How To Improve 2D Mario

[A Link In Time]

Let's face it. Super Mario is one of the best selling and most acclaimed gaming franchises in the history of videogames. The chubby Italian plumber has shifted from 2D to 3D, helped clean graffiti, and most recently traveled to the depths of space. In recent years, however, the majority of fans have voiced for a refinement of the traditional 2D formula. The New Super Mario Bros. game may have remained faithful to its name and original inspiration and the Wii sequel added multiplayer to the mix but the presentation and graphics of these installments are nothing superb. With the imminent release of two more installments in this subseries some fans are scratching their heads.


Something I'd like to see is a larger and more fluid overworld. Nintendo hit the nail with this in Super Mario World and it's disappointing to see each of the eight world so disjointed in contemporary titles. Also, Yoshi should have various abilities. Once again various colors should produce different abilities. Moreover, additional worlds are always welcome along the lines of Star Road and Special in Super Mario World or World 9 in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. In regards to the Wii U, Miiverse should be integrated to provide for a more social experience, an encouragement of the connectivity encouraged by social networking sites. In regards to this last point, Nintendo already seems to have some great ideas in store for New Super Mario Bros. U.

What are your thought on this topic? How should the formula be improved to maintain interest? Will 2D Mario ever catch up to its 3D counterpart in terms of innovation on display?

 

[Spirit]

Nintendo are master innovators and Mario himself in his original and core form is an innovation in itself and one that helped created the future of video games through the ages. But there's the problem, have we had too many 2D mario games? Its foolish to say that there is no room for innovation in 2d platforming titles, but Mario has done a hell of a lot. Super Mario world is perhaps 2D Mario's pinnacle (this coming from a gamer who wasn't really impressed with mario3). We've had a lot more since then though.. Yoshi's Island was a wonderful way to further the franchise, though it technically isn't a Mario game, we also had Mario 2 (which is hated) but it did a lot of things differently and was a very very bold move.

With the New Super Mario games focussing more on coin collecting, it makes me feel as if nintendo is searching for innovations for Mario themselves, in the sense that they're taking an element that serves as a lopng running basis of Mario games and pushing it further into the foreground to make it seem like a new experience. Its also the very definition of post modernism- to take and existing idea and re-fresh, re-make, -reimagine its core construct and morph it into a new experience... And i don't know if its going to work. We all play Mario differently, some of us don't move i=on with a level until we have every last coin on the screen, others just run through the levels and go back later to increase the longevity of the game. So i can't see the almost forced coin collecting of forthcoming installments appealing to everyone, particularly when its an aspect that has been seemingly added to a game we have already played in the New Super Mario Bros games both on Wii and DS...

Personally though I dont have a gifted Nintendo mind, nor have i regarded Mario as one of my favourite game franchises to play. They're always of the highest quality and must buys for every Nintendo console but I don't enjoy them as much as I would when compared to playing a Zelda or Metroid game....

Super Mario World seemingly did it all in its amount of content and gameplay diversity in both the sublime and concisely connected over world, and the power ups during the levels and t numerous abilities which the Yoshi's had. Perhaps a later 2D Mario on a more powerful console should be more of an amalgamation, much like how Skyward Sword was, in essence, a collection of most of the previous Zelda games that had preceded it... Perhaps a Mario game which fuses the elements of Super Mario World, Yoshi's Island, Mario 2 and perhaps others would seem like a step forward in the same way people argue that skyward Sword did.

Aside from these ideas though, i can't see 2D Mario games moving forward with innovation that don't just employ gimmicks and call it new.

 

[Chameleon]

I just need a better storyline and I'm set. Oh wait, an ACTUAL STORYLINE.

 

[Dan]

I really do miss the over-world from Mario bros 3 and super Mario world. I would rather see something like that return.

My main gripe with the new titles is the fact the levels all look the same. You could even compare some screens of the 3 new super Mario bros, and not be able tell the difference. I want to see something new. Hell why not throw in koopa city as a level for the new titles. (The one from mario kart 7) Or the musical instrument track. Nintendo seem to be good at making brand new tracks for mario kart. Yet when it comes to the 2d titles it's always the same old same old.
I feel this is the main problem the 2d games face.

Game-play wise I imagine it's pretty hard to improve upon. I suppose they could go back to having characters play differently. (Luigi has a more floaty jump). I suppose all the new power-ups superseded that.

I would like to see some new bosses as well, I really liked the charm of the bosses from super paper Mario. So why can't Nintendo do that for their 2d titles ? As much as I love the koopa kids , I want to see some new bosses.
I think a hard mode would be pretty neat, once completed the game you can do it all again but now things are a lot harder. Perhaps hard mode even has levels designed entirely for it. I also love ALIT for the yoshis.

So to conclude I think the series just needs to feature some new level design and switch over the boss characters a bit.

 

[blue-eyes]

I agree, we need an actual story, and maybe a new power-up or 2.

 

[Ventus]

I heavily doubt Super Mario franchise can meet that of its 3D little brother as far as display goes. You can pretty up the background as much as you like, but in the end, it's still just a background. You don't do much with it. The best I think SM can do innovative-wise is...more power ups. Honestly, a 2D platformer can't get too hard by way of enemy design (Super Mario Bros 3 almost, did, lol), the only thing I can guess is a change of locale and paying homage to SMB3 as well as SMW inw hatever way you can.

 

[Dan]

I heavily doubt Super Mario franchise can meet that of its 3D little brother as far as display goes. You can pretty up the background as much as you like, but in the end, it's still just a background. You don't do much with it. The best I think SM can do innovative-wise is...more power ups. Honestly, a 2D platformer can't get too hard by way of enemy design (Super Mario Bros 3 almost, did, lol), the only thing I can guess is a change of locale and paying homage to SMB3 as well as SMW inw hatever way you can.

You can do sooo much with a tileset. Just look at The early sonic, rayman , and jazz jackrabbit games. If Mario used any of those tilesets it would look different. I wasn't referring to just the background...

Honestly, a 2D platformer can't get too hard by way of enemy design

What do you mean by this ?

I agree, we need an actual story, and maybe a new power-up or 2.

I've always been curious if this would work or not. I don't think it's a essential but it's not like it could hurt having one either.

 

[TF/HH]

I think that 2D Mario will never be as good as 3D. It's at its peak, and just can't be made any better.

 

[Batman]

Nintendo are master innovators and Mario himself in his original and core form is an innovation in itself and one that helped created the future of video games through the ages. But there's the problem, have we had too many 2D mario games? Its foolish to say that there is no room for innovation in 2d platforming titles, but Mario has done a hell of a lot. Super Mario world is perhaps 2D Mario's pinnacle (this coming from a gamer who wasn't really impressed with mario3). We've had a lot more since then though.. Yoshi's Island was a wonderful way to further the franchise, though it technically isn't a Mario game, we also had Mario 2 (which is hated) but it did a lot of things differently and was a very very bold move.

With the New Super Mario games focussing more on coin collecting, it makes me feel as if nintendo is searching for innovations for Mario themselves, in the sense that they're taking an element that serves as a lopng running basis of Mario games and pushing it further into the foreground to make it seem like a new experience. Its also the very definition of post modernism- to take and existing idea and re-fresh, re-make, -reimagine its core construct and morph it into a new experience... And i don't know if its going to work. We all play Mario differently, some of us don't move i=on with a level until we have every last coin on the screen, others just run through the levels and go back later to increase the longevity of the game. So i can't see the almost forced coin collecting of forthcoming installments appealing to everyone, particularly when its an aspect that has been seemingly added to a game we have already played in the New Super Mario Bros games both on Wii and DS...

Personally though I dont have a gifted Nintendo mind, nor have i regarded Mario as one of my favourite game franchises to play. They're always of the highest quality and must buys for every Nintendo console but I don't enjoy them as much as I would when compared to playing a Zelda or Metroid game....

Super Mario World seemingly did it all in its amount of content and gameplay diversity in both the sublime and concisely connected over world, and the power ups during the levels and t numerous abilities which the Yoshi's had. Perhaps a later 2D Mario on a more powerful console should be more of an amalgamation, much like how Skyward Sword was, in essence, a collection of most of the previous Zelda games that had preceded it... Perhaps a Mario game which fuses the elements of Super Mario World, Yoshi's Island, Mario 2 and perhaps others would seem like a step forward in the same way people argue that skyward Sword did.

Aside from these ideas though, i can't see 2D Mario games moving forward with innovation that don't just employ gimmicks and call it new.

I could not agree with this more. Nice post Spirit.

 

[JamesBond007]

Get rid of the time limit. Or make two difficulty levels for each stage.
Normal - everything as usual, but without a time limit.
Hard - keep the time limit and replace some enemies with stronger variety.
And BTW, it should be possible to reach basic ending without playing any stage is hard mode.

 

[Majoras_Wrath]

It looks like they're trying to push it. With the new coin emphasis on the 3ds game it shows they're trying to change it up. I honestly want harder levels. I just breezed right through the most recent games and it was just laughable. I've been playing the originals and have had a harder time with them. Like others have mentioned, the level design must change. Everything is just straight through and it all looks the same. Super Mario World was the greatest example of 2d mario games. It had the challenge and the unique design.I'm sure eventually they'll go back to that, but as of now, its pretty much bland.

 

[Cuju]

The only thing that would improve it for me is if the perfect 2-D Mario gameplay was taken out of the traditional context of mushroom kingdom that about saving Peach, and put it in a different atmosphere completely! Something as different and refreshing as Super Mario Sunshine. I don't have any ideas myself, because I'm not Japanese...

 

[Ventus]

Edit: never mind, the only way that 2D Mario can be improved is by placing more levels that require walljumping; it's for timing aspect as well as (imo) fun.

 

[LegendofLex]

Ditch the current save system and replace it with a retro style one that only saves after boss battles. Quick-saving is fine if you need to walk away from the game and come back, but there's literally NO penalty for getting a Game Over - not as if that's even possible with the gobs of lives the new games throw at you.

Part of the fun of the old games was that you HAD to find extra lives, and you had to WORK for them, because if you didn't you ran the risk of getting a Game Over and having to start the game/world over from the beginning. 1ups were a precious resource that you had to manage. There was a sense of weight to every level, because your performance wasn't just about high scores - what you got in each level contributed to whether you'd even be able to finish the game.

Oh, and add in a "Classic" mode that makes it impossible to replay levels. The path you choose (i.e. in branching level endings) is the path you're stuck with, you can't go back and mine lives/power-ups. It'd add a level of challenge that's been absent from basically all Mario games in the last 15 years.