Tips for a Dapper Mar10 Day!
Happy Mario Day! Let's celebrate with some of the plucky little plumber's best games to date!
Retro-spective on Mario
One of the most iconic characters in pop culture is a plucky little plumber named Mario, earning a spot in gaming and our hearts since his inception in 1981. The videogame icon’s popularity began in earnest, first known as Jumpman, a character who appeared in the original arcade game Donkey Kong. He bravely avoided hurled barrels from an irate ape in order to save a pixelated princess in distress. Mario was created by Nintendo’s legendary designer, Shigeru Miyamoto, who originally intended for him to be a complimentary character in other titles, but fate had bigger plans for our mustachioed hero.
He was a smashing success, when he first appeared on the Nintendo Entertainment System (or NES for short) in Super Mario Bros. in July of 83’ the title went on to sell 40 million copies. Mario and Miyamoto popularized the 2D side scroller and their success has been synonymous with that of Nintendo’s for decades. As Nintendo’s mascot he’s appeared in 200+ games over multiple decades and media platforms.
The Cultural Impact of Mario
For me personally Mario represents a lot of different amazing things, especially from a cultural standpoint. He’s a Japanese creation, with American-Italian heritage who is loved by the world over. This mustachioed plumber is a combination of Eastern and Western values and speaks a language we can all understand, fun. As the face of Nintendo, he’s one of the most iconic videogame characters of all-time, spawning a television show, a cult-classic 90s film, comics, and a theme park aptly named Super Mario World. On top of all this Mario has another Hollywood film on the way from the creators of the Minions, this plumber knows how to keep 1UP-ing himself!
My Top Super Mar10 Games on the Nintendo Switch
With all Mario’s star-power it’s no wonder he continues to appear in some of the most critically acclaimed games of the modern era. I love the fact that Mario was around for my childhood, and now I get to share some of these experiences with my 6-year-old son. Here’s what we will be playing on Mario Day!
Super Mario Odyssey
A classic that is near and dear to my heart as it’s the first Mario game my son and I completed together. Super Mario Odyssey is fun, creative, and wraps decades of iconic platformer moments together in one game, while also introducing new mechanics and characters the entire family will enjoy. The game includes a great feature called “assist mode” where one player takes control of Mario and the other, his hat, Cappy. This allows players young and old to team up and experience one of Mario’s greatest adventures together!
Super Mario 3D All-Stars
You can’t go wrong with three of Mario’s greatest platforming adventures on Mario Day. One of my all-time favourites is Super Mario 64 the stalwart of the Nintendo 64 platform. Being able to go back and relive the glory days of the N64 with Mario’s star chasing adventures is always at the top my list. I can’t wait to hop through another painting and explore Mario first foray into the 3D realm.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart is another classic franchise I’ve been playing since it was introduced on the SNES in 1992. The racing game has grown and evolved over 8 different titles on multiple Nintendo home and handheld platforms, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe synthesizes all these amazing titles into its greatest outing yet. It’s another favourite in my household that always has my son asking, “Daddy, let’s play the Mario racing game!” We’ve put dozens of hours into the game, and I highly recommend this classic for some unparalleled family racing fun!
New Super Mario. U Deluxe
Mario revolutionized the 2D side-scrolling platformer, and with Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe the classic fun lives on! Take on two family-friendly adventures with up to three players as you try to save the Mushroom Kingdom. The game includes New Super Mario Bros. U and a more challenging New Super Luigi U games, with two new playable characters.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
The Mario and Rabbids universe collide in a zany unique role-playing game experience with a cast of new and familiar characters. It’s up to Mario and the Rabbids crew to restore order to the Mushroom Kingdom after a mysterious vortex transports chaos into their realm. Venture out either solo or with a partner and use turn-based strategies to contain the wild Rabbid menace while you explore four worlds filled with puzzles, combat and other Rabbid-based surprises.
Mario Tennis Aces
Mario and friends serve up a tennis-based adventure the entire family can enjoy!
The game features its own story mode complete with mission and boss battles that will help hone your virtual tennis skills. In my household we love using the Joy-Cons to use "zone shot" slowing down time to in order to slam the ball at the perfect moment. Another great mode for young players is “swing mode” where the Joy-Cons are once again used to simulate a virtual racket much like Wii Sports’ Tennis offering.
I hope you enjoyed my Nintendo Switch recommends for Mario Day, celebrate in style with the world’s favourite plumber!