When I was a kid, a company in Japan invented this new game console. The idea of a home video game machine had been around for over a decade, but I had only played Atari a few times. This new console was something different. It was an entertainment system; the Nintendo Entertainment System. And it came with a game. It was a funny little game about a plumber (and his brother if you wanted to take turns in two-player mode) who is inexplicably on a quest to rescue a princess from an army of sentient fungi and assorted turtle-like adversaries.
At the head of this army is your arch nemesis, Bowser. Is he a dragon? A lizard? A dinosaur? We're not told and we don't care. Why a plumber and not a knight or other more traditional hero? Who knows. Perhaps they were going for a protagonist more approachable, more working class.
Whatever the reason, this strange little game from the Land of the Rising Sun has grown into an entire subculture and Mario, the princess-rescuing plumber, has become synonymous with Nintendo Entertainment.
Twenty years later there may be as many as a hundred game titles feature the mustachioed hero. An exact count is difficult because he has appeared cameo-style in many more games than he has titled himself. As a kid I loved playing all of the Super Mario titles, including the first three for the NES and the sequels that appeared on the Super Nintendo. Even today I spent an hour plugging away at Luigi's Mansion in which Mario's brother must rescue him from a haunted house. Mario RPG, Mario Kart, Paper Mario, and now that masterpiece (in my humble opinion) New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
The last thing I want to point out is that Nintendo's signature character, who has had blockbuster release after blockbuster release, who has sold titles that were downright awful based on his name alone, who has entertained generations of children and adults alike, often side by side, carries no gun, sheds no blood and advocates fair play, mercy, generosity and kindness toward others. Those who think I'm being sappy or exaggerating need to go back and replay some of those old titles. They're still available for download for the Wii, the latest Nintendo console. I've heard kids and adults alike complain that there are no quality games out there (quality meaning actually fun to play) that don't have at least some blood and violence or other questionable content. As a life-long Super Mario fan I protest that this simply isn't true.I gave up my PS2 because I was spending too much time playing it and the titles were increasingly too 'adult'
for me to comfortable sharing with my kids. Now, I'm as excited as they are to play the Wii and my mom has to call and ask for her copy of Super Mario Bros. back when I borrow it. Talk about habit-forming.
(By the way, if you clicked on the 'awful' link up above, I have to confess I learned how to type on that program. And I was in high school. Guess it wasn't so awful.)
Ashley posted this before I switched to the new URL. It was too good not to repost here. Thanks Ash!
ReplyDeleteAshley said...
I enjoyed this post, but have to say, yeah I think you are going a bit far by saying Mario advocates fairness, mercy, generosity, and kindness toward others...He may have been heroic going after his princess, but there is nothing merciful about dropping the critter that kidnapped her into a lake of boiling lava during the rescue. And this would be after beating all of that enemies children into submission if you are playing Mario 3 or Super Mario World. The lesson I always got from Mario and Luigi was: take care of your loved ones, and their minions (i.e. the mushroom people), and bring flaming death to your enemies, whether it be with lava or your flower-enhanced flame throwing skills. That's just my take on it though. Love you bro!