Super Mario World Days: 5-6

I’ve gotten better folks! Today I buckled down; I stared straight at Mario’s Italian mustache and told him “not today”.  Now I can proudly say I made it past Cookie Mountain and all the way through the Forest of Illusion, even its very own pesky Ghost House.  I conquered these levels and now my little Mario, with only two lives left, stands before his fifth castle.  This day has completely changed my perspective on Super Mario World.

            My last entry declared I was on the verge of hating this Super Nintendo classic and now I’ve found that something special.  You see there’s a sense of timing within the gameplay I didn’t realize until today.  While playing through the previous four areas I held that sprint button down, using it as a way to power through the entire game.  I have now realized how wrong my play style was.

            In a weird way playing Super Mario World, or any platformer, is almost like playing a sport.  You have to know when to attack or play offense and then when to back off and switch to a defensive stance.  Mario is more about finesse than brute force; it’s about knowing when an enemy will appear and how to evade it.  I was literally trying the exact opposite and seriously paid the price for it.  In my opinion it has just showcased how games have changed over the years.

            Most modern day games have become fast paced shooters that require speed and accuracy.  This morning I was playing the Battlefield One Beta and discovered I wasn’t fast enough, my aim had to be quicker and sprinting away from a tank was a necessity.  Sure I died plenty of times, but there was never a penalty for doing so, in Mario there is a limit to those deaths and thus each has a huge impact on your play style.  The more lives you have the less careful you are, but as those deplete so does that sense of carelessness.  Like Batman in The Dark Knight Rises, I had to relearn that fear of death.  I had to respect that speed wasn’t everything and through that I overcame what was holding me back.

            Now I sit here writing aching to get back to Mushroom Kingdom.  There is something special about this game and I’m starting to understand what makes Super Mario World a classic.

Super Mario World Days: 2-4

           How am I this bad at Super Mario World? I keep asking myself this question as I die over and over again.  After each death I find myself getting more and more frustrated with this classic.  Now it’s to the point where I’m starting to dislike Super Mario World all together.  Once that previous thought occurred, I started to question my creditability as a gamer.

            After all Super Mario World is unanimously one of the greatest games of all time and there’s a possibility that I don’t like it.  Does that reflect the game or me?  Is my opinion even allowed or will all of my readers scoff at that thought?  I know that’s a weird question.  But compare this to film aficionado disliking the Godfather or Shawshank Redemption.  Frankly I want to love Super Mario World and every time I play, it becomes harder to love.

            Before you sharpen your spears or ready the giant mobs allow me to explain.  I had this friend in high school, Austin, who was truly terrible at Halo multiplayer and was every match’s constant cannon fodder, yet he still loved Halo. He just enjoyed the experience of hopping into a warthog or grabbing the rocket launcher despite each brutal death he endured.  Don’t worry, I am going somewhere with this.  I felt like I was Austin when it came to Super Mario World.  This game was abusing me, after all I’m quite terrible at any sort of platformer, and yet I didn’t want to stop.  I had some great affiliation for what Super Mario World was supposed to be, now it’s getting to the point where I want to stop.

            I don’t know if I can continue.  I’m currently on World 4 and it’s beating the hell out of me.  I can’t seem to get past Cookie Mountain, that’s a sentence I never thought I’d write.  I don’t know if it’s the fact that my timing is off or I’m trying to speed through every level.  Or perhaps it’s just the fact that I’m bad at the game and it’s disheartening.  So I was going to stop and I had thought up a brilliant soliloquy to write about how this game was dead to me.  Then my girlfriend talked me out of it.  I made a promise, so I must endure, I must keep playing and beat this game.  So I will continue and hopefully things will turn around.  Hopefully I fall in love with this classic, but chances are slim.

Super Mario World Day #1

                                  

            After one day I’ve made it to the Vanilla Dome, that’s the third area in Super Mario World, and there’s a whirlwind of emotions flowing through me.  First off I undoubtedly understand why this game is a classic and a masterpiece.  Yet I don’t know if I’m head over heels in love with it.  While reading many “best games of all time” lists Super Mario World ranks near the top on all of them and I definitely can see that while I play. Though I have some quarrels with it.

            Full disclosure I’m pretty awful when it comes to platformers and as you know Mario is a platformer.  So this has definitely hinder my experience while playing, I’m dying probably more than I should and ever little enemy is extremely dangerous.  I’m fairly certain that from now on I’ll start twitching every time I see a boo or goomba.

            These enemies aren’t my main issue; it’s the many ghost houses spread throughout the different areas.  Each of these houses feel far different from any level that comes before it and honestly have become frustrating.  When I reach the next ghost house there is an audible sigh that leaves my body.  I’ve only gone through two of these houses and I’m seriously not looking forward to progressing if more ghost house await.  Thankfully these houses are just a small section of each world and I have far too many compliments to give.

            Obviously it is no secret that Super Mario World is fantastic and I can feel that as I play.  It’s a beautiful world filled with a great soundtrack, pretty backdrops, and stellar controls.  I don’t think any game, besides maybe Mega Man 2, plays better than Super Mario World.  It’s precise and accurate when each jump is executed.  Each power-up is fun to use and I keep getting a jovial feeling when a small feather drops giving me that infamous cape.  Though nothing compares to Yoshi, once that egg appears a grin streaks across my face, using that dinosaur is Mario World at its finest.

            I know that I’m only a small way through Super Mario World and I plan on playing more hoping to eventually beat it.  While I have two issues with this game there’s something magical there and it truly does earn the right to be a “classic”.  If you are like me, someone who missed out on this game, play it and discover just how epic it is.

My Favorites List and My Quest

As I sit here on my bed I’m thinking of my favorite video games, I’m trying to decide what games make the cut and which fall behind.  Some of these are brutal; heart-wrenching debates as I try to formulate one of those coveted favorite lists I’ve been reading.  So as of Aug. 26, 2016 here is my current list:

7. Red Dead Redemption

6. Super Mario Galaxy

5. Batman Arkham Asylum

4. Mass Effect 2

3. Uncharted 2

2. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

1. Last of Us

Now you’ve read my list and like me you are probably noticing most of these games are from the last generation.  There is nothing from the SNES (Super Nintendo), the original Playstation or the even Playstation 2.  It’s not because I purposefully dodged these systems, the fact is I never owned anything before the Nintendo 64 and that is my dilemma.  My video game experience is somewhat recent; therefore I’ve missed world-renowned games like Super Mario World, Final Fantasy, Castlevaina and other such classics.

            With this gap of knowledge and experience now identified I begin my quest.  I plan to tackle this problem head on, as I play through those aforementioned gaming classics.  Hopefully you stick with me as I document my time with each game.  I vow to beat every game I start and maybe, just maybe fall in love along the way.  Here’s to my first attempt: Super Mario World.

           

            If you have any gaming suggestions please comment on this page or tweet at me I appreciate any feedback. @justjakeburke