Recently, I’ve been posting about various gaming anniversaries because, to me, they feel important. They help show what games made an impact in our gaming lives, and help us reflect on what’s happened afterward. One of the biggest anniversaries to happen this year was the 40th anniversary celebration of the Super Mario Bros franchise. It’s not hyperbole to state that without the red plumber and his massive franchise, gaming wouldn’t be in the state it is in right now. Thus, Nintendo is celebrating its beloved icon in many ways, including a new movie, new games, and special celebrations at the Nintendo Museum in Japan.
To that end, a special book was made for the museum that brings together the four men who helped make the original Super Mario Bros game to ponder a simple question: “Can Mario make it to his 100th anniversary?” By that, we don’t mean simply that people “remember him,” but that his games still exist. The book was transcribed by VGC, and Takashi Tezuka made it clear that the only way for this to work is if the franchise continues to be fun:
“One might think it would be a miracle if Mario was still here after 100 years, since we make things while not knowing when our players may get bored with them. If it’s not fun to play, you’ll get bored, and I’m always thinking of how to keep it so that something like that doesn’t happen so that people keep playing.”
He also felt that a clear way to make this happen was to ensure that generations came together to enjoy it. Then, the man behind the red plumber, Shigeru Miyamoto, added:
“It’s a given that Super Mario will constantly evolve by incorporating new digital technology. Now we’re working in visual fields like movies, but I want to make sure we keep it interactive and digital. As long as we don’t forget Mario’s prime point – running and jumping – as we add new things, I think Mario will be with us for a long time to come.”
A bold statement! And yet, given the recent titles in the franchise, including Odyssey, Wonder, and upcoming spinoff games like Yoshi and Mysterious Book, Nintendo is known for making things work and “reinventing themselves.”
One person who hopes to keep working on the icon’s games is composer Koji Kondo, who stated:
“I don’t know what will happen a hundred years from now, but I’m going to create programs that are intuitively conveyed to others.”
That’s loyalty, right there! And while I may not know where the Super Mario Bros as a whole will be in 60 years’ time, it is fair to say that Nintendo will continue to make titles for it so long as they keep selling. That’s just the laws of business. Plus, since it’s Nintendo, they’ll keep surprising us in ways we don’t expect, and I look forward to that.
Source: VGC
