Topic: Ideas and concepts for Mario levels.

[Pixelated Pixies]

 
Ain't none of us Miyamoto. Hell, some of us aren't even Howard Scott Warshaw (http://tinyurl.com/89f3nuu) What we are though are gamers, and as gamers we're full to the brim with amazing idea and concepts. Did I say amazing ideas and concepts? I meant opinions.
 
In lieu of the upcoming release of NSMB 2, however, I've been thinking about 2D Mario games and how they might be made, well, better. One of the things I keep coming back to is that the levels in Mario's 2D adventures have become known quantities, both aesthetically and conceptually. Aesthetically, they continue to offer the expected themes of the Musthroom kingdom; i.e. Desert, Water, Ice, Lava etc. Conceptually, they tend to make a few alterations to the formula (new power-ups, multiplayer, coin rush) but nothing too drastic.

 
This got me thinking. Is Nintendo creatively depleted when it comes to creating a 2D sidescrolling Mario game, or has the 2D series given all it has to give? The answer in my opinion is neither. You would only have to look at the 2D portions of Galaxy 2 to realise that. The introduction of gravity switching, spherical plains, and pointer controls into what were in fact 2D Mario levels was a revelation. Not only was it refreshing, it was fun.
 
As yet, of course, I've yet to actually play NSMB 2, but based on what I've read and seen I would be very surprised if that game were to be as boisterous or as exciting as the likes of 'Upside Dizzy Galaxy' (http://tinyurl.com/ca89wax). That's ok. Rather than use our finely honed critical capacity for evil, let's use it for good. Let's come up with some ideas for what could reinvigorate 2D Mario platformers *. It could be an idea for a single level, or a broader idea which might offer a basis for an entire branch of the Mario series (ala the Galaxy games). What you got?
 
*I've got a few ideas that I'll post later*

[Squalid Pumpkin]

1) I think one of the best ways you can vary gameplay in a video game is to include a handful of characters with different play-styles, abilities and attacks. Think somewhat along the lines of Super Mario Bros. 2 or Super Mario 64 DS, or - a personal favorite, and probably one of the best examples - Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate is taking this direction as well. I'd love for Mario, Luigi, Wario, (especially) Waluigi, Yoshi, Toad, Princess Peach and (also especially) an original female plumber to come together for such a game - maybe not all, but at least a number of them.

2) Also, the Super Mario Bros. series is just about the standard for straight, linear 2D platforming, so why not have a two-dimensional Mario game in which everything is interconnected and open world, a la Metroid or the Iga-made Castlevania games? The 3D games have had open-ended gameplay, so it's not unheard of for the character. Then again, I'd advocate that this style get tried at least once for just about any popular sidescroller series, but that's another story.

[DonnyKD]

I wanna fight a Giant Blooper.

ON LAND!

[Pixelated Pixies]

So, here are some things that might be cool.
 
Rhythm World - Mario games have always been good at integrating sound effects and music, so that one compliments the other. You only have to play the original Super Mario Bros to see that. The jazz-inspired music of the original allowed the polyrhythms of collecting coins and jumping to mesh with the soundtrack into a musical whole. A neat idea, therefore, might be to take this one step further and have a world which integrates rhythm game elements into the platforming.
 
Inspired by the likes of Super Mario 3D Land's 6-4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noujtgrTaIg) and Mario 3D Kart's Melody Motorway, I think a world or level which brought these elements to the fore might be pretty interesting. Think Bit.Trip Runner if it wasn't linear and had more player initiative...ok so that's perhaps not the best example, but you get the point.
 
Elemental Mario - Personally, I think Nintendo should be more adventurous with Mario's power-ups. Penguin and Bee Mario are cool and all, but I just didn't find them all that exciting. Which got me to thinking. What if Mario had power-ups which went beyond providing Mario with a particular skill and actually fundamentally changed Mario himself. What if Mario could dissolve into a fluid and trickle down through pipes and cracks (ala Fluidity)? What if Mario could burst into a beam of light and bounce off reflective surfaces (perhaps Mario might even have to freeze certain services with his ice flower before grabbing this Beam Mushroom). What if Mario could change the layout of a given level by using the power of wind?
 
OK, so maybe that last one is a little too 'Captain Planet', but I think Nintendo could breathe some new life into 2D Mario platformers if they were willing to experiment a little more.
 
Again, these are far from fully formed ideas and neither are they particularly original (as indicated by my numerous references to other games), but it would be this level of experimentation that I'd like to see in the next 2D Mario game. Nintendo have proven with the Galaxy games that they can still put interesting twists on the series, I just wish they were willing to give the same care and attention to Mario's 2D outings.

[Pixelated Pixies]

1) I think one of the best ways you can vary gameplay in a video game is to include a handful of characters with different play-styles, abilities and attacks. Think somewhat along the lines of Super Mario Bros. 2 or Super Mario 64 DS, or - a personal favorite, and probably one of the best examples - Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate is taking this direction as well. I'd love for Mario, Luigi, Wario, (especially) Waluigi, Yoshi, Toad, Princess Peach and (also especially) an original female plumber to come together for such a game - maybe not all, but at least a number of them.

Yeah, I think every Nintendo fan would be glad to have more playable characters, especially if they had different abilities and attributes. Hell, let me unlock Bowser at the end, play through the game in 'mirror mode' and try and win back Peach, lol.
 

2) Also, the Super Mario Bros. series is just about the standard for straight, linear 2D platforming, so why not have a two-dimensional Mario game in which everything is interconnected and open world, a la Metroid or the Iga-made Castlevania games? The 3D games have had open-ended gameplay, so it's not unheard of for the character. Then again, I'd advocate that this style get tried at least once for just about any popular sidescroller series, but that's another story.

I think that's a great idea. I also think that's partly why so many people want Nintendo to give them another Super Mario World, because they felt like they were exploring a cohesive, interconnected, world. If they were to take that a step further as you suggest, I'd be down for that.