Summary
It’s always a big moment in the video game industry whenever a newMariotitle drops, though admittedly, the hype has varied between many of the games. Nobody can ever forget the incredibly high expectations that were set for games likeMario Odysseyand NewSuper Mario Bros, but not every game in the franchise has received this level of attention leading up to their release, which is why it becomes such a pleasant surprise when they turn out to be well worth the asking price.
There have been severalMariogames that managed to prove their worth despite all the odds, ensuring fans that, no matter how predictable or plain they game might seem from trailers, Nintendo can always be relied on to cook up a fun and high-quality experience. The hype may have been kept to a minimum before these games were released, but despite that, they managed to make their mark on the series to everyone’s surprise, and are still talked about fondly to this day.
WhileSuper Mario Galaxywould blow away all expectations with its unique 3D platforming gameplay, whimsical aesthetic, and epic soundtrack, it was hard to imagine how Nintendo could improve on what many still see as a perfect entry in the franchise. By fine-tuning the movement and introducingYoshito the game,Mario Galaxy 2would feel a lot faster and more fluid than the first game, meanwhile the planets felt just as creative and groundbreaking.
The number of levels has been greatly expanded for the sequel, allowing for a much greater degree of gameplay creativity, especially with all the new power-ups that have been included, such as the Rock Mushroom which allows Mario to roam around at high speeds. To everyone’s surprise,Mario Galaxy 2would be as good, if not better, than the classic which came before it.
WithNew Super Mario Bros. Ualready being a top notch platformer title, there wasn’t quite as much excitement for thestandalone DLC expansionwhich featured Luigi. Considering the game came out during the Year of Luigi, it felt as though Nintendo were simply trying to capitalize off the occasion by shoving in an extra bit of paid content which could have been in the original game already.
Thankfully though,Super Mario Luigi. Uproved itself to be much more than just a simple cash grab, with 80 unique levels being packed into the game, alongside Luigi himself controlling a lot differently from Mario. When there were many people ridiculing the decision to make this a full-priced standalone game, Nintendo managed to convince a lot of the doubters that it possessed more than enough quality for it to justify the decision.
2007was a year jam-packed with highly anticipated Nintendo Releases. Whether it wasSuper Mario Galaxy,Metroid Prime 3, orThe Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass, it was easy to get carried away with the big hitters, which is why smaller and more niche Nintendo titles, likeMario Strikers Charged, went under the radar for many people.
Despite the limited hype,Mario Strikers Chargedwould turn out to become a much-beloved sports title which stood out for how unapologetically raw and aggressive it was. During each match of 5v5 soccer, characters are able to barge each other into electric fences, or toss a few shells across the battlefield to knock everyone out, setting up a chance for a goal. Needless to say, it’s a frantic and intense title which is infinitely replayable thanks to the character selection; all of whom possess their own unique ultimate abilities and on-pitch stats.
TheMario Kartseries managed to go on an incredible three-game run from the DS to the 3DS, with the fan-favorite Wii entry being jammed in the middle. Considering this game was also coming out for the Wii U, which hadn’t quite enamored players with its controller gimmick,Mario Kart 8wasn’t receiving a lot of excitement, and fans wondered whether Nintendo could truly live up to the weighty expectations.
However, they came out swinging withMario Kart 8, with the game sporting a gorgeous visual style along with the brand new anti-gravity driving mechanic which allowed many of the stages to feel incredibly immersive and otherwordly in design. Pair that with the in-depth kart customization and guest characters joining the roster, and it results in a game that, while many assumed would be good, ended up being arguably the best entry in the series.
The originalSuper Mario Makerfor the Nintendo 3DS already gave fans the opportunity to create their very own levels packed full enemies and items from the series' past. Therefore, it was a little baffling when Nintendo decided to announcea sequel, which many felt would struggle to expand on the core gameplay of the original which was already so solid.
The way Nintendo managed to achieve this was by introducing theSuper Mario 3D Worldtheme, which immediately unlocked a plethora of new items and power-ups to throw in. The online also ended up being a lot smoother than expected, resulting in a sequel which many fans didn’t even know they wanted until it arrived.
Though theMario Partyspin-off games have always been popular, the series experienced quite a rough patch with the release of9,10, andSuper Mario Party. With only four boards to choose from and a relatively small pool ofminigames, many fans were disappointed withSuper Mario Party, and presumed that Nintendo had finally run out of creative ideas for the series going forward.
Therefore, hype forSuper Mario Jamboreewas kept at a minimum, but when the game finally released, it managed to blow away all expectations. Not only are there seven boards to choose from, all with their own unique environments and challenges, there’s also a plethora of new features, one of the biggest being the addition of Jamboree buddies who can drastically change up the gameplay.
By the timeSuper Mario 3DWorld released in 2013, many fans began to wonder just how much more creative Nintendo could get with the 3D platforming format which had been experimented with by so many previous games to varying degrees of success. Considering it was also released during the Wii U’s lifespan, the game wasn’t exactly talked about all that much, which is why it was so shocking when it was released and felt like a genuinely new and fresh experience.
The addition of the catsuit allows each of the four players to crawl around the colorful environments of the levels, leading to plenty offun puzzlesand gimmicks which ensure the core gameplay loop never becomes stale. The game’s standalone expansion,Bowser’s Fury, is also well worth trying out for how it essentially takes the game into the open-world genre, making for a very ambitious and memorable expansion.
