Mario vs. Donkey Kong on Switch is a remake of the 2004 Game Boy Advance game of the same name, itself a spiritual sequel to the Game Boy version of Donkey Kong (unofficially referred to as “Donkey Kong GB” or “Donkey Kong ’94”) from ten years prior. Mario vs. Donkey Kong utilized gameplay inspired by its Game Boy predecessor (and, in turn, Mario and Donkey Kong’s arcade origins) that lead to a sub-series of its own. Though the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series would gain numerous entries over time, the focus of the games would shift away from its iconic titular characters and onto the “Mini-Mario” toy characters found in the series (later entries would even trade the ‘vs‘ in the title for ‘and,’ further deviating from its origins). So a remake of the 2004 game seems to be a nice reset for the series, and the upgrade to the Nintendo Switch means the game looks and sounds far better than ever. Though fans of the original who were hoping for something a little more may be a little disappointed to know that this remake doesn’t feature a whole lot that the original GBA release didn’t already boast.
The core structure of the game remains the same: Mario still travels across levels that are comprised of two single-screen sections that combine puzzles and platforming. The first half of a stage requires Mario to get a hold of a key and take it to the door to the second half, in which Mario completes the stage by collecting a Mini-Mario toy (Donkey Kong wants a toy for himself, but being a gorilla who doesn’t know how consumerism works, has stolen the entire batch of toys).
Mario is equipped with a different set of acrobatics than normal. In addition to his regular jump, Mario can do a handstand which can lead into a higher jump, with an even higher jump able to be performed after that. Mario’s jump doesn’t hurt enemies here but he can pick up foes when standing on top of them Super Mario Bros. 2-style. Stages will usually feature red, blue and yellow switches, which will operate different mechanics depending on the level, with only one switch being active at a time. Three similarly colored presents are scattered about each stage as well, and players who want one-hundred percent completion will want to grab them all.
“He can handstand, when he needs to…”
The game now boasts eight worlds, as opposed to the original release’s six, with a new toy themed world 4 and ice themed world six joining the original building, jungle, volcano, haunted house, forest and city themed worlds. Each world consists of six standard levels and ends with a Mini-Mario level and a boss fight against DK himself. The Mini-Mario levels change up the structure, with Mario needing to guide the Mini-Marios collected from that world’s previous stages safely to a toybox. Depending on how many Mini-Marios make it to the toybox, Mario will have more health in the boss battle (up to six hit points).
“Kazooie? Is that you?!”
Although the mechanics of the game harken back to the simplistic arcade days of Mario and Donkey Kong’s beginnings, the variety of ideas Nintendo came up with for the puzzles keeps things fresh and interesting throughout. And once all eight worlds have been completed, a second, more difficult campaign opens up in which each world has six new levels which once again mix things up (these stages ditch the two-part levels in favor of singular stages in which Mario has to solve the puzzles with the aid of a single Mini-Mario, who now holds the key to the levels’ exits). It’s a unique idea to fundamentally change how the game works midway through, but it ultimately pays off in giving the game more variety and an overall more fun experience. If only more games would take such a risk.
“The game’s ‘second campaign’ – in which Mario guides a Mini-Mario toy to the exit – brings out the game’s best puzzles.”
The game has, of course, never looked better. The vibrant, cartoony look of the characters and stages look beautiful on the Switch. And the soundtrack, re-recorded with real instruments, is a delight (the game even has the option to listen to its soundtrack right out of the gate, no unlocking required). The Switch may be getting on a bit in years, but you’d never know it based on Mario vs. Donkey Kong.
Aside from the audiovisual overhaul and two additional worlds, another welcome addition to the remake comes in the form of a two-player option, with a second player joining in as Toad. A new ‘casual’ option eliminates the time limit for stages, for those wanting to play the game more leisurely. Though these additions are all welcome (especially the new levels), they may not be enough for those who were hoping for a little more out of the game. Mario vs. Donkey Kong always had a lot of content for a Game Boy Advance title, but for a Nintendo Switch game, you can’t help but feel a few more bells and whistles could have been added.
It’s also worth pointing out that, despite featuring sixteen worlds between the game’s two campaigns, Mario vs. Donkey Kong is still over pretty quickly. While there’s nothing wrong with shorter games (in fact, they can feel like a blessing in this day and age when so many games feel padded to high heaven), the fact that the game doesn’t really get challenging until the last couple of worlds in the second campaign means you’ll breeze through the majority of it. Again, a short and easy game is no unforgiveable sin, but there’s something about this Switch upgrade of Mario vs. Donkey Kong that leaves you wanting more out of it. It’s a loving recreation of a cult favorite GBA title, and a fitting return to form for the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, but it still doesn’t feel much bigger than the GBA original. Considering Mario vs. Donkey Kong is now a fully priced Switch release, this stings all the more.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong remains a competent and engaging puzzle-platformer that pays homage to the roots of Nintendo’s original hero and villain. It’s the kind of game that’s best enjoyed in small bursts. Though that very nature may have made it ideal for the GBA, it still serves as a fun ‘secondary’ Mario title on the Nintendo Switch.
Today, February 13th 2024, marks the ten-year anniversary of the release of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze on the Wii U in Japan. Ten years later, and it’s still one of Nintendo’s greatest achievements, one of the best platformers of all time, the best Wii U game, and one of my all-time favorites. It’s also probably the most underrated Nintendo game ever made.
I was elated at E3 2013 when it was announced that Retro Studios were working on a second Donkey Kong Country game. Donkey Kong Country Returns was a brilliant, well, return for the DKC series. Donkey Kong Country has always had a strong place in my heart, and Retro Studios proved they could handle the series just as well as Rare did back in the 1990s. A second DKC from Retro Studios was something I wasn’t expecting but couldn’t have been happier with. Too bad I was in the minority at the time, as most people were upset that Retro Studios wasn’t working on another Metroid game (despite having made three already by that point) or a new Star Fox (which was just a baseless rumor anyway). So yes, the ‘controversy’ around Tropical Freeze could be summed up as “it wasn’t Metroid.” That has to be the dumbest video game controversy of all time (okay, maybe the “Bayonetta dresses differently in Bayonetta 2 so is she even Bayonetta anymore?” controversy is probably a little more dumb). Though going back to 2013, the most recent Metroid game was Other M, one of the worst Nintendo games of all time. Between that or more of what Donkey Kong Country Returns gave us, well, it was a no brainer which one I wanted to see more of.
This non-troversy got so bad that at least one reviewer on a “professional” gaming site gave Tropical Freeze a mixed-to-negative review, seemingly still throwing a tantrum that the game wasn’t Metroid (thankfully, this same site would rectify the sin of this reviewer when Tropical Freeze was re-released on the Switch in 2018, giving it a much more glowing review). Suffice to say, this backlash, combined with the fact the game was released on the ill-fated Wii U, did not work in Tropical Freeze’s favor.
Well, it was their loss. Because Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze surpassed Returns in every way, becoming one of the best platformers of all time in the process. The level design is god-tier, the additional characters in Dixie and Cranky add a new layer to the gameplay, the bosses are among the best in genre history, it was the toughest Nintendo game in decades, and David Wise – the composer of the original SNES DKC trilogy – returned to score a soundtrack that sits comfortably alongside the first two entries in the series as an all-time great. If Returns proved Retro Studios could handle Donkey Kong Country, then Tropical Freeze proved that they’d mastered the series.
On the downside, we haven’t had a new Donkey Kong game since Tropical Freeze. In these past ten years, Tropical Freeze was ported over to the Nintendo Switch, but no follow-ups (or even spinoffs) to Retro Studio’s Donkey Kong series have been released. There have been on-and-off rumors for years now that the team behind Super Mario Odyssey were making a brand new 3D platformer in the Donkey Kong series, but rumors are all they’ve been. A 3D platformer from the team behind Odyssey is a very promising prospect, but I still think another sidescrolling Donkey Kong Country is overdue at this point. After all, the classic DKC series was comprised of a trilogy on the SNES. It seems fitting that Retro Studio’s take on the series get the same treatment (unlikely at this time, seeing as Retro is working on Metroid Prime 4. We’ve come full circle). Though after ten years, us Donkey Kong fans would just like something.
On the upside, Tropical Freeze’s re-release on the Nintendo Switch helped the game finally get (at least some of) the recognition it always deserved. The tepid praise Tropical Freeze received during its initial Wii U run was now a thing of the past. With the wave of “it’s not Metroid” being long past in the rearview mirror, players and critics could now view Tropical Freeze for being what it is. And what it is is one hell of a platformer.
Since its release in February 2014 (the 13th in Japan, 21st in America and Europe, and 22nd in Australia), I don’t think there’s been a 2d/side-scrolling platformer that’s been as good since (Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Sonic Mania probably come the closest). And I think Tropical Freeze was the best 2D/side-scrolling platformer since, well, Donkey Kong Country 2 was released nearly nineteen years beforehand. Tropical Freeze is that good.
If I may even say something a tad controversial, I would go so far as to say Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze is the best game Nintendo has made outside of some of the 3D Mario games (and the Super Mario RPG remake) of the past couple of decades (yes, that includes Zelda). It’s just a perfectly put together video game. The real question is why didn’t I score it a 10/10 in my reviews for either the Wii U or Switch version? It, alongside Bloodborne, are probably the two games I could have given a perfect score but for some (stupid) reason didn’t. Perhaps I will go back and up those scores someday, or perhaps I’ll leave the scores as is, to show that we all make mistakes (and that you shouldn’t put all-importance on the little number at the end of a review. My constant gushing over Tropical Freeze says more than any number ever could).
At any rate, while we wait with bated breath for Nintendo to announce a new Donkey Kong game (whether DKC or otherwise), let’s all take time to reflect on a decade of one of Nintendo’s unsung masterpieces.
Happy tenth anniversary, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze!
Well damn. It’s now time to really feel old, because Mario Party on the Nintendo 64 and, by extension, the entire Mario Party series, turns twenty-five years old today.*
*Based on its US release. I missed acknowledging its Japanese anniversary in December so shoosh!
It was on February 8th 1999 that players first delved into the ‘party’ aspect of the Mushroom Kingdom. Up to four players could compete to get the most stars and coins across various board games and 50 different mini-games. It was a whole lot of fun… Except when your best friend landed on Chance Time and stole all your stars, after all your hard work and blistered palms HOW COULD THEY DO THIS?!
*Ahem!*
Yes, Mario Party, for all its lighthearted fun, has also been humorously dubbed Nintendo’s ‘friendship killer’ due to how it encourages players to mess with each other’s progress, as well as its chance-based elements. But hey, that’s part of the fun.
“Boy, I miss these promotional CG N64 renders…”
Mario Party kickstarted one of the most prolific sub-series within the Mario franchise. The N64 alone saw two sequels, before the GameCube ran wild with the series, the Wii experimented with it, and the series made its way to handhelds. Mario Party is still going strong today, with two entries on the Nintendo Switch (with Mario Party Superstars in particular, taking the series back to glorious basics). You can even play the original N64 entries via Switch’s online service, and relive the fun and frustration all over again.
With the exception of the primary Mario platformers and Mario Kart, Mario Party has perhaps grown a richer history than any other sub-series in the franchise. And it all started on the Nintendo 64, twenty-five years ago today! Wahoo!
Mario has always been gaming’s renaissance man. Whereas most video game series fit into a particular genre and stick with it, Mario has been the vessel with which Nintendo stretches their creative muscle. Not only are the core Mario platformers ever evolving with their ideas, but Mario and his world have found their way into pretty much every genre the medium has to offer. Mario Kart is the most famous of Mario spinoffs, but the mustachioed hero has also found his way into puzzle games, party games, and virtually every sport under the sun. Mario’s versatility was put to its biggest test on the Super Nintendo way back in 1996, however, with the release of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
At the time, the story-driven, dialogue-heavy RPG genre seemed as far removed from the instantaneous fun of the Super Mario series as you could get. But Nintendo and Squaresoft (now Square-Enix) made the oddball combination work. And work beautifully.
Though initially conceived as a more traditional RPG in both gameplay and setting by Square (Mario was originally to ride a horse and use a sword), Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto was intrigued by the concept of the game, but not the direction, and took matters into his own hands as a creative consultant to find a balance between making the game more Mario-esque, while simultaneously making it unlike any Mario game that had come before (or since). The end result is a game that subverted both the RPG genre and the Mario series, and even toyed with gaming conventions themselves. A humorous story filled with oddball characters (even by Mario standards) and completed with an interactive battle system, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars proved to be one of the brightest highlights in a series that has never had a shortage of highlights.
Sadly, despite winning critical acclaim and becoming one of the most beloved Mario games and RPGs of all time, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars proved to be a one and done. With Square and Nintendo going their separate ways shortly after the release of Super Mario RPG, everything that the game brought to the Mario series seemed locked in that moment in time, never to be revisited. Though the game’s DNA can be felt in its spiritual successors Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi (and the many indie RPGs it inspired, such as Undertale), Super Mario RPG is one of the exceedingly rare Mario games to never get a sequel. And with Square bizarrely getting the rights to the unique characters and elements Super Mario RPG brought into the Mario universe, they seemed destined to obscurity. Fans have begged Nintendo to include the character “Geno” in Super Smash Bros. for two decades now, only for their wishes to go ignored by willingly deaf ears.
After twenty-seven years and repeated disappointments, fans of the beloved RPG had understandably given up hope that Nintendo and Square would ever remember Super Mario RPG. That is until that fateful morning in June 2023, when during a Nintendo Direct, Nintendo revealed a full-blown remake of Super Mario RPG for the Nintendo Switch, an announcement that brought many fans to tears (myself very much included). Released on November 17th 2023, the Super Mario RPG remake proved to be everything fans could’ve hoped for and more. It’s the same Super Mario RPG we know and love (sans the “Legend of the Seven Stars” subtitle), only it looks and sounds better than ever, and even includes a few meaningful gameplay additions and tweaks to make this classic feel even more timeless.
The story begins the same as it always does, with Bowser absconding with Princess Peach, and Mario setting out to rescue her. Mario immediately finds himself in Bowser’s Castle (referred to here as “Bowser’s Keep”), instantly letting the player know something is different. Just as Mario defeats Bowser and is about to rescue the princess, a massive sword descends from the sky and plunges into Bowser’s Keep, resulting in a tremendous earthquake that sends the trio of Mario, Bowser and Peach into different regions of the Mushroom Kingdom.
It turns out the giant sword is “Exor,” a servant of an evil blacksmith from another world named “Smithy.” The Smithy gang – an assortment of anthropomorphic weapons created by Smithy – plan to take over Mario’s world. After the Smithy Gang take over the castle and Bowser’s army, Exor destroys the path to Bowser’s Keep, meaning Mario will have to journey across the world to find entry into the castle. Things are even more dire than Mario realizes, however, as during its descent into Mario’s world, Exor slashed through the Star Road, shattering it into seven Star Pieces. The Star Road, it turns out, is where people’s wishes go in order to be granted. With the Star Road broken, people’s wishes can’t come true.
Luckily for Mario, he won’t be alone, as he gains four valuable allies during his adventure. Princess Peach and even Bowser himself join Mario’s team, alongside two characters unique to Super Mario RPG: Mallow and Geno. Mallow is a cute and fluffy fellow who believes himself to be a frog. He possesses powerful weather-based magic and wants to become brave like Mario. Geno is an otherworldly being on a mission to repair the Star Road, taking possession of the body of a doll which makes him something of a cross between Gandalf and Buzz Lightyear. So Mario and his friends (and Bowser) go on an adventure to recover the seven Star Pieces in order to repair Star Road so people’s wishes can come true, before the Smithy Gang can get control of them to make Smithy’s dark desires a reality.
Super Mario RPG was the first story-heavy Mario game, and appropriately, it’s as charming as video game stories get. Though Mario is his usual, silent protagonist self, the game brings out so much personality (and humor) from its characters, both new and returning. Princess Peach wants to prove herself a hero, tired of being in the damsel-in-distress role. Bowser’s personality as a self-conscious, insecure bully (depicted heavily in The Super Mario Bros. Movie) was first developed here. Mallow is the sensitive kid who wants to prove he’s not a crybaby. And Geno is the sagely mentor guiding everyone through the journey. Along the way, you’ll encounter a parade of quirky characters both good and evil, from wise old frogs to would-be gangster crocodiles to a hairy, beetle-obsessed manchild named Booster. Even the Smithy Gang are mostly a bunch of weirdos. For the first time ever, Super Mario RPG gave players a peak behind the curtain of the Mushroom Kingdom and gave gaming’s best series a fairytale story to go with it.
Of course, when it comes to old school, turn-based RPGs, the genre was mainly comprised of two halves: the story, and the battle system. And much like Super Mario RPG injected a unique dose of personality and humor into its story, it similarly subverted the traditional RPG battle system with Action Commands, one of gaming’s more subtle innovations which brought the RPG genre up to pace with the action of the Super Mario series.
Preparing your characters for battle is much simpler than most RPGs. Instead of a host of equipment to keep track of, each character simply has a weapon (for attack), armor (for defense) and an accessory (which grant various bonuses). Each character has hit points, while they share a collective pool of “Flower Points” (used for special attacks). Gain enough experience points and you level up, where players can further boost a character’s hit points, physical attack and defense, or magic attack and defense (now accompanied by the best victory screen in gaming). It’s a simple format that hides a lot of depth.
While typical RPGs of the 90s saw players simply select moves and items from a menu and watch the action play out, Super Mario RPG made its battle system more interactive through Action Commands, timed button presses that, if performed correctly, make Mario and friends’ attacks stronger and reduce the damage inflicted by enemies when on the defensive. Most attacks see the player time a button press just before making a hit, while others may involve button-mashing, twirling the control stick, or holding a button and letting go at the right second. It may sound like a small bit of interactivity injected into the genre, but it ultimately made a world of difference in making Super Mario RPG more fun (and timeless) to its contemporaries.
The battle system has even been improved in this Nintendo Switch remake with a few new mechanics added into the mix. Notably, performing an Action Command correctly will cause splash damage to the other enemies on the battlefield, in addition to building up a new meter. When filled, this meter allows the player to perform brand new Triple Moves, a kind of super attack that changes depending on which three party members the player is currently using (complete with cinematic flair). These new inclusions add a whole new layer to the battle system, making it even more fun than ever before.
“Mario, Peach and Geno’s Triple Move protects each member of the party from the next attack, no matter how powerful.”
Another seemingly small (but actually quite big) change comes in the ability to swap party members mid-fight. Though you can still only use three of the five characters at a given time, and Mario must always be present as in the original, you can now swap the other two party members out at any time. This is a very important change that means the player can now alter battle strategies as necessary, instead of being locked into the team you went into battle with.
Other, smaller changes have been made, such as each party member providing a passive bonus when in the active team (Mallow provides a boost to magic attacks, while Bowser increases physical defense, and so on). The battle system of the Super Mario RPG remake should be seen as a perfect example of how to update a classic, while still retaining what made it special to begin with. The same could be said for the game as a whole, as everything fans loved about the original is still intact, but with those little added bits and pieces to make things a little more accessible to modern audiences. Players can now revisit previous locations via the pause menu instead of having to backtrack an area and traversing the world map. Players can hold more items, and there’s even a storage box present for excess items. And now there are clearer visual cues for when to perform Action Commands. Things of that nature.
Additional changes are simply done for the love of the game, such as the inclusion of an in-game journal (where Mallow and Geno log the events of their adventure) and a monster list that includes every monster Mario and company encounter, complete with their statistics, animations and ever-humorous descriptions. Additions such as these weren’t necessary, but infinitely appreciated. They’re a gift to the fans.
Another element that set Super Mario RPG apart from other RPGs of its day were the barrage of mini-games featured in the adventure. While RPGs often have sidequests, they tended to feature more of the same gameplay, but Super Mario RPG is constantly throwing fun mini-games the player’s way, each of which changing up the gameplay throughout Mario’s quest. The infamous Yoshi racing mini-game makes a return (now with those aforementioned visual cues to ease things a bit), the mine kart ride, composing music with tadpoles, and the trip through a river which looks like something out of Disneyland are all left beautifully intact. The best Mario games are the ones that are constantly introducing fun ideas up to the very end, and the transition to the RPG genre didn’t get in the way of that mentality. Super Mario RPG remains one of the most varied Mario games of all time. It’s as much a variety show as it is an RPG masterpiece.
The game has, naturally, been rebuilt from the ground-up. Though everything remains in place from where it was back in 1996, the game looks beautifully up-to-date for the Nintendo Switch. The isometric overworld and its locales are still as dreamlike as ever, but now with modernized graphics, a wider range of color, and some truly stunning lighting. You’d never know Super Mario RPG were a remake just from looking at it. It’s one of the best-looking games on the Nintendo Switch. It’s a gorgeous game.
One of the most iconic elements of Super Mario RPG has always been its musical score, composed by Yoko Shimomura (composer of Street Fighter II and Kingdom Hearts, among others). The soundtrack has always been one of the most beloved in not just the Mario series, but in gaming as a whole (personally, I may place it second of all time, behind only Donkey Kong Country 2’s soundtrack). Much like the visuals, the music of Super Mario RPG has been made anew. All the iconic themes are still intact, only now with the advantage of a full orchestra and big band instruments. From the merry music of the Mushroom Kingdom to the dastardly themes of the Smithy Gang and everything in between, the soundtrack to Super Mario RPG soars even higher than ever. It’s Yoko Shimomura’s best work, made even better. And if you happen to be feeling nostalgic for all the tunes in their original form, players have the option of switching to the classic soundtrack at any time. It’s a win/win.
“A-Aurora borealis?! At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the Mushroom Kingdom, localized entirely in Belome’s Temple?!”
Another fun little detail is that, while the graphics and music have been updated, the majority of sound effects are the same as they were on the Super Nintendo (Bowser’s laugh and Yoshi’s more modern sounds are the exceptions). Super Mario RPG was always one of those games with sound effects that were distinct to itself, and something would have felt off if they were changed here. So to have the classic sound effects alongside modernized visuals and music was a perfect way to blend the old alongside the new.
This is everything a remake of a classic should be. Super Mario RPG on Nintendo Switch is the same game we all know and love, but it has never looked, sounded or played better. It’s one of the most legendary Mario games and RPGs brought to a whole new level (there’s even a host of post-game bosses, new to the remake, waiting for those who complete the main adventure). It’s somehow both a remake of the original game, and a love letter to it.
Super Mario RPG on Nintendo Switch feels like a dream. The one Mario game we thought would never really be acknowledged again, brought back in full force. It felt like such an impossibility for so long, that it often felt surreal simply playing through it. It’s a pitch perfect remake of one of Nintendo’s all-time greatest achievements. Aside from a few name changes to a handful of characters and items, it’s the same beautifully weird and timeless adventure we’ve always loved. Twenty-seven years later, it’s still gaming’s greatest fairy tale, one of the funniest and most charming video games ever made, and the closest thing to playing a Disney movie. Now maybe Nintendo and Square can finally get to work on a sequel! Okay, one miracle at a time…
It may no longer boast the subtitle of “Legend of the Seven Stars.” But Super Mario RPG on the Nintendo Switch is still, quite simply, a legend.
I’m old! Super Mario 3D World was released on the Wii U in Japan ten years ago today, with its US release happening the day after. So I suppose November 21st and 22nd are like “Super Mario 3D World Day(s).”
Although the Wii U always had an uphill battle it never could get out of, Super Mario 3D World was one of the system’s undeniable success stories. A continuation of the gameplay introduced on the 3DS’s Super Mario 3D Land, 3D World bettered its predecessor in virtually every way. Princess Peach and Toad (and an unlockable Rosalina) joined Mario and Luigi this time around in a four-player adventure. Each character boasted their unique abilities from Super Mario Bros. 2 (and in Rosalina’s case, Mario’s abilities from Super Mario Galaxy), as they traversed levels that combined the feeling of 2D Mario levels in a 3D space. Along the way, they collected power-ups old and new, like the returning Fire Flower and Tanooki Suit, and the debuting Double Cherry (which created clones of whatever character grabbed it, and to date is the only Mario power-up that stacked with others), and the Cat Suit, which quickly became one of the most iconic Mario power-ups (even appearing in 2023’s Super Mario Bros. Movie).
I remember when the game was announced at E3 2013, many fans were left feeling a little disappointed that Super Mario 3D World was a continuation of 3D Land, as opposed to a third Super Mario Galaxy or the next step in the series’ evolution. While 3D World may not have been the most ambitious Mario game (Super Mario Odyssey would fill that “next step” role four years later), I think any and all reservations people had about it disappeared as soon as they picked up a controller (or Wii U Gamepad, as it were). Super Mario 3D World was and is one of the most purely fun and replayable games ever made (not to mention it featured the most gloriously liberal use of a saxophone in any video game soundtrack). Perhaps it wasn’t a revolution like 64 or an innovation like Galaxy, but not every Mario game has to rewrite the rules (though perhaps the series’ incredibly high standards have spoiled us to such expectations).
In 2021, Super Mario 3D World was re-released on the Nintendo Switch, this time bundled with a brand new game, Bowser’s Fury, which re-used 3D World’s assets. It was a fun experiment (and so far the closest thing we’ve had to a new 3D Mario game since Odyssey), but 3D World was still the main event. And now it even included online play!
While we wait with bated breath for whatever follows up Super Mario Odyssey, I think it’s also good to revisit the “smaller” Mario adventure that is Super Mario 3D World. Even if it’s for the one-hundredth time.
Happy tenth anniversary, Super Mario 3D World!
But wait, that’s not the only Nintendo anniversary today. November 21st also marks the anniversary of the Japanese release of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and with it, Super Mario World! Both the SNES and Super Mario World celebrate their thirty-third anniversary today, but they share their birthday with two other SNES classics: Donkey Kong Country (released November 21st, 1994 in North America) and Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest (released November 21st, 1995 in Japan). Because of these anniversaries, I like to think of November 21st as Super Nintendo Day! Man, that console was the gift that kept on giving!
Happy Super Nintendo Day 2023!
…But wait, we’re not done yet!
Today also marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 64 (based on its Japanese release)! The first-ever 3D title in the Legend of Zelda series, Ocarina of Time brought the world of Hyrule to life like never before. A grand adventure bigger than any seen before at the time, and topped off with sidequests and mini-games up the wazoo! Ocarina of Time also holds the (oddly specific) distinction of being the first time a non-music themed game featured music as a gameplay mechanic. At any rate, Ocarina of Time remains a classic, and is frequently cited as one of the best games of all time. Plus, it’s always nice to revisit the days when the Legend of Zelda series had a personality.
Happy twenty-fifth anniversary, Ocarina of Time!
…But wait, we’re STILL not done yet. Today also marks the thirteenth anniversary of the release of Donkey Kong Country Returns on the Nintendo Wii. That’s right, when Retro Studios took the reigns of the DKC series and revived it with Returns, they released it on the sixteenth anniversary of the original Donkey Kong Country (and by extension, the fifteenth anniversary of the second… man, DKC3 always missed the boat with these things). Donkey Kong Country Returns is a perfect example how to revive a dormant series. It took everything about the original DKC, and cranked it up to 11 with some of the best level design ever seen in a platformer. And yes, Donkey Kong Country Returns is approaching the age the original Donkey Kong Country was when Returns was released. I am so old…
Happy thirteenth anniversary, Donkey Kong Country Returns!
Also, a fun bit of trivia many may have forgotten, today would have been the tenth anniversary of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze as well, as it was supposed to launch on the hallowed date of November 21st in 2013. But, to ensure the game was the best it could be, it was ultimately delayed until February of 2014. While it would have been fun to have Tropical Freeze join in on these festivities, the delay was for the best, seeing as Tropical Freeze is the best 2D platformer of the past few decades (Super Mario Bros. Wonder comes close).
I think that’s it for the Nintendo-based anniversaries today. Oh, who am I kidding? I know there have to be other Nintendo games that were released on this date. But I feel I’ve rambled more than enough for one celebratory post. So I’ll just tip my metaphorical hat and once again wish all these games (and console) a happy anniversary!
Happy anniversary to all of y’all!
“Yes, I am aware of the irony of ending this post with a picture from DKC: Tropical Freeze despite just emphasizing that it isn’t among the games with an anniversary today. So there’s no need to point that out.”
The newest Mario platformer, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, has finally been released on Nintendo Switch. To the surprise of no one, it’s rather wonderful.
Announced back in the June Nintendo Direct, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the first 2D Mario platformer since New Super Mario Bros. U was released on the Wii U eleven years ago. That’s just as long of a draught as there was between Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island on the SNES and New Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo DS. Suffice to say, we’ve been starved of a 2D Mario for quite a while (for that matter, we’ve been starved of a 3D Mario for quite some time now as well). Even more so, Wonder is the first 2D Mario game since the aforementioned Yoshi’s Island that isn’t part of the “New Super Mario Bros.” sub-series. With all due respect to the NSMB games (NSMBU was actually pretty good), the departure is for the best, since that particular sub-series relied more on nostalgia than it did new ideas.
That’s exactly where Wonder really sets itself apart from past 2D Mario games. The new elephant power-up has been widely advertised, and joining it are new bubble and drill-themed power-ups, as well as the mainstay Fire Flower. But the power-ups really are just the tip of the iceberg. What really makes Super Mario Bros. Wonder feel special is just how unique and different every stage is from the one that came before it, and how each one adds a new spin to the classic Mario gameplay.
This is the most creatively robust a 2D Mario game has felt since Yoshi’s Island (I feel I’ll be making that comparison a lot). Each stage brings a new idea to the table, whether big (like making the player jump to the rhythm of the background music in order to progress) to small (being able to push a pipe to find a secret exit). On top of that are the ‘Wonder Flowers’ included in each stage, which basically flip the rules of Mario games on their head once activated.
I’ve currently conquered three of the game’s seven worlds and have had an absolute blast with every minute of it. I also enjoy that the time limit for stages has been ditched this time around. That may not sit well with some speedrunners, but as someone who has always enjoyed the absent of a time limit in games like Donkey Kong Country or Yoshi’s Island (there it is again), I find it a welcoming change of pace for a 2D Mario title.
I even feel like this is the most challenging Mario game in quite some time. I haven’t even beat the game yet, and I’ve found some levels to be as tough as the post-game stages of other Mario games. Another highlight is the Dark Souls-esque online play, where you don’t directly interact with other players, but can still leave each other power-ups or help revive each other when on the brink of defeat. I have a particular fondness for the stages that work like mini-puzzles filled with invisible blocks, that basically beg you to play online to see how other players’ shadows are progressing.
If I have any complaint with Super Mario Bros. Wonder so far, it’s that I’m getting the impression the world bosses are going to be kind of repetitive. The boss fights for the first two world were both Bowser Jr., and although the fights themselves changed things up a bit, they didn’t change so much to make me ignore the fact that both fights were against the same villain. The third world, disappointingly, didn’t even feature a boss fight. And in the two airship levels I’ve done so far, they’ve been capped off with what can best be described as a ‘kinda/sorta boss’ against a mechanical Bowser head at the end of a conveyor belt. And all you have to do there is get to the switch at the end and hit it once. This is ultimately a small complaint, and who knows, maybe the more I delve into the game, the more the bosses will surprise me. But for a game that feels so creative and playful in nearly all its aspects, it’s a shame that the boss battles have so far felt pretty conservative.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder has been an utter joy so far, and I can’t wait to see what else it has in store. The gameplay is as fun as ever, and the level design is some of the best the series has ever seen. If Wonder keeps me this enthusiastic the whole way through, I might even say it’s one of the best Mario games ever. It’s a real delight. Or should I say, a real wonder?
A surprise announcement during the September 14th Nintendo Direct and released later that same day for free to those who subscribe to the Nintendo Switch Online service, F-Zero 99 is the latest installment in the trend of battle royale remakes of classic games, following in the footsteps of Tetris 99, Pac-Man 99 and the short-lived Super Mario Bros. 35 (seriously, why was that a limited time thing?!). F-Zero 99 takes the original SNES entry of the series, and as the title suggests, boosts the player count to ninety-nine. As if F-Zero wasn’t hectic enough already.
The downside to the game using the original F-Zero as its basis is that it means players are stuck with only the four vehicles from the original game to choose from (though new color schemes, as well as player icons, can be unlocked by leveling up and completing certain challenges). But when the races get going, you may not care all that much about the limited options, because the core gameplay is as fast-paced and tense as ever (although the graphics are still 16-bit, the fact that the game is on Switch means it can move at a speed more reminiscent of the later F-Zero titles).
The object of any given race is, of course, to try and get first place. Much easier said than done, when you have so much competition. But placing in any respectable position will earn you some good experience points to level up, rank up, and win tickets (which are used for entry into Grand Prix modes).
Players are given an energy meter, which serves as both health, and power for utilizing a boost. So you’ll want to use your boosts sparingly as to not sacrifice too much health, because crashing into walls and other players will also deplete your energy, and if you run out, it’s game over. You can refill some of your energy by driving through a pit zone, of which there’s only one per track. Players can also use a rechargeable spin attack on other players, so that only their energy is affected by contact. Though with the spin attack having a notable cool down time, you can’t rely on it too heavily.
A new addition to F-Zero 99 are Super Sparks, golden orbs reminiscent of Pac-Man pellets that fly out of players when they collide with each other or walls. By collecting Super Sparks you can fill up a meter that, when full, allows you to traverse the ‘Skyway’ for a short time. The Skyway serves as road above the road that features no walls to crash into and boosts the players’ speed, giving anyone who activates it a good advantage against those stuck on the ground.
As races progress, the vehicles in lower positions will automatically be eliminated from the race, and replaced with NPC bumper cars, adding another obstacle. Additionally, starting with the second lap (there are four laps per race) a golden vehicle will appear on the track, which will reward players who bump into it with considerable Super Sparks.
The primary mode of the game, which shares its name with the game itself, is just a singular race against the other ninety-eight players. There is also a practice mode for you to hone your skills, and a few modes that are in a constant rotation. These rotating modes consist of the aforementioned Grand Prix, which sees players race in a series of five races, with a depleting field and tougher tracks with each subsequent race. The Mini Prix is a similar concept, but only three races, and it will only cost one in-game ticket to join, as opposed to the Grand Prix’s three. The players’ performances in the “prix modes” will determine their weekly rankings online. Additionally, there are team modes and races solely dedicated to the tougher stages on rotation. These modes will get you experience points and tickets faster than the standard race, but they won’t affect your placement in weekly rankings.
F-Zero 99 may not be the brand new, glossy sequel fans have been hoping for, but it is an engaging and addicting return for the series. It is kind of a bummer that there aren’t more vehicles, modes and tracks (especially the latter two, since most of the modes are rotating, and a number of stages are locked into the Grand Prix and Pro Track modes) but seeing as we’ve all been starved of F-Zero for nearly two decades, I think these are small prices to pay. F-Zero 99 is one of the best classics-turned-battle royale yet. And who knows, it may just open the door for a new beginning to Nintendo’s overlooked racer.
I don’t know if Hell froze over or what, but we’re now living in a time where Nintendo has realized the obvious: people love Mario RPGs!
After years and years of Nintendo watering down and stripping away the RPG elements of the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi series, the two most acclaimed Mario RPGs are now officially heading to Nintendo Switch in the form of full-blown remakes! The remake of Super Mario RPG was revealed back in June, and is still scheduled to be released on November 17th of this year. And as of this morning’s Nintendo Direct, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door will be getting a remake of its own, releasing sometime in 2024.
Originally released in 2004 on the Nintendo GameCube, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door was the sequel to the N64’s Paper Mario. Though the original remains beloved, the GameCube sequel is widely considered the high point of the Paper Mario series and has carved a legacy among the Mario RPGs that’s solely surpassed by Super Mario RPG itself.
The Thousand-Year Door was, in many ways, an ideal sequel. It took the same storytelling, personality, humor and battle system of the N64’s Paper Mario, and expanded on each of these elements, while adding in a variety of its own charms. I mean, what other Nintendo game has an entire chapter dedicated to professional wrestling?
Perhaps one reason why The Thousand-Year Door has only grown in reverence over the years is because it was the last time Paper Mario really was Paper Mario. Despite the series beginning life as a spiritual successor to Super Mario RPG, only the first two entries really lived up to that status. The Thousand-Year Door’s follow-up, the Wii’s Super Paper Mario, ditched turn-based battles in favor of side-scrolling platforming with light RPG elements (a bit of an odd shift, seeing as the main Mario series are already platformers. Had it been a Metroidvania maybe the shift would have made more sense). But at least it still had an RPG-style story. Though with that said, Super Paper Mario had exceedingly more dialogue than the previous two Paper Marios, which really slowed down the platforming gameplay. So yeah, it was an odd mix.
After that is when things really went downhill. The Nintendo 3DS’s Paper Mario: Sticker Star remains the nadir for Mario RPG enthusiasts (myself included). Though it promised to bring back turn-based battles, they were little more than a facade, as they bizarrely required consumable items for Mario to do anything, and the only rewards for battles were more consumable items or coins…which are used to purchase more consumable items. It’s rare that Nintendo makes game design choices that make so little sense, but I still can’t wrap my head around what Sticker Star was trying to achieve. Oh yeah, and the game had no story to speak of, no partners joining Mario’s side, and Bowser had no dialogue to speak of. I’m pretty sure that constitutes a sin.
Worse still, Nintendo doubled down on Sticker Star’s direction going forward, with Nintendo seemingly believing that the appeal of Paper Mario was simply the paper aesthetic and not, you know, the RPG gameplay! Paper Mario: Color Splash on Wii U was more of the same (albeit maybe slightly more enjoyable), and Paper Mario: The Origami King on Switch had another pointless battle system that was meant to appeal more to younger players, but was far more convoluted, thus rendering the change even more pointless (children seem to enjoy the RPG elements of Pokemon, raising further questions as to what Nintendo was thinking here). And all this before I even mention that from Sticker Star onwards, any and all unique characters and NPCs were replaced with generic Toads. An endless barrage of generic Toads indistinguishable from one another. If I wanted to play an RPG with indistinguishable character designs, I’d play Fire Emblem!
Sure, between Super Paper Mario and Sticker Star there was the excellent Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, but that was the last time that particular sub-series was excellent, as it to became watered down by it’s next entry, before its final original entry, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam (a crossover with Paper Mario) suffered the same fate as the Paper Mario series it was crossing over with.
By that point, Mario RPG fans basically lost hope, as it sounded like their (very vocal and enthusiastic) passion for all things Mario RPG were falling on deaf ears.
Well, it may have taken a hell of a long time, but it seems Nintendo finally listened! The Mario RPG renaissance is upon us! With Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door joining Super Mario RPG with a Switch remake, fans new and returning can finally feast! And who knows, maybe these will even lead to a new Paper Mario in the style of the first two, and perhaps even Super Mario RPG might get that long-deserved sequel of its own.
At any rate, it’s wonderful to see Mario RPGs making such a glorious comeback. Long may they reign!
“You have no idea how happy I am to see my boy Geno back (thanks for nothing, Smash Bros.).”
In 1997, HAL Laboratory and Nintendo released Kirby’s Star Stacker on the Game Boy. In 1998, they remade the game on the Super Nintendo (commonly referred to as Kirby’s Super Star Stacker). While the original Game Boy version saw a worldwide release, the SNES remake stayed in Japan, due to the fact that the Nintendo 64 had already been around for nearly two years by the time of the game’s release (Japan seems to support consoles well after their heyday, whereas the rest of the world tends to focus solely on the newest and shiniest consoles on the market). Super Star Stacker remained exclusive to Japan for twenty-five years, until the Nintendo Switch Online Service finally released Kirby’s Super Star Stacker to the rest of the world in September of 2023. And sure enough for a Kirby title, it’s a welcome and charming addition to the Switch Online library.
Kirby’s Super Star Stacker is a falling block puzzle game with a few unique twists. Notably, the blocks not only fall from the top of the screen (like in most falling block games), but also rise from the bottom of the screen (akin to Tetris Attack). The blocks come in four varieties: Star Blocks, and blocks that are decorated with the cute faces of Kirby’s friends; Rick the hamster, Coo the owl, and Kine the sunfish. Blocks are eliminated by sandwiching the Star Blocks in between a pair of the Animal Friends Blocks (either horizontally or vertically). The player controls the blocks that fall from the top (two blocks at a time, so rotate them as need be) and will gain points for every Star Block eliminated from the board. Interestingly, only the middle two rows of blocks have to reach the top of the screen for the game to end.
It’s easy enough to explain, but like any great puzzle game, the simple premise hides addictive and deep game mechanics that should keep players coming back. For example, you won’t get any points for simply placing a pair of Animal Blocks adjacent to each other, but it will help eliminate clutter and could potentially lead to a chain reaction (which occurs whether or not Star Blocks are involved), which then sees Kirby send shooting stars on the board which disappear on impact (giving the player points for each star, as well potentially creating a link between matching Animal Blocks). You may find yourself getting these chain reactions by accident as often as you do by design.
The game boasts five different gameplay modes: Challenge mode is an endless cycle that challenges the player to see how high a score they can get before the blocks reach the top. Time Attack tests the player to see how many points they can get in a three-minute time limit. Round Clear has a set number of points the player needs to reach in order to move on to the next round (with higher difficulties boasting more rounds). Vs. provides the standard two-player option. Finally, Story Mode (unique to the SNES remake) plays out across seven stages (eight, if you can beat the rest without losing once. Which is probably a lot easier on Switch Online with its save options) and features a cute story of Kirby and his Animal Friends helping a cute little star get back into space (not that I can read the details as the game is still in Japanese. But it’s Kirby so of course it’s cute).
It may not be a whole lot of variety by today’s standards, but for its time that’s a pretty decent lineup of modes for a falling block puzzler. Perhaps the notable drawback is that the simple Vs. mode is the sole multiplayer option (I suppose the story mode could have used a few more stages as well). But the core gameplay itself is fun and addicting. The only frustrating element being that if your opponent is in the middle of a combo, you can’t lower your blocks until the combo is done, but the blocks from the bottom of the screen will still rise, which feels a bit unfair because it prevents the player from doing anything about the combo.
Another huge bonus Super Star Stacker has over the Game Boy original is in its visuals. While that may sound obvious, due to the severe limitations of the Game Boy, the thing that makes Super Star Stacker truly shine visually is that it isn’t simply a 16-bit overhaul but uses an art style reminiscent of Kirby’s Dream Land 3, with characters and backgrounds who look like they were drawn with crayons. And, of course, the typical charm of Kirby music only adds to the delight.
Although the game may not be groundbreaking or anything, it’s a shame the world outside of Japan had to wait twenty-five years to play Kirby’s Super Star Stacker (which I think gives it the second-longest gap between regional releases, after Mother/Earthbound Beginnings). It’s a charming and fun puzzle game that proves, once again, that the SNES was the console that kept on giving.
Frankly, every other game on the horizon just lost a lot of their luster. And that’s with all due respect to the other games shown off in today’s Nintendo Direct. Pikmin 4, Super Mario Bros. Wonder and that mystery Princess Peach game all look especially incredible. But come on: Super. Mario. RPG. Remake!!
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is the game I usually point to when someone asks me to name my all-time favorite video game. And although there are a small handful of others which I hold in similar esteem (such as Donkey Kong Country 2, Portal 2, and Super Mario Odyssey), the fact that Super Mario RPG is my go-to response definitely says a lot, especially when you’ve played as many games as I have for as long as I have.
Super Mario RPG was a joint venture between Nintendo and Square-Enix (known as Squaresoft back in 1996), the creators of Final Fantasy. Although there’s no word yet on if Square is helping with the remake or not, the game looks like a faithful adaptation of the SNES masterpiece (which makes me believe Square isn’t involved… which may be for the best, given their recent track record).
For those unfamiliar, Super Mario RPG was the first Role-Playing Game in the Super Mario series (it would eventually inspire the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi series of Mario games), and for the first time, gave the Super Mario universe a richer story and more depth to the characters. Though it begins as it usually does – with Bowser kidnapping Princess Peach and Mario setting off to rescue her – things quickly go awry when a giant sword plunges into Bowser’s castle, sending the classic Mario trio to different regions of the Mushroom Kingdom. The giant sword turns out to be a servant to a being known as Smithy, an evil blacksmith whose army of weapon monsters prove to be such a threat that, for the first time in history, Bowser teamed up with Mario and Peach to stop their invasion. The trio would also be joined by original characters Mallow, a cute cloud who thinks he’s a tadpole (how charming); and Geno, a star spirit inhabiting the body of a doll on a mission to repair the damage Smithy has done to the cosmos.
Mario was his usual charming self, of course. But Super Mario RPG developed Peach into a more independent character, and for all the (deserved) credit we give to the recent Super Mario Bros. Movie for depicting Bowser as an insecure bully with a sensitive side, it was actually Super Mario RPG that fleshed out that personality for Bowser first. And though Mallow and Geno wouldn’t appear in another game aside from the odd cameo, they were so beloved that fans still clamor to see them return (damn you, Super Smash Bros!). And well, now they finally have!
But a story wouldn’t mean much to a video game if the game itself weren’t any good. Thankfully, the bountiful charm of Super Mario RPG’s story was married to a masterpiece in game design. Adopting the turn-based battle system Square was known for at the time, Super Mario RPG made the genre far more interactive with “action commands,” timed inputs by the player during moves to make Mario and friends’ attacks stronger and boosting their defense against enemy moves. Not satisfied there, Super Mario RPG is also something of a variety show, with various mini-games interspersed throughout the adventure to keep everything fresh until the very end. Oh, and the music kicks all of the ass! No ass goes un-kicked by Super Mario RPG’s amazing soundtrack.
Honestly, I could go on and on about how much I love Super Mario RPG. And with the remake’s November 17th release mere months away, I can experience it all over again.
By the way, first video game trailer to ever bring me to tears. Bravo.
Wizard Dojo 