N-Philes

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Take Aim, Yoshi

Since Super Mario World Yoshi has become a major role in Mario's heroic lifestyle, his absence in Super Mario 64 was an odd one, and Nintendo acknowledged that by bringing back the noble steed in Super Mario Sunshine, and you can bet your ass you'll be seeing him again this time around. Rather then just having Yoshi has an alternative method of getting around with an incredibly high jump (and bizarre acid breath) Nintendo should do a throwback of Yoshi's former glory that we saw in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island where we can allow Yoshi to harness his eggs and attack in full force. Better yet let gamers have the option of either third or first person views while on Yoshi's back and take advantage of the what appears to be a perfect set up for a first person shooter.



In fact Nintendo has already done a similar method of control in Yoshi's Safari the title that took advantage of the ill-fated Super Scope light-gun for the Super Nintendo. Imagine that in full 3D, taking down common baddies like Goomba's would never be so satisfying. A paratroopa mini-game reminiscent to the classic Duck Hunt could be the icing on the cake for this specially designed Yoshi control scheme.

Mario, Do A Barrel Roll!

To continue on with the nostalgic railroad, I sure hope Nintendo makes an effort in bringing back Mario's flying abilities, whether it be the wing cap, the cape or even the raccoon tail, any of those would go well with the Wii's controller. Take for example the cape from Super Mario World, with the use of the d-pad you were able to stay a float of an endless amount of time with timing your button taps. I think it'd be interesting to take that same idea with the free hand controller, but rather then pressing buttons, use the controller and move it in a steady "wave" motion to create a perception of opening and closing your parachute. Or, say, the raccoon tail could be controlled by shaking the controller up and down to represent the movement of Mario's tail, which is in fact what causes him to float in the first place.



Or for a full blown use of the controller use the wing cap from Super Mario 64, while its movements certainly feel natural with an analog stick, moving the controller around as if it were a steering joystick would give it a more realistic feel and a Pilotwings vibe, where precision and steadiness would be crucial in Mario's flight. I think Super Mario 128 could focus these controls into some flight exclusive levels. While it might send Spyro the Dragon fans into a state of deja vu, levels that focus entirely on Mario's flight under a time limit while flying through rings (okay, it would be better then Superman 64) and other obstacles can actually be really fun and give gamers a change of pace once in awhile.



2D + 3D = Mario Magic

Nintendo has managed to make Mario a glorious gem within both the 2D and 3D realms, however they've typically strayed away from ever using both methods in one game. As I said before when Nintendo first released info on the controller they showed a women "flicking" the controller to cause Mario to jump, and while I've stated I don't think this would necessarily work in a 3D game style, it's certainly a great idea in a 2D setting, and Nintendo shouldn't be afraid to mesh both of these worlds together. With New Super Mario Bros. just around the corner Nintendo has shown some interest in 3D modelling within 2D gameplay, and guess what? It looks and feels natural. If the game follows the similar trend of Mario on the hunt for stars going after a direct task, each world could have one star designated to a 2D level based around that worlds setting. Combine it with the difficulty of Super Mario Bros. Lost Levels and some unique controls and you have a formula for success.



More Characters, More Fun

Even though every Mario game, is well, based around Mario, we need variety. Over the past decade various Mario characters have proven to be worthy of their own skills and abilities. Luigi became a twenty-first century ghostbuster, Princess Peach managed to become an emotional yet ruthless parasol flying heroine, Yoshi gathered up a dozen of his colored friends and rescued Baby Mario, even Wario barraged his way to riches, so why don't we ever see these characters together helping each other? Super Mario 64 DS touched on this slightly, but the characters differences were so miniscule and insignificant that at the bottom of it all no one really noticed and simply used Mario at the end of the day anyway.

Nintendo doesn't need to equally distribute game time to each of these characters, but just so that we can experience them and yet at the same time acknowledge that this is indeed Mario's game but that he isn't alone. It's a form of variety that will help gamers avoid losing interest midway through the game. But what's crucial is that each of these characters takes advantage of the controller in a unique way to help set an example of what the system is capable of. Lets see the return of Luigi's vacuum, lets see Wario bash baddies with swift punches while we actually deliver the blows with the controller, lets see that variety and that Nintendo charm that will really make us say, "wow".

Overall Be Original

Where Mario has always succeeded is by setting the bar for what's to come. The reason Super Mario Sunshine did not follow this is because it was too late with little originality. If you want us to accept the Wii controller as the standard, Nintendo, we need to see that you know how to deliver a unique experience that we won't find anywhere else yet at the same time still giving us what appears to be a classic Mario title. Platforming elements must stay intact, while straying away from becoming one giant collect-a-thon (so yeah, please no more blue coins) and then at its core showcasing how the controller can be used to further advance gameplay.

Hopefully Mario can once again revolutionize the game industry.

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