The Evolution Of Mario In All Of The Super Mario/Mario Bros. Games

Like all great things, if you follow it from the beginning, you get the opportunity to see what ever endeavor you are engaged in flourish from the beginning, and see it grow, and evolve... And so I thought that you guys would enjoy the evolution of, 'Mario' as seen in the various, 'Super Mario Bros./Mario Bros.' Games!

Donkey Kong.

Mario in his first ever appearance in the original, 'Donkey Kong'!

Now you might be wondering why I have worked Donkey Kong in to the equation... Well, it may not technically be a, 'Mario Bros' game so to speak... But this game is the first game ever to introduce the character.

Mario Bros.

Mario before he became the man everyone Nintendo fan knows and loves!

Now here is an interesting one, this Mario is from before he was on, 'Nintendo' in, 'Super Mario Bros.', He had a one hit wonder on the Atari 2600 and Atari 5200 with, 'Mario Bros.'

Super Mario Bros.

Mario from, 'Super Mario Bros.'

The Mario us old timers have come to know and love!

Super Mario Bros 2.

It looks like Mario is getting a little clearer in, 'Super Mario Bros 2'

In Super Mario Bros 2, we begin to see Mario become a little bit more defined, and a little bit more like a real person.

Super Mario Bros 3.

In Super Mario Bros 3, we see that Mario is able to pick from more options of super powers he can gain.

In Super Mario Bros 3, Mario and his crew are given more super powers... Including the ability to fly with his raccoon suite!

Super Mario World.

Mario really wants that level up!

Super Mario World would see the transition for Mario and the rest of his gang from the NES to the SNES.

Super Mario 64.

Yikes!

Super Mario 64 would see another transition for Mario and his crew, from the SNES to the Nintendo 64.

Super Mario Sunshine.

Whose up for a little sunshine?

An odd name, but it looks like this game would bring Mario in to the Nintendo Game Cube... As a first person shooter?

New Super Mario Bros.

The Bros are back!

New Super Mario Bros would bring Mario in to the world of both the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo Wii!

Super Mario Galaxy.

That is a big ball!

 This would see Mario in a whole new adventure on the Wii!

It's so awesome that they brought back the raccoon suite!

In Super Mario 3D Land we get to see Mario on his next big adventure on the Nintendo DS in the second 3D platform to grace the portable system!

New Super Mario Bros. U

A new suite? 

This is one I thought I would put up because in all honesty, it is one of the newest, and it does show Mario with a new suite!

Super Mario 3D World

Almost got it... Almost got it...

Now Super Mario 3D World I thought that I would mention here because between the first time Mario is ever seen, and this one, the change is absolutely amazing!

I will be honest with you guys and say that I have skipped a few games... But to be honest, in the evolutionary sense of what we have been working toward, those games would not have really given you something new... This here should give you a clear look at Mario's humble beginnings to where he is now!

Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) - Video Game Review

Official Score = 4 Devils

I am gonna call it... I think that Super Mario Bros. maybe the most prolific video game to have ever come out in the history of video games!

Don't get me wrong, there are certainly a lot of truly awesome video games out there, but this game... Which believe it or not, since, 'The first Mario game' actually came out for the. 'Atari 26000', and was just simply called, 'Mario Bros.'

This video game series has not only catapulted, 'Nintendo' and all of it's home video game consoles in to the stratosphere... And when all of Nintendo's competitors either went out of business, or stopped making video game system, since Nintendo started in the video game market (with the exception of Sony's 'Playstation series' or Microsoft's 'Xbox series'... But let's be honest here, both companies as far as video games go, are relatively recent arrivals, and shouldn't count.)

Well regardless, with Nintendo having maintained it's status as a major player in the world of video games, thanks to the, 'Mario Bros.', it is no wonder that when a lot of people think of video games, they think about, 'Super Mario Bros.'

Now where as I believe that the first, 'Super Mario Bros.' is probably the most prolific, I have to say that Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988), is probably my favorite!

Mario going through one of the levels in Super Mario Bros. 3!

The reason for this is simple... This game, which has been seeing various releases on various video game platforms since the late 80s, and all the way up to the present... A video game which tells the story about how Bowser, his children and their Koopatroopa army invade the Mushroom Kingdom and stole the wands of the various King's and using them to turn them in to animals, are one of the most inventive of the series to date!

Don't get me wrong, each Mario game in it's own right brings something to the table that just makes things better, but I found that I really liked the fact that Mario and Luigi can find various suits that give them special powers that most of the time looks like animals, (I especially like the, 'racoon' suit'!

But besides tha I also found that I really liked the fact that they also had the classics super power getting power ups (including the, 'flower' that lets you shoot fire, or the, 'star' that kills any enemy that you touch.)

Mario with one original power, and is about to grab the, 'Flower Power' in Super Mario Bros. 3!

Also I like the fact that this video game was the first video game to introduce a world map for each of the, 'zones' that you have to work your way through... It is fun, and it gives you some choices as to which level you do or don't want to play through!

The last thing that I wanted to mention here... And this may seem silly, but there are some extra games that you can play while going through the game that if you win can help you as you make your way through the game (or drive you nuts if you loose often enough!)

In the end, I have to tip my hat to the team that made this job, they did a fantastic job, and well... If by some stroke of a lack of luck, you ended up not trying this game... Do so, I doubt you will regret... I know that I don't!

Box Art For The First Five Mario Games Ever

Super Mario bros. is a classic series that helped make, 'Nintendo' what it is today!

Being a fan of art and a fan of video games, I have found that as time goes on, that rather it be in the form of music, or box art, or the like, that the art that has helped to create masterpieces in video games have always been great, and are just getting better! So how befitting it is to showcase some of the great box art that helped make the, 'Super Mario Bros.' The phenomena it is today!

At number 5: Donkey Kong (1981):

A truly classic game!

At number 4: Donkey Kong Jr. (1982):

A fun that probably helped cement, 'Donkey Kong' as a historic video game franchise!

At number 3: Mario Bros. (1983):

This video game saw the brothers working together for the first time!

At number 2: Super Mario Bros. (1985):

This maybe one of the most famous video games ever made!

At number 1: Super Mario Bros 2 (1988):

This game saw the first major update of the series.

Five Classic Racing Games From The Past

The 80s saw a major burst in to the mainstream of video games that of racing  games... But it wasn't until the 90s that I would say that these types of video games reached their apex! What I mean by this is that racing games from back in the 80s and 90s were some of the best games to have been released ever.

Don't get me wrong, I imagine there are some good first person racing games that have come out since the new millennium, but the problem is, is that there is just something that is not right about having a first person view of a racing game that you don't control with a steering wheel control, and the truth is is that none of these games from back then really put that type of pretension out there!

So I thought that you guys might enjoy a list of some of the classics that really made racing games great from back then!

At number 5: Excitebike (1985):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320"] Excitebike is one of those games that helped make racing games popular.[/caption]

 

For more information on this game, please enjoy this scene from the classic Nintendo game: Excitebike (1985):

http://youtu.be/k6UZC7nXRHM

At number 4: F-Zero (1991):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="333"] F-Zero... Can you say awesome?[/caption]

 

For more information on this game, please, (click here:) other wise, please check out this scene from the classic Super Nintendo game: F-Zero (1991):

http://youtu.be/2T5u9nD_I0I

At number 3: Rock N' Roll Racing (1993):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="354"] A classic racing game with a brutal twist![/caption]

 

For more information on this game, please, (click here:) other wise,  please check out this scene from the classic Super Nintendo game: Rock N' Roll Racing (1993):

http://youtu.be/1sPrZW2wXP4

At number 2: Super Mario Kart (1992):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] This game is a true classic that has spawned its own separate legacy and franchise from it's parent game, 'Super Mario Bros.'[/caption]

For more information on this game, please check out this scene from the classic Super Nintendo game: Super Mario Kart (1992):

http://youtu.be/sZkxJhsP384

At number 1: The Need For Speed (1994):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320"] This is one of the first games that I thought had a better first person racing style then any of the other games to come out before it.[/caption]

For more information on this game, please check out this scene from the classic Playstation game: The Need For Speed (1994):

http://youtu.be/H3ArDaEEMxk

5 Classic Video Games That Should Be Made In To 5 Blockbuster Movies

Over the decades there has been a lot of great video games that have come out that have entertained audiences all over the world as movies. But with the failure of, Super Mario Bros. (1993), the fad seems to have faded in to the background!

Well with the movie industry just more or less essentially going through and remaking just about every movie that has ever been made... And oft times butchering the remake, I thought that I would give some suggestions to tap in to a sorely neglected, but extremely plentiful area... The video game!
So without further adieu:

5. Mega Man.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="256"] Mega Man... A great game that could be total block buster![/caption]

Now this game was a truly classic game that came out for the, 'Nintendo' back in the 1980s, and when it did come out, it was a monumental sensation! And with it still maintaining it's cult status decades later, and with the, 'Super Hero' movie being such a hot ticket item right now for the box office, Why not bring this super hero to life?

For more information on this game, please check out this clip from: Mega Man.

http://youtu.be/GnGfx0dfi7g

4. Super Maro Bros.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="440"] Doing a remake of the movie, could be a great blockbuster![/caption]

This is a remake that I certainly would like to see! Don't get me wrong, I did like the original movie, but if the studios do it right, not only would it be a great movie, but it could potentially make up for the failings of it's predecessor!

For more information on the game, please check out this clip from: Super Mario Bros.

http://youtu.be/PsC0zIhWNww

As for the movie, please check out this trailer:

http://youtu.be/wtMZKYnLg5c

3. Battletoads.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="444"] Bringing these guys back to life as a big screen film, would be freaking awesome![/caption]

A great video game from the Super Nintendo era, and a fun cartoon... Why not make it in to a movie? I mean they are bringing the Ninja Turtles back, why not bring these fighting frogs back to life?

For more information on the game, please check out this clip from: Battletoads.

http://youtu.be/idZ9C0Qtj2A

As fort he show, please enjoy this clip:

http://youtu.be/hLYCgvQhBro

2. Halo.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="628"] Halo would make for a great movie![/caption]

Now this one isn't exactly classic per-se, but it still applies, this game is to the XBox, what Super Mario is to Nintendo, and is well deserving of it's own movie!

For more information on this game, please enjoy the trailer for: Halo: Reach.

http://youtu.be/-YQZ_-qUYWk

1. Contra.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] A classic game that I still think would make for a fantastic movie![/caption]

If I have said it once, I have said it 100 times, this game was truly historic, and if they turned it in to a movie, I imagine it will be truly epic!

For more information on this game, enjoy this trailer for: Contra.

http://youtu.be/uzQKF9LUQ90

I am sure that there are a lot more, but these are the ones that I was thinking would be truly the best of the batch!

 

Super Mario Bros 2 (1988) - Video Game Review

[caption id="attachment_557" align="alignright" width="307"] Official Score = 3 1/2 Devils[/caption]

Ok, so I know that this particular review is not exactly, 'horror' or, 'sci-fi' but since enough of the series fluctuates with elements of, 'sci-fi' in it, I thought that doing a review for, 'Super Mario Bros 2' (1988) would be fun!

Originally developed by Nintnedo's R&D for the NES, this game, which would be re-released at least 5 different times all over the world for video game systems that besides the, 'NES' would also include: the, 'Game Boy Advance', 'Wii', '3DS' & 'Wii U', and which also utilized the same, 'platform' format that tells the story of how, 'Mario' and his team went to a new, 'dreamland' to stop a new big bad for carrying out his nefarious deeds!

Where as it is true that the same basic 2D, 'platform' format was used in the creation of this game, this game also was the first... and as far as I know, only Mario game of it's type to utilize a system that allowed you to play as different characters (besides just Mario or Luigi...)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="618"] In, 'Super Mario Bros 2' (1988) one of the characters you got to play as is, 'Toad.'[/caption]

Another thing that this game did was that it introduced the concept of being able to not just pick things up in the game, but also to be able to pick things up and throw them at the enemy... This variation proved in my opinion to not only be a lot of fun, but with the expanded story line, I actually (and until I played this game for the first time, couldn't believe,) but all of this in my opinion had actually made this game a lot more entertaining then it's original game!

Now like most of the older games, I have to imagine that it is at least to some extent harder to find, but in the end, it is well worth trying out if you get the chance!

http://youtu.be/j_gmxAMUmV4

My Thoughts On Why 'Sonic The Hedgehog' And 'Super Mario Bros.' Didn't Transfer Well To TV

[caption id="attachment_2401" align="aligncenter" width="594"] 'Sonic The Hedgehog' & 'The Super Mario Bros. Super Show'... Both came from historically relevant video games, neither cartoon did well at all![/caption]

You know what? One of the great things about my job of writing for Hellinspace is that I get to translate the cartoons or video games to the rest of the world of horror and science fiction and show how they are completely applicable even to modern day horror and science fiction!

And I will admit that I have chosen a few duds (I am not proud to say... But unfortunately that is one of the blander side effects of reviewing anything, is that to be truly objective, you have to be objective about the stuff that you do like and review that, and you have to be objective and some times review the garbage you really can't stand... (A great example of this as far as cartoons go, is, 'Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated'.)

But there are two that I will be absolutely honest with you guys  and say that I genuinely thought would have done better then I thought they did... And that is, 'Sonic The Hedgehog' and, 'Super Mario Bros.'!

[caption id="attachment_2402" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Neither, 'The Adventures Of Sonic The Hedgehog' or, 'The Super Mario Bros. Super Show' were very great...[/caption]

The truth is, is I don't want to give to much away, (I suspect at some point I will be going to review both of them at great length), never the less, you would think that with a video game that is 2 parts animated series to start off with,  and 2 parts video game, that they would do well... Right?

Well here is the biggest issue that I have with the 1993 version of, 'Sonic The Hedgehog'... First of all I agree with the slightly more slapstick nature of the Chilidog loving hero, but there was a lot of this mentality of, 'No seriousness', when there really needed to be at least some!

I also have to admit that I was not a huge fan of how they depicted, 'Dr. Robotnik'... As more of a demented, 'Imp' and less of a, 'mad scientist'...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Not my fav...[/caption]

Other then that, the characters were pretty well drawn... It is just sad to see a show that I enjoyed as a kid, one that did not translate well in to adulthood!

Really the main problem that I had with the, 'Super Mario Bros. Super Show' (The Super Mario Bros. TV Program that first aired in 1989), is the format... Don't get me wrong, the animation side of the show was great, but I just was unhappy with how they tried to combine animation along with live action... In the end it just didn't jell well with me!

In the end though, the truth is, is the greatest sign of any TV show is how well it translates for men and women of all ages... Where as I think both shows would be good enough for kids, I also don't think either of them translate very well for adults!

http://youtu.be/Z5imH0-hOvA

http://youtu.be/4x2NbK8IOpQ

Super Mario Bros. (1985) - Video Game Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"] Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

Super Mario Bros. In truth, this game is probably one of the most historically prolific video game ever released! This game was the inspiration for a whole generation of platform games, including: 'Sonic The Hedgehog' and 'Crash Bandicoot'... And that is just to name a few!

I am also certain that this game is what inspired Video Game manufacturers to achieve the heights that we have now, with numerous generation of video game consoles, and a wide variety of rich and amazing video games that still to this day rock!

But you know what folks, I am not writing this review to really give some sort of new insight in to this truly legendary video game, in this case, I am writing this review to remind those of us out there that used to play this game all of the time that it is still a force to be reckoned with, and is definitely worth playing again, and for those of you out there that have not played it yet, to give it a try!

[caption id="attachment_2371" align="aligncenter" width="450"] The original, 'Super Mario Bros.' Maybe one of the most prolific Video Games of all time![/caption]

You see, this game, which was developed by: Nintendo EAD for initially the Famicom (Japan's version of the original, 'NES') This game had you playing as, 'Mario' (If you were the first player), or as his younger brother, 'Luigi' (If you were the second player) as you went from world to world and level to level, fighting the, 'Koopa Troopa', 'Bowser' and all sorts of historic bad guys in an effort to save the Princess!

The last thing that I wanted to say about this game, and I imagine that not a whole heck of a lot people actually know this, but I personally found this to be pretty fascinating, and that is the fact that Mario is based off of Donkey Kong's 'Jumpman'!
Either way folks, take that walk down memory lane, I found it fun, and you might as well!

http://youtu.be/PsC0zIhWNww

Flagship Video Games And Their Importance To The Systems They Help Sustain

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="470"] 'Halo'... A classic video game that has proven to be a, 'flagship game' for Microsoft's, 'XBox' video game consoles![/caption]

Over the decades now there have been quite a few video game systems and a slowly growing number of companies that are producing these systems that have such relevance in the pop culture of that time... But what is it that holds their sustainability as well as it does? What keeps throngs of people of most ages coming back for more? Well I am going to have to say that it is the flagship game that is keeping these systems and the companies that build them afloat...

What is a flagship game you ask?

Well simply put, in the Navy a flagship is a ship that distinguishes itself from the rest, (you know, bigger, faster, stronger, or whatever,) and a.'Flagship Video Game' does that for the system it represents, and is so popular that it helps cement the company that makes it for life!

A great example of this is, 'Super Mario Bros.' (1983), this game was so popular that it extremely out paced the competition (including the original, 'Donkey Kong' game, a game which was the first to ever to feature a, 'Mario Bro.')

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Super Mario Bros. (1983), a game which helped make the, 'Nintendo' video game consoles the consoles they are today![/caption]

Since the release of, 'Super Mario Bros.', Nintendo has been a force not to be messed with, both in Japan, and North America, having outlasted all of the Video Game companies that have come before it, and maintaining itself in the current world of Video Gaming between, 'Sony' (with the, 'Playstation') and, 'Microsoft' (with the XBox)!

And as long as, 'Mario' &, 'Luigi' and the rest of the, 'Koopa Troopa' maintain their popularity amongst fans of almost any age at this point, Nintendo will remain a force not to be messed with for ever!

That was an aged veteran of a Flagship game, I thought that I would mention a newer one that I thought that you guys might find to be interesting, and that is of, 'Master Chief' from the, 'Halo' series, and what that series has done for really the world of gaming in the whole!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="430"] Master Chief as he is about to kick as in the, 'Halo' video game series, A, 'Flagship video game' for Microsoft's, 'XBox' video game consoles![/caption]

You see, at the time that the, 'XBox' was first released it had some very stiff competition... What I mean by that is that this gaming system was released in 2001, during a time in which, 'Playstation' had already proved itself, having just released its second generation system, and had to go up against 2 seasoned vets like, 'Nintendo' and, 'Sega' (both of whom had by this point, several generations of Video Game systems that had been out for decades, and in which Nintendo was currently marketing their, 'Nintendo Game Cube' and Sega, (which unfortunately would end up being on their final video game system,) would be marketing the, 'Sega Dreamcast'...)

Well, the Xbox ended up doing so well, and with their flagship game like, 'Halo' it was no wonder that they were able to survive, and not only did they survive well, but I would personally say that the, 'Xbox' and, 'Halo' are probably the best of their kind to have been released in the millennium!

Unfortunately though, this would knock Sega out of making consoles (which is a shame seeing as their video consoles and the games that went with them were so much fun!) But for many years though, their video game consoles with the help of their Flagship video game, 'Sonic The Hedgehog', were so popular that I would say that they were barely out matched by, 'Super Mario Bros.' and the various Nintendo video game systems that beat them!

If you were born in the 1980s or before, you might remember the good old days, when you used to sit and run all over that Island as, 'Sonic' as you tried to capture the, 'Chaos Emeralds' from the evil, 'Dr. Robotnik' and his goons that were trying to destroy his world on the, 'Sega Genesis' int he video game, 'Sonic The Hedgehog', and some of the successor games and systems in Sega's repertoire of Video game consoles and games of the time!

[caption id="attachment_1743" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Sonic The Hedgehog is such a popular character and game that even after, 'Sega' stopped making video game consoles, 'Sonic' has still continued on strong![/caption]

 As a matter of fact, their Flagship Video game was so popular, that after Sega stopped making video game consoles and switched over to making Video Games for other companies, 'Sonic The Hedgehog' has continued to be an extremely popular character and video game!

So in the end the question is... Does the Video Game Console make gaming fun, or is it the Video Game that makes gaming fun... Well I will say that obviously that the system does help, but in the end I think it is the video game that makes the experience worth it!

http://youtu.be/xkD7L2QFwR0

http://youtu.be/5A54A2OoNoo

http://youtu.be/v0kHiEME0Vk

Donkey Kong (1981) - Video Game Review

[caption id="attachment_385" align="alignright" width="300"] Official Score = 2 Devils[/caption]

When I was a kid there was a couple of small, 'mini-mart' style stores over by where a friend of mine used to live, and in these stores were a couple of coin-op arcade games... Also there was an arcade close by as well, so one of the things that we used to like to do is to grab as much money from our mom's that we could and then circulate between the stores and play at the arcades... And you know what? If you haven't tried an arcade game, then you don't know what you are missing!

As a matter of fact, I would go so far as to say that a fair amount of video games that I would eventually play on a home console system in the late 1980s through the mid 1990s, I started off playing on an arcade system system some where! Including, Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros., and heck even, Street Fighter 2!

And another one is, Donkey Kong (1981)!

Now Donkey Kong was created by Shigeru Miyamoto who was tasked by Nintendo to convert an older game called, 'Radar Scope' which had done poorly, but Nintendo was interested in converting it with the intention of creating a game that Americans would really enjoy... And you know what? It ended up being one of the more popular Nintendo Arcade games of it's time!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="299"] Jumpman (Mario) as he is trying to rescue his girl friend, 'The Lady' (Pauline) from Donkey Kong![/caption]

The game itself is one of the earliest known video games to have a story and tells of how Donkey Kong (A large Gorilla) has kidnapped Jumpman's (A character that would later be re-named, 'Mario' and would become the lead character in one of Nintendo's most famous video game series,) girlfriend, 'The Lady' (later known as, 'Pauline'.) And since you play as Jumpman you have to go from level to level jumping over and avoiding stuff that is being rained down on you from Donkey Kong!

I have played this game on both the Arcade game setup as well as on the NES, and in all truth, on both Video Game setups, the game play was extremely easy, the music was so-so, but in all truth, considering the age of the game, the graphics was actually quite good!

This game would later be put on such gaming consoles as, the Game & Watch multiscreen, the Amiga 500, Apple II, Atari 7800, Intellivision, Commodore 64, Commodore VIC-20, Famicom Disk System, IBM PC booter, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, MSX, Atari 8-bit family and Mini-Arcade versions, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). the GameCube and as an item for purchase on the Wii's Virtual Console. The original arcade version of the game appears in the Nintendo 64 game Donkey Kong 64. Nintendo released the NES version on the e-Reader and for the Game Boy Advance Classic NES series in 2002 and 2004,

Also in 1994, a remake of the original game was released for the Game Boy, adding 96 new levels.

The truth is, is that this game was a lot of fun at the arcade, you know when you were a kid and you were waiting for your Pizza to arrive and your mom gave you a couple of dollars, to play some games...Well playing this game in that type of set up in all truth was an awful lot of fun! But I can't say for all systems, but in all truth, something was definitely lost in translation between the arcade game and the version on the NES!

http://youtu.be/EhFV5-qbbIw