Mario Dies on the Cover of Super Mario Bros

[BrownGaijin]

Um...

(long pause)

Um...

(long pause)

Um...

(long pause)

I've been thinking this since 1985.

(I'm really sorry if I'm coming off the wrong way...)

 

[twistedheat15]

Boy, that's kind of morbid, huh? Not many other videogames have the gall to show their hero - and the player's avatar - in the throes of death on the box art. In fact, I can't think of a single one.

Errrrr....

I'm pretty sure thats the protagonist of the game. Pretty sure he's dead/dying

Anyway, interesting find! Though I'm willing to bet its one of those things that the makers of the game didn't even realise they were doing when putting the box art together :3

he's just taking a nap! Killing demons is exhausting work.

 

[redlueliger]

Mario's foot overlaps the bricks, which means the bricks, fireball, and lava are actually in the background. Mario leaping is essentially just a pose.

Yeah, It's not saying "You're gonna die," but "Can you overcome this perilous situation?"

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Wow, the game that was the single best selling game in existence till Wii Sports has something right on the cover that NOBODY NOTICED BEFORE? Were the internet! We point every single thing in youtube comments for LOL's, how could we miss this?

 

[[The]Rock]

man, you just crushed my childhood.

nah, actually never liked him, he should go die in fire.... oh wait.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I still find this image far more enjoyable:

Spoiler

I'm pretty sure those are supposed to be thumbs. ¬_¬

 

[ProjectTrinity]

You're giving Atlus ideas. D'=

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Pretty much sums up my experience with the game actually

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

...Or maybe it's a metaphor for the folks in the Mario department at Nintendo being lazy asses.
"We need box art that looks exciting..."
*picks ear* "Meh Just show him about to die in a lava pit, since danger is exciting, and put some 4th grade speed lines behind him to make him look like he's going fast, since fast is exciting."

Well, I don't think it was that far off.

They chose a random lava pit and Mario shooting a fire ball, framed that it gives the appearance that Mario is in front of the wall and lava (his foot is in the wall), because THAT is exciting.

They weren't intentionally putting him to death, at least that is what I theorize.

 

[Jezzascmezza]

Holy crap!
I won't ever be able to un-see that now.

 

[Strazdas]

This reminds me of the many mmorpgs that have intentional suicides in their tutorials to "prepare player for whats coming". nintendo was always known for taking it too far.

 

[AbsoluteVirtue18]

Why is everyone so freaked out? He's obviously got an extra life, so he'll only have to restart the level.

 

[Alphavillain]

Boy, that's kind of morbid, huh? Not many other videogames have the gall to show their hero - and the player's avatar - in the throes of death on the box art. In fact, I can't think of a single one.

The cover of the limited edition of Demon's Souls depicted the player essentially propped up dead in a corner. =)

Yeah, that was a scene replicated many, maaaany times during my limited time playing that game.

 

[AstylahAthrys]

I never noticed that before... how funny that something gets pointed out like this and everyone goes "OMG REALLY?" even though it's been 25 years.

 

[V TheSystem V]

The Dead Space box art shows Isaac's dismembered hand, and it can only be seen like that in only one of the death animations, but I forget which. So Mario isn't the only person about to die, or dead, on the box art.

 

[fulano]

The Dead Space box art shows Isaac's dismembered hand, and it can only be seen like that in only one of the death animations, but I forget which. So Mario isn't the only person about to die, or dead, on the box art.

He's just the first, isn't he?

 

[Jakub324]

All I can say is: Yay! It's about time someone took him out.