Mr.Fletcher
Member
Like many, I've been swept up in a tidal wave of love for Sonic Mania in recent days.
I've already raced through the campaign as Sonic, and I'm approaching the end of my Knuckles run.
I've been blown away by the art, music, level design and sheer variety of gimmicks on show throughout Mania - it's truly something special.
However, it's also got me thinking - what can Sonic's old rival learn from Mania?
You might be screaming 'NOTHING!' at your screen, but I think there's plenty Nintendo can take and use to reinvigorate Mario's flagging 2D efforts.
Light-ish spoilers for Sonic Mania ahead (I'd recommend finishing it before reading my garbled thoughts below).
Art
Mania is beautiful, a real celebration of gorgeous pixel art. Colours burst off the screen, popping in and out as you high-tail it through each level. It's a real return to the glory days of the sprite work many of us cherished from yesteryear.
But Mario has totally abandoned his retro looks for an incredibly bland art style that just doesn't excite. It looks boring and has, in recent years, become incredibly stale. Inject some life back into the Mushroom Kingdom, look at Super Mario World - when did it become so safe?
Surprise us
Not only has the art become dull, but Mario's games have become all too predictable. Yes, in terms of the course-based, methodical 2D platformer, the podgy Italian remains at the top of his game.
But there's just no pizazz. From 64, to Sunshine, to Galaxy, to Odyssey - Mario has constantly reinvented himself and left jaws on the floor.
However, his more traditional adventures just feel so safe, recycling the same enemies, the same backdrops, etc.
Get rid of the lava world, the ice world, the sand world and just do something, anything, to liven things up.
Don't get me wrong, Sonic isn't immune from falling back on these tropes, but I'd argue his games do a lot more environmentally.
It probably helps that a fair few levels in Mania transition into each other, which brings me to my next point.
Tell a story and make me feel like I'm on a journey
Mania tells an incredibly simple story, but it's jam-packed full of character. Mini in-game cutscenes littered throughout the game just give you a little bit more context. It never gets in the way of gameplay but it gives you something to hold on to in terms of a narrative.
It helps that acts transition into other, sporting variations of the same theme. It just... flows together so nicely. It feels cohesive, it feels like a journey. Mania actually stumbles a little bit here in the back end, but the effort is still appreciated.
Mario has shied away from adding story trimmings into the mix (mostly) but I think Mania, like Sonic 3 before it, shows it can be done and it can add something.
Delve into the past for inspiration
This is the most important one for me.
Mania obviously benefits from being a return to a much-loved formula many thought they'd never see it again, but Christian Whitehead and co deserve enormous credit for harnessing that nostalgia to maximum effect.
There's numerous winks to the past, big and small. But why can't Manrio get in on the fun. Wouldn't it be great if you got to the end of a Mario level, only to have to beat a boss in a mini set of tennis? What about a Dr Mario inspired boss, or a one-on-one race with Bowser? Maybe these are just wacky bonus stages.
For those who have played Sonic's latest, you'll immediately know why I'm suggesting such things, but I think it could work equally well for Mario.
There's DECADES of Mario to pull from, start pulling - and don't stop at just the platformers either.
In short
I want Nintendo to breathe new life into Mario's 2D outings with more imaginative art, unusual worlds and a cool story. I want to see wicked call backs and some irreverence that's sorely missing.
Maybe I'm drunk on Mania at the moment, but I really do think Mario has lost his edge. His gameplay is timeless don't get me wrong, but it feels like he's coasting a bit to me.
Agree? Disagree? Am I just trying to turn Mario into Sonic? Let me know, as I'm really intrigued to see if I'm alone in how I feel. It's just my opinion, so feel free to attack! lol
I've already raced through the campaign as Sonic, and I'm approaching the end of my Knuckles run.
I've been blown away by the art, music, level design and sheer variety of gimmicks on show throughout Mania - it's truly something special.
However, it's also got me thinking - what can Sonic's old rival learn from Mania?
You might be screaming 'NOTHING!' at your screen, but I think there's plenty Nintendo can take and use to reinvigorate Mario's flagging 2D efforts.
Light-ish spoilers for Sonic Mania ahead (I'd recommend finishing it before reading my garbled thoughts below).
Art
Mania is beautiful, a real celebration of gorgeous pixel art. Colours burst off the screen, popping in and out as you high-tail it through each level. It's a real return to the glory days of the sprite work many of us cherished from yesteryear.
But Mario has totally abandoned his retro looks for an incredibly bland art style that just doesn't excite. It looks boring and has, in recent years, become incredibly stale. Inject some life back into the Mushroom Kingdom, look at Super Mario World - when did it become so safe?
Surprise us
Not only has the art become dull, but Mario's games have become all too predictable. Yes, in terms of the course-based, methodical 2D platformer, the podgy Italian remains at the top of his game.
But there's just no pizazz. From 64, to Sunshine, to Galaxy, to Odyssey - Mario has constantly reinvented himself and left jaws on the floor.
However, his more traditional adventures just feel so safe, recycling the same enemies, the same backdrops, etc.
Get rid of the lava world, the ice world, the sand world and just do something, anything, to liven things up.
Don't get me wrong, Sonic isn't immune from falling back on these tropes, but I'd argue his games do a lot more environmentally.
It probably helps that a fair few levels in Mania transition into each other, which brings me to my next point.
Tell a story and make me feel like I'm on a journey
Mania tells an incredibly simple story, but it's jam-packed full of character. Mini in-game cutscenes littered throughout the game just give you a little bit more context. It never gets in the way of gameplay but it gives you something to hold on to in terms of a narrative.
It helps that acts transition into other, sporting variations of the same theme. It just... flows together so nicely. It feels cohesive, it feels like a journey. Mania actually stumbles a little bit here in the back end, but the effort is still appreciated.
Mario has shied away from adding story trimmings into the mix (mostly) but I think Mania, like Sonic 3 before it, shows it can be done and it can add something.
Delve into the past for inspiration
This is the most important one for me.
Mania obviously benefits from being a return to a much-loved formula many thought they'd never see it again, but Christian Whitehead and co deserve enormous credit for harnessing that nostalgia to maximum effect.
There's numerous winks to the past, big and small. But why can't Manrio get in on the fun. Wouldn't it be great if you got to the end of a Mario level, only to have to beat a boss in a mini set of tennis? What about a Dr Mario inspired boss, or a one-on-one race with Bowser? Maybe these are just wacky bonus stages.
For those who have played Sonic's latest, you'll immediately know why I'm suggesting such things, but I think it could work equally well for Mario.
There's DECADES of Mario to pull from, start pulling - and don't stop at just the platformers either.
In short
I want Nintendo to breathe new life into Mario's 2D outings with more imaginative art, unusual worlds and a cool story. I want to see wicked call backs and some irreverence that's sorely missing.
Maybe I'm drunk on Mania at the moment, but I really do think Mario has lost his edge. His gameplay is timeless don't get me wrong, but it feels like he's coasting a bit to me.
Agree? Disagree? Am I just trying to turn Mario into Sonic? Let me know, as I'm really intrigued to see if I'm alone in how I feel. It's just my opinion, so feel free to attack! lol
