Forty Years of Mario

My life came in at the turn of the millennium, and like the players before me, I grew up playing many of Shigeru Miyamoto’s games both old and new, particularly Super Mario. Being the largest video game franchise in history, it has had a profound impact on my life and millions of other players.

I’ve actually played every mainline installment from the original all the way up to Super Mario 3D World. I actually lost track after that but my interest returned when Super Mario Odyssey came out in 2017, which was the year of the original console’s launch. I was there when the franchise celebrated its 20th, 25th, 30th, and 35th anniversaries. Every milestone will present something big.

As an indie developer myself, Mario has influenced a lot of the graphics, sound design, and gameplay elements found in my games. This might not be a reach, but Mario Kart and the Mario RPGs, particularly Super Mario RPG and Mario & Luigi, brought in the biggest influences for me.

I’ve also seen the movie, and who’s looking forward to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie? I’m happy that a lot of the same people who worked on the original are returning. I would definitely want to see the movie’s cast in a game. I’ve played the source game, and I “wonder” what the movie will be like. I’m also looking forward to the Super Mario Bros. Wonder expansion pack.