Mario does Retro Appreciation Right

There are a lot of video game characters who have stood the test of time. Link, Samus, and Sonic are all still popular today, but none of them have maintained the same level of purity of character design that we see with Mario. Link often changes with each game, Samus has been modified over the years for good and bad, and Sonic has undergone numerous major redesigns to fit the tech of the era.

Mario, however, remains arguably the most similar to how he originally appeared. This doesn’t just apply to his look either, as the Mario games and even the stories within the series have clung to their simple and streamlined roots. So, how does the plucky plumber pull this off?

Mario Knows That Evolution Requires Genuine Innovation

Super Mario games have always been built around oddities and powerups. From the original mushroom and fire flower to the giant mushroom and catsuit, the Mario games have long embraced new ideas as long as they offered interesting takes on platforming, navigation, and combat. This doesn’t mean a constant push forward with bloat, however, as the series knows exactly where to pick and choose.

“Super Mario Odyssey” (CC BY 2.0) by othree

The most recent and largest release of Mario Odyssey captures this idea perfectly. Despite the size of this game and all of its worlds and powerups, it’s not just a case of throwing everything in and calling it a day. Instead, Mario Odyssey has been cleverly designed around picking up your powerups at each new stage, using the new ‘cappy’ skills to interact with familiar objects and faces in unique ways. Odyssey even includes sections that hark back to the 2D titles, blending and extending mechanics both old and new.

Innovation also applies to the characters. While Mario has remained extremely similar in the protagonist role, others have seen significant updates while still maintaining their original charm. Everything about Princess Peach, for example, remains familiar. She maintains her royal crown and disposition, but she doesn’t let that stop her from competing with the rest of Mario’s roster. From getting in fights with witches in Smash Ultimate to racing on rainbows in outer space in Mario Kart, Peach is still elegant, she’s still cute as heck, it’s just that now she also kicks butt.

Mario Understands Style

As some titles push the envelope with the most demanding graphics that advanced computers can provide, that’s never really been Mario’s jam. Instead, the developers at Nintendo have continuously demonstrated an understanding that style in video games is infinitely more important than effects or raw poly count. The Nintendo Switch is nowhere near the power of the PS5 and Xbox Series but, thanks to a focus on art direction and style, Mario Odyssey still holds up fantastically well. The same applies to older releases like Mario Galaxy and Sunshine, with 2D titles also being held up as perfect blends of style and substance.

No matter the generation, no matter the trend, and no matter the technology, Mario remains one of the most consistent performers in the gaming space. This leaves us with one dying question – why don’t other series follow suit? Reimaginings can be fun, sure, but as Mario has shown through his long career, understanding and showing reverence to your retro roots can lead to just as much success, if not more. But, no matter how much the world evolves, we’ll always need plumbers, and chances are we’ll always need Mario too.