Summary
Mariois no stranger totaking creative strides. As one of the most prolific and longstanding franchises in gaming history,Mariohas been continually upping its technical and artistic abilities for over thirty years - with no signs of slowing down. There are many reasons that the series has continued to be so successful, and one of those reasons is how well the visuals of classicMariogames have aged.
Graphics are essentially everything that a player sees on screen during a game. Whether players are looking at character models, textures, or lighting, all these things contribute to a game having good, or not-so-good graphics. They create beautiful environments and detailed characters while bringingunique art stylesto life through a mix of different techniques. Timeless might not always mean the most high-tech, but rather games with graphics that still appeal to an audience years later. Since dozens ofMariogames have been released in the last few years alone, looking at games from 2014 and before is a good judgment ofhow timeless their graphics really are.
While it won’t be for everyone, the originalSuper Mario Bros.holds up surprisingly well today. Building off the arcade version,Super Mario Bros.achieved everything it set out to do. Adding more color, enemies, and tactics than anyMariogame before, it’s no wonder it’s aged so well.
The simple sprites and environment design easily makeSuper Mario Bros.feel timeless. Not only is it the literal example of whereMariotruly began, but it executes a clear vision that can’t really look bad. The storage restrictions of the game made it integral that different sprites could be reused, leading to the successfully uncomplicated look.
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3might not be top of the list when players think of Mario or even Wario. Now, the yellow-hat man is most well known for hisWarioWareseries - which also got its start on a Game Boy,the Game Boy Advanceto be specific.
Wario Land’s graphics have aged well for a Game Boy title. Naturally, a lot of handheld console games don’t age the best thanks to the more limited abilities of a handheld device. But something about the black and white color coupled with the art design makesWario Landlook and feel incredibly timeless. Perhaps because this wasthe first ever Wario-ledgame and there were next to no expectations, maybe the game was always supposed to look exactly the way it does.
Super Mario Galaxyis a title very used to receiving praise, having been heralded as revolutionary since its release over a decade ago. It was the first Nintendo game to winBAFTA’s Game of the Yearand is routinely listed as one of the best games ever made. But what is it aboutSuper Mario Galaxythat makes it so timeless?
Gameplay aspects aside,Super Mario Galaxy’s emphasis on 3D graphics via the spherical platforms of the planets remains incredible today. Coupled with the beautiful, delicate art style, running around a planet is such an immersive and vivid experience. Everything about the game is cohesive, with its graphics, art, and phenomenal coloring all complementing each other and the gameplay style. Even now,Super Mario Galaxyis a wonder to play and a product of artful design and dedicated development.
AlthoughMario Kart 64was the first to use 3D computer graphics, it was the far less popularMario Kart: Double Dashthat utilized 3D polygon graphics for both the environment and racers.Double Dashwasoverlooked by audiences and Nintendo, as it sold poorly upon release and is not available for virtual purchase - unlike most classicMariogames.
Double Dashis largely the blueprint for the version ofMario Kartthat players are most familiar with these days and allowed the series to really hit its stride visually. Even though the previousMario Kartinstallments are brilliant in their own right, the 2D sprites aged poorly when lined up against modernMario Kart. With its bright levels and tangible world,Double Dashcertainly feels timeless - even if it has been neglected by many.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Dooris the second game in the classicPaperMarioseries, which is a set of RPG games that aren’t quite as popular as the platformers but nonetheless have a loyal fan base.Paper Mariogames are easily distinguished from others thanks to their unique and creative art style, which has allowed them to age very well.
Nintendo has announced an upcomingPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Doorremake, set for release sometime in 2024, but the original holds up perfectly well even ten years later. The sketched style of the game gives it so much character that it remains relatively untouched by any technical progress, especially because the art matches the narrative tone so perfectly. The engaging and creative environments ofTTYDcombined with the ultra 2D versions ofMario and his friendsmake it a stand-out in the franchise, and the amount of detail and dedication in the shading and coloring (and lack of clunky 3D polygons) easily makes it feel borderline ageless. Although the upcoming remake looks absolutely incredible, the original has brilliant graphics in its own right.
Upon release,Mario & Luigi: Dream Team’s graphics and environment were much debated among critics. Not everybody agreed that the graphics deserved praise, while others thought they were brilliantly done. While it’s true that games designed for smaller hand-held consoles typically don’t have the best resolution, behindDream Team’s visual development was a very dedicated team.
Part of theMario & LuigiRPG series,Dream Teamwas developed for the Nintendo 3DS, which was capable of 3D graphics not featured in previous installments. However, since the tone ofDream Team- like most otherMarioRPGs - was so comedic and exaggerated, the team thought that keeping the characters as 2D sprites while making 3D environments would best serve the game. This meant the team painstakingly drew each character to appear in 3D andrefused to mirror the sprites, drawing new ones for when the characters changed direction. The result was a highly endearing game with ultimately appealing visions. The commitment to the style can be seen throughout the game, and knowing that the characters are actually 2D adds an exceptional element to the sprites. From beginning to end,Dream Teamwas a labor of love and creativity.
