Throwback Thursday: The Influential Mario Game That Never Released (VIDEO)
After the red-hatted, enemy-hopping, and block-punching exploits of Mario made the jump to 3D in Super Mario 64, a sequel was all that was on gamers minds following completion of their star-catching adventure. It’s not hard to see why either, as the 1996 game represents a wonderful evolution of the platforming genre and a seamless transition from the series’ 2D origins. Little did we know, Nintendo had already begun brewing up a worthwhile follow-up to the classic N64 title, one that would ultimately never see a release.
Teases and speculation swirled for a number of years until a showcase occurred at Nintendo Japan’s SpaceWorld event in 2000, where a game simply titled “Mario 128” made its debut. The footage gave a glimpse at a sequence featuring over a hundred Marios (128 to be exact) running around a platform, leaping in the air, and causing all sorts of mustachioed mayhem. As a further part of the demonstration, the platform proceeds to warp and transform into a hilariously random pizza, eventually ending in the shape a Nintendo GameCube.
While this showcase was intended to tout the capabilities of the both the GameCube and a potential Super Mario title, the game would be eventually repurposed into several well-known titles from Nintendo. The most apparent of these spin-offs was Pikmin, as it features a similar mode of real-time creature creation present in the SpaceWorld video. Wii game Super Mario Galaxy would also inherit a few of these mechanics, notably the game’s gravity-warping physics.
What do you think? Do you wonder what a full version of Super Mario 128 could’ve been, or was it better that we got Pikmin instead? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! Also, be on the lookout for the next Throwback Thursday where we’ll highlight yet another piece of trivia from gaming past. For entries from previous weeks, check out these next few news stories:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
