i find it almost impossible to get angry Mario game. The fact that they’re good most of the time certainly helps, and even though the franchise is running in circles, the final product never fails to put a smile on my face. nintendo Really cares about the quality of its most famous IP, as well as spinoffs from other studios. But what about adventure? That’s a whole different story.
Mario is safe. It’s too safe. Let’s get the obvious out of the way: yes, Mario has dressed up for multiple sports, organized lots of parties, been a top racer, and even had many of his friends lead their own spin-offs – whether it’s hunting for ancient treasure , or exploring the haunted mansion. These experiments translated into rapid explorations of a range of different types, most of which have been met with considerable success. The most famous and accessible Experiment soon became a mainstay series at Nintendo, but at some point, Experiment stalled, replaced by an endless cycle of sequels: Mario Party, Mario Kart, Mario [insert sport], Paper Mario… and of course the mainline 2D/3D games. It’s all cute and funny, but you have to wonder if Mario could have gotten stronger.
Perhaps Luigi’s Mansion is a kid-friendly riff on horror games that always felt like a precursor to the more out-of-the-box approach taken by the Mario + Rabbids games (the perfect introduction to tactical role-playing games). If you start wondering what the franchise can do outside of its comfort zone (the types and places you can sell to just about anyone), you realize that there is a whole world of possibility in the Mushroom Kingdom and its citizens .
Of course, that meant taking some financial risks, but Mario was far from a flimsy IP that kept churning out familiar, highly profitable stuff. Also, the Mario + Rabbids games are both being developed with Ubisoft, so there’s clearly an interest in trying something new with a western publisher and development team. It’s always easier to swagger when you’re not alone, IMO.
So, where can Nintendo take the Mario series next in order to broaden horizons and entice more casual gamers to experience a traditionally more demanding genre? We have some ideas…
Management Simulator and City Builder
We already know the reach of Mushroom Kingdom and the Mario universe as a whole, and we’ve met many of the colorful characters that inhabit it. Maybe it’s time to look at the big picture and make a Mario-themed city builder and/or Sims along the lines of the Two Points campus.
The series dabbled in building design and large-scale creativity with the critically acclaimed Super Mario Maker game, so it seemed like a logical next step. Personally, I’d love to see a Mushroom Kingdom version of Simcity come out, but managing Bowser’s Castle a la Evil Genius sounds like a hit too. Add in the usual comedy and charm we’ve come to expect from IP, and you’re done.
Wushuang (Mushroom Warrior?)
You might be wondering if we need to see Mario and Peach take down 50 Goombas in one hit and drop the frame rate, the answer is loud and firm YesThe Nintendo x Koei Tecmo collaboration has had solid success with Fire Emblem and The Legend of Zelda, so it makes sense to look at Mario Inc. As the next potential candidates, they’ll be wielding weapons in full anime style against hordes of evil minions.
Koei Tecmo CEO Hisashi Koinuma has even expressed interest in making Mario next in the past, so the ball seems to be in Nintendo’s court. Probably the biggest hurdle here is how Nintendo sees and presents the Mario IP — kid-friendly and fairly tame in terms of violence — so maybe a Mario-centric Musou is a bit of a problem for them. That being said, FE and TLoZ’s Musou games are really well done and feel very home-friendly. Additionally, the classic Musou formula can be tweaked to better suit Mario and friends, with their cheerful abilities and light-hearted dispositions.
soul-like
If Dark Souls and Mario sounded like a silly but worthwhile PC mod idea, we’ve seen – now very famous – subgenres expand in every direction and take on multiple form. Game designers have identified some characteristics and elements that make such games attractive to each other, while the rest are quite flexible.
In fact, the Metroid Prime game could have informed the overall design of things like Mario-centric souls; you have well-defined 3D areas, static enemy spawns, save rooms (campfires) all over the world, challenging bosses, etc. . Making it as cute as possible, but applying philosophy and (modified) challenges to Mushroom Kingdom, one of the hottest genres out there, doesn’t sound like a bad idea for a slightly more mature spin-off adventure.
Castlevania
I mean, if we’re dreaming of Mario becoming exactly like Souls, what’s stopping Nintendo from simply following the Metroid and Castlevania route with another 2D iteration of the famous plumber? We’re surprised it hasn’t happened yet. Just swap out Dracula for Bowser. Maybe even using the underrated Paper Mario art style again?
The basic combat and movement mechanics don’t have to be too different from what we’re used to, but throw in some cool weapon and skill progressions and we’ve got it perfect. Then all we need is a maze of fascinating areas, secret rooms, and cool enemies. Plus, they can really go crazy on Bowser and the other big baddies, respecting their signature 2D fights while making more complex stages and beautiful move sets.
Real-Time Strategy
After tactical strategy (sort of) is done in the Mario + Rabbids games, Mario is half done, and with all the world building that’s been done over the decades, real-time strategy games can also play a role. We’re not necessarily talking Age of Empires skins, but it’s not hard to think of potential Mario-themed factions, buildings, and units to populate an entire Mushroom Kingdom RTS.
This type has also adapted well in the past to the needs of each IP and the control constraints of the console. It also sounds very much in line with Nintendo’s interest in touch controls. The big challenge here is trying to keep it relatively simple while appealing to seasoned RTS players, but Nintendo is generally good at building systems that resonate with most people, so I think they’ll pull it off.
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