Mario Paint
Released: August 1992
Mario Paint is a video game created by Nintendo for use with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System , and was released on August 1 , 1992 along with the SNES Mouse peripheral device. Mario Paint is the most well-known game to make use of the SNES mouse technology. The game's package was a larger than normal size in order to accommodate a plastic mouse pad which was included along with the SNES mouse.
The game allowed the user to create artwork using various tools controlled by a mouse (similar to computer painting programs like Microsoft Paint ). Not only could the user paint and draw freehand, but colorless pre-made drawings could be displayed and then colored in using various methods similar to coloring books . Another feature included pictures that could be inserted with the stamp tool. Stamps of everyday objects such as the Sun and fruit were provided by default, and users could even make custom stamps pixel -by-pixel. Several publications, such as Nintendo Power, released how-to guides on how to create iconic Nintendo related stamps for use within Mario Paint . Besides just creating static pictures, a user could also make simple looping animations which could then be set to music created in the music generator. These animations painted by the user could only be viewed on a television screen, and while instructions were provided to users how to record these to a video cassette recorder, there was no other way to export any of work done in Mario Paint .
In addition, standard features consist of:
- 15 different colors
- 75 textures /backgrounds
- Battery back-up capability for saving certain aspects of the game
The game also contains a number of mini-games, one of which is a music generator similar to a piano roll, in which the player places icons representing sounds onto a staff. Other activities include a fly-swatting mini-game, known as "Gnat Attack," which was a fast-paced action game that took full advantage of the Super NES mouse. The player controls a gloved hand (similar to the one seen on the title screen) holding a flyswatter, which must swat flying insects on the screen, before the insect stings the player's hand in one way or another. Each level contained a counter with how many insects were left before the boss appeared. There is no final level, as the game will loop endlessly. In a way, even the title screen for Mario Paint proved to be a mini-game of sorts. The user was able to click each letter in the title to trigger a certain action. Certain letters would cause the music to change, have Yoshi run by on screen, and even allow the user to temporarily paint the background.
