Super Mario Bros. Used to Resemble Halo

[Tom Goldman]

Super Mario Bros. Used to Resemble Halo

Nintendo used to have Mario geared up to kill space aliens with a jetpack and laser rifle.

The Super Mario Bros. coming to Europe [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/104562-Miyamoto-Reveals-Super-Mario-Bros-Development-Secrets], and hopefully will be released in North America contains a booklet that goes in-depth on the abilities Shigeru Miyamoto once wanted for his plumbing and princess-saving creation.

No, Mario wasn't ever equipped with a plunger or drain snake. That'd just be weird. Instead, original design documents and sketches in the booklet reveal that "Creative Division Head Miyamoto" wanted Mario to be able to fly around and use various combat methods to truly kick the crap out of Koopa Troopas and Goombas.

In Super Mario Bros., and even today, Mario's main form of attack is the jump. Back in the concepts of 1985, he could also do some hand-to-hand combat, with the documents showing that Miyamoto wanted Mario to punch and kick. Further, they also include that Mario used to wield a rifle and a "beam gun." Those would have made getting to 8-4 a lot easier.

In addition, Mario's jump was more futuristic, as he was meant to be able to pick up a jetpack. The documents describe Mario jumping into the air and then accelerating left and right using a rocket booster. Mario: the original space marine.

Super Mario Bros. is perfect for what it is, but I would have loved to see the alternate take with Mario beating and shooting the hell out of everything. It was almost Mario's lack of abilities that made the game what it was, so if Super Mario Bros. had become a shooter who knows if it would have been popular enough for the series to exist until the end of time, as it no doubt will.

Source: Andriasang [http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/10/25/mario_original_control_scheme/]

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[Autofaux]

Well, what with the beam gun and boosting in the air.. kind of goes against what SMB was all about. Simplicity, and fun. Not that boosting in the air isn't fun, it's just weird in hindsight.

I'll say I appreciate SMB for what it is, coming from someone who isn't a Nintendo fan.

 

[OctalLord]

I'd say that's the First time I ever even imagined Mario with a jetpack.

It's true! Everythings better with Jetpacks!


Edit: Awww close but no Cigar. I'm serious though. I never really thought about Mario with a jetpack. I mean he has the moon jump anyway!

Second edit because I just noticed: 100th post! Hooray!

 

[xillicis]

It seems like Miyamoto turned the jetpack/laser gun idea in to the Fludd from Super Mario Sunshine.

At least that's how I see it.

 

[Nautical Honors Society]

Mario wouldn't have been the cultural icon he is today if he was some sort of futuristic Italian super plumber from space.

The simplicity and charm of the game made it the phenomenon that it is today.

I am glad Mario never had a jetpack...fire flowers and Yoshis' are good enough.

 

[Blind Sight]

Thing is, putting it stuff like that probably isn't that difficult, hell, there's a game on Newgrounds that let's you play as Samus Aran, Contra Dude, Link and Megaman in Super Mario Bros, each with their own moves and abilities.

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/534416

 

[Sacman]

The original space marines were the Space Spartans on the Colecovision...<.<

 

[crudus]

I would like to see that game actually. I can almost guarantee Mario wouldn't have become what it is today if these ideas saw the light of day. It was the simplicity that made Mario great.

 

[WanderingFool]

I honestly would love to see that, just because. I like Mario the way he is, but just imagine the lols...

 

[Nouw]

Now that's pretty awesome. Like Duke Nukem 3D with worse graphics and 2D.

 

[emeraldrafael]

So.... Wouldnt Halo resemble an older and unused Mario Format, since Mario was before Halo?

 

[ratix2]

Super Mario Bros. is perfect for what it is, but I would have loved to see the alternate take with Mario beating and shooting the hell out of everything.

well your in luck, because in a week or two somebody will have made a flash game out of these concepts.

 

[Evilsanta]

So Mario was intended to the original space marine? Sweet.

Anyways they should do one now.

 

[Rad Party God]

As a genius as he is, sometimes I feel that Mr. Miyamoto is batshit crazy, but if it wasn't for his genius, we wouldn't be playing Zelda, Pikmin, crappy waggle music games and Mario of course.

 

[ranger19]

Of course it did - because Halo invented Mario. (Get it, get it?)

Anyway OT: it's always interesting to hear about what could have been, as crazy as it sounds today.

 

[ultrachicken]

I actually might have liked Mario more if he had a jetpack. Not because "jetpacks and guns are cool LOL," but because I don't like the sheer simplicity of Mario. Just my opinion.

 

[FalloutJack]

Super Mario Brothers with hand-to-hand combat, way at the beginning? You mean we could've had SMBZ like ten years earlier by Word Of God? Dayum.

 

[RatRace123]

That actually sounds like the Mario Bros. movie, didn't Mario and (mustachless) Luigi use weapons and some sort of aided jump... thing?

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

The Punching and Kicking did show up in 64 but the gun has never made an appearance. That's a shame, it would have made Hammer Bros that much easier.

 

[Sinspiration]

That doesn't make any sense.. If Mario was going to resemble Halo because of just a jetpack, combat moves and a rifle, then you'd have to pick out every other game out there that would have happened to have such vague similarities. Hell every single damn TRIBES [The Scifi shooter for those unfamiliar] game may as well resemble Halo. And they actually GOT those features in the official game. Not sure about the combat moves though.. I had too much fun skating and shooting...