Of Metaphors and Mario RPGs

[Yahtzee Croshaw]

Of Metaphors and Mario RPGs

Perhaps Nintendo has been telling us a special story all along.

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[Roofstone]

That was... Neat.

I never really consider metaphors and such to be honest, they usually float above my poor peasant head. This one is rather neat however.

I liked this article.

 

[vun]

The reason for the repeated kidnappings is obviously that he wants to give Mario and Luigi casus belli and have them declare war so he can raise war taxes and get filthy rich.

 

[Fappy]

Interesting theories, but it does have a few logical holes. For one, if the weapons in Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars are supposed to represent violent games competing with Nintendo's family friendly content doesn't it seem odd that Square Soft was instrumental in the creation of the game? During the 16-bit era Square games led the charge in what was, at the time, considered to be dark and mature stories.

Also, Bowser's hatred is somewhat split between two camps in the game. He hates Booster for kidnapping Peach (who wants her for completely superficial reasons, not to further any actual goals) and he hates Smithy for taking over his Keep. When it comes down to it, however, he hates the two of them for the very same reason: they've stolen his thunder.

Honestly though, I think your overall point is a good one. Mario RPG is one of my favorite games of all time (next to Morrowind and Chrono Trigger) and it's sad that Nintendo's taken so many steps back since that incredible game. Bowser was the funniest and most interesting character in that game and it sucks that he is underutilized for the sake of tradition (or laziness).

Nintendo could take a whole lot more risks with their IP, I think. Some risks fall flat (Metroid: Other M ring a bell?), but if we can get something like the original Mario RPG again... that would be just splendid.

 

[Steven Schuster]

It seems Yahtzee's onto something

http://cheezburger.com/7732746752

 

[[email protected]]

Super Mario RPG came out for the SNES and was, as we have established, the first game in which Bowser was not the straight villain and actually joins your party. Because the SNES era was also the first time since the 80s video game crash that Nintendo had strong competition, meaning Sega. A new outsider villain kidnaps the princess and Bowser will not tolerate a rival for her, for our leisure time. Interestingly the main villains in Mario RPG are anthropomorphic weapons, which may be prophetic of Nintendo's rivals moving more towards violent content while Nintendo has persisted with a kid-friendly image.

You mean like Rainbow Dash vs. Starscream?

 

[Negatempest]

For me, for reasons I do not want to explain for fear of derailing the OP, games of this generation kinda made me bitter and cynical. During the early years of gaming, games did what they did because they could. Want a fat man throw fireballs because he touched a flower? Sure why not. Wanna see an anthropomorphic animal run faster than anything imaginable because, "F" logic and physics? Lets do that. Nowadays, beyond my understanding, fans demand some kind of explanation for every action taken. We have to look very deeply into every single game that comes out to justify it's existence. Why? I don't know, heaven forbid you enjoy a game for what it gives instead of reading into every single line imaginable.

 

[Dr.Awkward]

I'd like to point out a factual error here:

Paper Mario on the N64 had Bowser as the villain again, Nintendo being confident in their superiority, but Paper Mario 2: Thousand Year Door has Peach being abducted by sophisticated aliens armed with science fiction technology, and Bowser is almost a figure of mockery, a relic.

The events you're talking about happen in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, and not in Paper Mario 2: The Thousand-Year Door.

 

[TiberiusEsuriens]

It seems Yahtzee's onto something

http://cheezburger.com/7732746752

You Sir! I award thee 50 internet points.

 

[Formica Archonis]

Add in a reference to Jesus and this article would have been an A+ in my Grade 10 English class.

Oh, and use the word "allusion" more.

 

[-Dragmire-]

I'd like to point out a factual error here:

Paper Mario on the N64 had Bowser as the villain again, Nintendo being confident in their superiority, but Paper Mario 2: Thousand Year Door has Peach being abducted by sophisticated aliens armed with science fiction technology, and Bowser is almost a figure of mockery, a relic.

The events you're talking about happen in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, and not in Paper Mario 2: The Thousand-Year Door.

Peach was abducted in Thousand Year Door by aliens. It's the one where she has to strip off her clothes after taking an invisibility potion in order to get intel. Bowser spends most of that game in side scrolling platforming sections with the punchline that he always misses the action by the time he gets there.

Yahtzee was definitely thinking of the right game.

EDIT:

So if Mario is supposed to represent us, the player....what is Luigi??

The other one.

 

[Ace Morologist]

Aaaand . . . Yahtzee implodes the Matrix.

 

[Phrozenflame500]

Yeah this is the kind of over-analyzing propaganda I hate Sean Malstrom for Yahtzee. I honestly think you're looking too far into it. Especially when the first Mario RPG was made by Square and they aren't known for being that self aware. If anything, this whole thing is coincidence.

Keep in mind that what Nintendo/Square actually wanted to do is not actually relevant. A good part of literary analysis is trying to find meaning in areas where the author may not have intended for us to find meaning. Sure Nintendo may not have written the Bowser/Peach story with Yahtzee's allegory in mind, but it's applicable to compare the two.

 

[Big_Isaac]

considering that both Paper Mario Sticker Star and M&L: Dream Team came out on the 3DS, the trend does make sense. it's not a sign of decreasing awareness. what kind of competition does Nintendo have in the handheld market? smartphone and tablet games are going strong, but they don't seem to be taking away from the 3DS' sales much. that only leaves the Vita, which is already floating belly-up in its own tears.

 

[Frontastic]

We need more textual analysis like this in gaming, especially of older games. Aside from the fact that I just love this kind of stuff (in all fomrs of media), this is the what film studies et al are built on. This is how we make gaming culture more interesting.

 

[Kenjitsuka]

Good, pretty deep even!
I liked it, you insightful jester, you!

Please continue to make us all laugh, it always makes my week!!!
Thanks for that service, ever since Guitar Hero III

 

[Thanatos2k]

So if Mario is supposed to represent us, the player....what is Luigi??

 

[04whim]

Go on, Yahtzee. Just one more toke.