I think most of us would agree that Super Mario Bros. 35 was a very fun game. It was the first of its kind for the Mario franchise, and Nintendo shocked me when they revealed this game during the 35th anniversary. Who wouldn’t have wanted to play it? Who wouldn’t have been excited at its announcement–you got to play online with people from around the world. The retro gamer in me was especially excited at this new type of Mario game, blending the world-famous NES release with an online battle royale form.
Yes, this game did have its challenges. When playing with thirty-four other people, you’re bound to come across those who know this game well and who are skilled in an online battle royale setting. The quick paced, die-quickly (yes, lots of people died within the first ten seconds of a match, including myself) style of gaming, combined with Super Mario Bros, provides for some entertaining game play. There were times when I laughed at the insanity, and there were times that I cringed. One simple mistake and—BAM! you’re out of the match. As a matter of fact, this game got so intense at times that I came up with my own little phrase to describe its intensity: sweaty palm moments.
Since the enemies that your opponents destroy are thrown your way, the screen can quickly become full of goombas, piranha plants, Bullet Bills, and even Bowsers! It is quite a sight to see several Bowsers shooting fire at you all at once. If you’re little and have no power ups, beware! Sometimes the enemies that are thrown your way end up in the oddest locations that you know you don’t have a chance of passing, and if you don’t have enough coins to hit the random block…yeah, it’s pretty much over for that round. Trust me, I’ve been there.
One thing that made this game exciting was when it was down to two people: you and one other person. Those moments are the sweaty palm moments, the times when you’re so focused on winning—you’re oh so close to first place—and yet at the same time you have be careful and not fall down a pit or get stuck by an insurmountable enemy that was thrown your way. When your hands start to sweat, you know it’s getting intense!
Aside from all of that, Super Mario Bros. 35 had some other neat things. You could level up, pick an icon to be displayed next to your name (of course the more you leveled up the more icons were unlocked), and there were special challenges at certain times of the day. There was definitely plenty to keep the gamer busy!
Will we ever see a resurgence of the Mario online battle game? Obviously it wouldn’t be called Super Mario Bros. 35 anymore because the 35th anniversary has passed, but in my opinion, it would still be neat if the game itself were to be brought back. One can’t help but wonder that if Nintendo did bring it back, would it be a different Mario game? Perhaps in the style of Super Mario Bros.2, Super Mario Bros. 3, or any other Mario game for that matter—even the modern ones.
What do you think? Should Nintendo bring back the Mario online battle game, and if so, on what Mario title would you like to see it based? Let me know in the comments or on our Boss Rush Discord by either clicking here or scan the QR code below.
Image Source: Gamespot