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It's hard to believe now, but Mario's jump was a platforming first when he and it were introduced in 1981's Donkey Kong coin-op, and his barrel-smashing hammer attack was equally novel. In his first solo title – Mario Bros – he could skid to a halt mid-run, and he swapped his hammer for heading the underside of platforms to flip foes before kicking them off the screen.
The mechanics in Mario's next outing were simpler, in that he used his jump in Super Mario Bros for the NES to deter foes as well as for platforming, which former Rare coder Chris Sutherland describes as an evolution. "In Donkey Kong, Mario would jump in an arc, but you had more control in Super Mario Bros. There was also risk/reward, because you had to get close enough to the enemies to jump on them, but if you mistimed it you might get hit. You had control over the height of the jump too, depending on how long you pressed the button. Then with Koopas, jumping on them knocked them to one side instead of destroying them. So the same move had various different outcomes."
Two games called Super Mario Bros 2 followed, a harder Super Mario Bros and a Mario re-skin of an unrelated Nintendo title. Arguably, Super Mario Bros true sequel was Super Mario Bros 3, which gave Mario raccoon and hammer-based power suits. "I guess the suits were there to emphasise the moves the developers gave Mario, and they also provided entertainment value!" Chris beams. "But they could have easily transformed him into other forms, like in Super Mario Bros Wonder where he transforms into an elephant. The other alternative would have been to just give him the moves, but that would have been less cute and entertaining. Even then, something visual would still have been needed to let players know that he had them."
This feature originally appeared in Retro Gamer magazine #252. For more in-depth features and interviews on classic games delivered to your door or digital device, subscribe to Retro Gamer or buy an issue!
Subsequently, Mario swapped his NES fireball attack for bouncing balls at foes in the Game Boy launch title Super Mario Land. Despite the system's small, blurry monochrome screen, Mario was as responsive to control as ever, as Chris explains. "The simple backgrounds didn't become blurry when they scrolled, so you could easily see Mario jumping in front of them. Then, as long as the game had the analog-ness of the jump and the enemies that came along, it was all going to work. Those probably had to be a bit slower because of the size and clarity of the screen, but you still got the experience that you got on the NES, only it fitted in your pocket."
The following year Mario helped launch the SNES with Super Mario World, where he could fly, glide and spin attack enemies by donning a cape. He could also float around by inflating into balloon form, spit fireballs in all directions once suitably powered-up and break rotating blocks when riding his new dinosaur pal Yoshi.
Then in the Game Boy sequel Super Mario Land 2, Mario got a bunny suit with related moves, and four years later Super Mario 64 appeared. The N64 title was the first opportunity to control Mario in 3D, and it was nothing short of joyful, as Chris recalls. "The developers wanted to give you the ability to freely move around and explore, run in circles, jump and backflip, and do all the new moves. It was an experience that nobody had ever had before, and because it was so enjoyable I don't think anybody minded that they hadn't replicated the 2D Super Mario games. Also, jumping on things in 3D could be frustrating, because judging depth is quite tricky, so they gave Mario attacks like punches instead."
The next Super Mario release Super Mario Sunshine saw its star equipped with a water-powered backpack. Using this device, Mario could clean-up sludge, and by attaching different nozzles he could hover, fire water at enemies and use its jet of water to propel himself at top speed.
Explore more from Retro Gamer's special feature: Captivating Character | Divine Design | Marvellous Mechanics | Sublime Sounds | Vital Versatility
A different approach was taken with Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii, where the console's nunchuk was used to guide Mario around spherical worlds. When shaken, it spun Mario into melee attacks that were equally good at shattering objects. He could also briefly become a super-fast, invincible rainbow-hued version of himself.
Later, the NES Super Mario games were channelled by the 2.5D titles Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario 3D World. But Mario returned to three dimensions with Super Mario Odyssey, where he repurposed his cap to possess foes and use their abilities to solve puzzles and overcome obstacles.
Most recently, as if Mario hasn't been versatile enough over the years, 2023's Super Mario Bros Wonder promises to up the ante [and did, as we mention in our Super Mario Bros Wonder review! - GR+ ed]. His moves include capturing opponents in bubbles, and Mario's standard abilities can be altered by a Wonder Flower. Little wonder then, that playing as Mario remains such a pleasure.
Want to play some of the plumber's best games? Check out our best Mario games ranking!
