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Video Game Analysis
Super Mario 63
(To play the game, follow the download link at the bottom of the page)
Allow me to introduce you to a childhood favorite of mine: Super Mario 63, a fan-made Mario game by Runouw that was inspired by official Mario games, such as Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. Released in its entirety in 2009, this popular Flash game utilizes characters, sound effects, music, and more from the official games to bring you as close as you can get to a complete Mario game being playable on your computer!
Story Analysis
The Mushroom Kingdom is once again under attack at the hands of the evil Bowser. Along with kidnapping Princess Peach as per usual, Bowser has destroyed the Shine Sprite Orb, sending tons of Shine Sprites across the land. In this story, it is Mario's mission to rescue Peach and save the Mushroom Kingdom from the darkness that now looms over. In order to do that, he must journey through "paintings" that lead to worlds where the missing Shine Sprites can be retrieved. For each Shine Sprite collected, the Kingdom gets back a piece of its former glory and Mario gets one step closer to his ultimate encounter with Bowser.
Functional Analysis
The paintings that the player encounters leads to "courses." These courses offer various levels where players can collect Shine Sprites (as seen on the image to the left). The rule towards completing a level is to collect its Shine Sprite, which can be obtained by finding it, defeating a boss, or by collecting red coins/mini stars to reveal it. Not only does collecting enough Shine Sprites lead to a couple of battles with Bowser, but it also opens up more of Princess Peach's castle and introduces new courses for the player to explore.
Players can control Mario through the keys as seen on the image to the right. The left and right arrow keys allow for Mario to move across the course, while the up arrow key is used to jump and the down arrow key is used to dive. On top of that, there are three additional keys to use: the Z key can be used for a "ground pound" attack when the player jumps, the X key can be used for a spin attack, and the C key is used to activate the F.L.U.D.D. powerup when it is available. Like Mario, the adversaries throughout the game move left and right on the platform. However, the only enemy that can jump is Bowser. One change in game control I would recommend is the ability to run. While the player can already run by double-tapping either the left or right arrow key, another key can be used exclusively for running, so that there is less hassle.
Engagement Analysis
What makes this game so engaging is the combination it creates from the 2D and 3D Mario games. You get the classic 2D platform that came from the very beginning of the Mario series in Super Mario Bros.; at the same time, you get the open-world feel that you would find from Super Mario 64, where you do not have to worry about a time limit and can instead explore each world at your own pace. Speaking of those worlds, each one has multiple levels to conquer; it is perfect for the player to think that they have seen all of a certain course, only to then learn that a new challenge has opened up for them in there. For the diehard Mario fans, they get to listen to sound effects and music that come straight from Mario games such as 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy.
I really enjoyed all of the dialogue and cutscenes that this game had to offer. Though it is not necessarily a rarity in the Mario series, as it can found in 3D World and Odyssey, it is prevalent from beginning to end in 63 and it feels more cinematic than any Mario game I have played. However, one aspect of the game I did not enjoy was the sudden audio loss that I experienced frequently throughout my playthrough. While wearing headphones, audio would briefly cut out on one side only when I was moving Mario around. I have experienced this issue in the past up until now and still cannot figure out why it occurs. Patching up this issue would definitely be something I would recommend towards any changes in the game. Perhaps the game could be in need of a general update, considering it has not been modified in over a decade. Tweaking the audio, graphics, and game control would make the game more engaging than it already is. Despite my complaints, Super Mario 63 is an absolute childhood treasure of mine and must be experienced by Mario fans everywhere.
