only the paper aesthetic to distinguish it from the rest; even when the other Paper Mario have been opportunities to explore the Mario universe in ways the core games do not allow. Its sequel, Paper Mario: Color Splash, divided fans the same way, albeit to a lesser extent.
There will always be a challenge to make the Mario characters relatable to modern audiences, while keeping the consistent to their original concept. With each game, the Mario universe grows más varied and colorful and attracts más players to enjoy it. Mario and his friends are not in danger of losing their iconic status anytime soon, we honestly pray it never comes, but the people of nintendo must remain vigilant and keep their characters fresh and relatable to ensure that such a famous series remains a viable interest for future gamers.
With all dicho and done, the Mario series continues to this very día and we, as gamers, wouldn’t have it any other way!
