The original Super Smash Bros game is considered to be a multiplayer fighting classic fir the N64 from 1999. Ever since its release the original Super Smash Bros game had managed to reach over 5.5 million copies in sales. In fact, Super Smash Bros became the fifth best selling game for the N64 game that Nintendo had made due to its overall popularity between ‘99-‘01. As a fighting game Super Smash Bros was one of the most innovative titles within that genre that Nintendo had ever made. The gameplay for Super Smash Bros looked and felt like something that would have been a huge attraction in arcade around the world in 1999. Super Smash Bros provided multiplayer gameplay that allowed up to four people and included the some of the most iconic Nintendo characters of all-time. The idea of having an arcade release Super Smash Bros in arcade centers prior to its N64 release sounds appealing.
But then again Super Smash Bros being a N64 console exclusive is one of the few factors that contributed to its success following its release. However, the fast paced fighting gameplay and non-stop action along with the chaotic atmosphere in Super Smash Bros made the game seem like one that would have worked in arcade during 1999. An arcade version of the original Super Smash Bros game may not have been as much of an attraction as its successor Super Smash Bros Brawl from ‘01; mainly because Smash Bros Brawl was considered to be more iconic in general. One of the main reasons why Super Smash Bros Brawl would not have worked in arcade centers in the early 00’s is due to how gaming was starting to change. By the early 00’s arcade centers were starting to decline in popularity and online gaming was began to surge in popularity around the mid 00’s. But there is no doubt that not having an arcade release of the original Smash Bros game was a missed opportunity by Nintendo to some extent.
As many people know the Super Mario 3D All-Stars game was released on September 18th of 2020. Prior to its release it was something that long time fans of the series have fantasied about for many years prior to its release. Mario 3D All-Stars included some of three of the best installments within the entire series including Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine along with Super Mario Galaxy. The idea of including bundle of some of the best Mario games from ‘96-‘01 was one that was well received by many people following Nintendo’s announcement about it. In fact, some people wonder whether or not Nintendo should do the same thing with few of the Mario Kart games. The idea of a Mario Kart 3D All-Stars is one that sounds very appealing considering how successful certain games within the series were. While Mario Kart 64 from 1996 was legendary Mario Kart: Double Dash from ‘03 was very unique;especially with the concept of being able to select two drivers for one kart. The Mario Kart Wii game from ‘08 ended up becoming one of the best selling video games of all-time reaching over 37 million copies in sales. If those three Mario Kart games were included in a bundle similar to that of Super Mario 3D All-Stars it would definitely be a huge attraction among Nintendo gamers past and present.
As it currently stands Mario Kart 8: Deluxe is still a big attraction on the Nintendo Switch and will most likely remain that way for the next few years or so. If Nintendo did something different with a game like Mario Kart 7 for the Nintendo Switch that would possibly turn heads. If Mario Kart 7 for the Nintendo 3DS was remastered in high definition for the Switch it could possibly perform well in terms of sales. A remastered version of Mario Kart 7 would probably more interesting than the Mario Kart Tour mobile game that Nintendo released in September 2019. A Mario Kart 3D All-Stars game would definitely be far more interesting than Mario Kart Tour because of nostalgia. But since Nintendo has no plans to make a Mario Kart 3D All-Stars game whatsoever its unlikely that it will ever happen.
As many people know Super Mario Odyssey was released for the Nintendo Switch back in October 2017. Since then Super Mario Odyssey has ended up becoming one of the most successful video games on the Nintendo Switch. Since its release Super Mario Odyssey has reached over 18 million copies in sales and has become the sixth best selling video game on the Nintendo Switch. In fact, Super Mario Odyssey right now is the 10th best selling Mario game of all-time which is very impressive since the series has been around for about 35 years now. Seeing how successful Super Mario Odyssey has been since its initial release along with the strong critical reception the game has received; many people are anxious to know whether or not Nintendo plans on producing a direct sequel for Super Mario Odyssey. The gameplay involving Cappy while collecting Power Moons in various kingdoms and transversing throughout various levels both 2D & 3D made Super Mario Odyssey an memorable experience. The plot for Super Mario Odyssey included the same formula that you would normally see in Mario games with Bowser kidnapping Princess Peach but with new settings and a slight twist at the end of the game.
Super Mario Odyssey has managed to surpass the likes of Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario 64 in terms of sales since its release. It would be surprising if Nintendo did not have any plans to make a direct sequel to Super Mario Odyssey with similar gameplay along with a different that follows the events of this game. As it currently stands Super Mario Odyssey has been around for a few years now and is still a huge attraction in retail for the Nintendo Switch. Its hard to predict whether or not Nintendo will make a direct sequel for Super Mario Odyssey but there are many people who hope that it becomes a reality.
Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity is an upcoming Nintendo Switch that has been making headlines recently as its been confirmed for a release in Q4 of 2020. Based on what we know Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calmity the setting of the game is supposed to take place a century before Zelda: Breath Of The Wild which was released in 2017. As many people know the storyline for the Zelda series in general is very complex . There have been several prequels made for the very first Zelda game which was released back in ‘86 including Link To The Past & Link’s Awakening from ‘91-‘93. In fact, most of the games in the Zelda series that were made following Adventure Of Link back in ‘87 has been prequel to it or served some part of an alternative storyline; following the events of Ocarina Of Time from 98. The storyline for the Zelda series has been completely unpredictable over the past 34 years and largely depends on what happens to the main protagonist Link.
The reason why Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity is so intriguing is because we have no idea where its going to be set within the timeline. In fact, its still a mystery to many people when Breath Of The Wild takes place which has many people wondering about its upcoming sequel in the future. Based on what we know Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity will feature multiplayer gameplay where players will be able to choose characters such as Link & Zelda as they attempt to save Hyrule from destruction. Age Of Calamity will include cinematic cutscenes throughout the game to add its storytelling aspect while being pretty much like the first Hyrule Warriors title from ‘14 in terms of gameplay. The game is set to be released on November 20th for the price of $59.99 making a great holiday season gift for those who are huge fans of the Zelda series.
When it comes down to RPG’s from the Nintendo DS era of the 00’s one of the few memorable games from that genre was The World Ends With You from 2007. The game was developed and published by Square Enix and it featured both single-player and multiplayer gameplay. The plot for the story was very interesting because the characters were playing a game that had bizarre rules as players controlled the main protagonist by the name of Neku. The game that the characters engaged in took place within the time span of three weeks and Neku had to form friendships with the likes of Joshua, Beat and Shiki in this mysterious scenario. One of the things that made the plot for The World Ends With You was Neku lack of knowledge of what happened to him prior to his death. As players progress throughout the story Neku learns more about the rules of the game and discovers more info piece by piece about the circumstances surrounding his death. Neku eventually discovers that prior to his death he was targeted by Sho Minamimoto from the Reapers. It seemed like Neku was one of Sho Minamimoto primary targets as he tried to kill him off in the second week before being saved by Joshua.
As players get towards the end of the game they witness some shocking twists and revelations such Joshua being the Composer while being the one who originally shot and killed Reku; Reku discovers this after his memory is restored by a Joshua himself and finds out that Minamimoto wanted the position of Composer. This comes after Reku was forced to pay steep price by using multiple for an entry fee to play the game a third time making it impossible for him to form any alliances; aside from the one he had with Beat who defected from the Repears group. Also, the startling discovery regarding the Reapers along with the population of Shibuya being brainwashed with red pins added an extra layer unpredictability to the game itself. As far as the Stride Cross Battle System was concerned many people thought that it was pretty unique; players controlled Neku on the bottom touchscreen of the Nintendo DS while his partner fought on the top screen. The World Ends With You was initially one of the most popular JRPG’s following its release despite not selling as much as expected. The World Ends With You not only received great from various gaming publications but it was eventually ported for the Nintendo Switch back in 2018. In fact, it had been revealed back in July 2020 that the world is supposed see an anime based on The World Ends With You video game sometime in 2021. The has been word that the anime for The World Ends With You will appear through Funimation but its official release is still unclear.
There are many people who are looking forward to the upcoming release of the Super Mario 3D All-Star Collection for the Nintendo Switch. The 3D All-Star Collection will include some Nintendo’s most popular installments such as Super Mario 64 (1996), Super Mario Sunshine (2002) and Super Mario Galaxy (2007). In fact, we are also supposed to get bonus content for the Super Mario 3D World game that came out for the Wii U back in 2013. However, there has been no mention of the Super Mario Galaxy 2 game from 2010 being apart of the 3D All-Star Collection. This is surprising because Super Mario Galaxy 2 was considered to be one of the best selling games for the Wii console; reaching over 7.4 million in sales following its initial release. Despite, not selling as much as its ‘07 prequel which reached over 12 million in sales Super Mario Galaxy 2 was considered to be a 3D masterpiece. In fact, some would argue that Super Mario Galaxy 2 should have been saved for the Wii-U considering how low the overall sales for that console was following its release in 2012.
Nintendo has yet to reveal an explanation as to why Super Mario Galaxy 2 was excluded from the 3D All-Star Collection. However, it should be noted that Nintendo seeming chose the best selling Mario games from the N64, GameCube and Wii generations. The idea of choosing the best selling game from each generation makes sense in hindsight. Nintendo’s selection of Mario games for the 3D All-Star Collection seems balanced because it does not place more emphasis on the Wii era over that of the N64 or GameCube. While Super Mario Galaxy 2 does deserve some type of remake or Switch port Nintendo can always do something later down the line. If the fan support is strong enough Nintendo might eventually end up bringing Super Mario Galaxy 2 to the Switch before they move on to the next generation console.
If you have been a long time fan of Nintendo in general you will be happy to know that the company has decided to bring some older Mario titles to the Switch console. The news regarding Nintendo’s plans to bring older Mario titles to the Switch was recently announced in their Mario themed direct presentation; while celebrating the 35th anniversary of the iconic plumber and the series itself. It has been revealed that several Super Mario games will be coming to the Nintendo Switch on September 18th. The confirmed video games that have been mentioned includes Super Mario 64 (1996), Super Mario Sunshine (2001), Super Mario and Galaxy (2007). It has been reported that a limited production of Super Mario 3D All-Stars will be available between September 2020 up until March 2021. Some of these games are ones that people have waited to see on the Switch console since 2017.
Its pretty understandable why we are getting a limited production of Super Mario 3D All-Stars for the Nintendo Switch especially since nobody ever thought that this would actually happen. Also, producing a limited quantity of Super Mario 3D All-Stars means that more consumers are going to by them with sales possibly spiking during the holiday season in 2020. Its also been promised by Nintendo that Super Mario 3D World will feature extra content in addition to modifications to its gameplay; which will be available in February 12th next year. In the meantime for those who are fans of the older Super Mario Bros games from the 80’s & 90’s they will be able to enjoy the titles from the original Super Mario Bros: All Stars game from ‘93. Titles such as Super Mario Bros I-III along with Lost Levels are now available on Nintendo Switch Online. Super Mario 3D All-Stars sounds like something that will end up becoming one of the biggest attractions that Nintendo will having going for them from Q4 2020 until Q1 2021. What better way to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Super Mario Bros series than to release another All-Stars bundle 27 years later.
The Super Mario Bros series has been around since the mid 80’s during the NES days of gaming. When it comes down to popularity the very first Super Mario Bros game is quite possibly one greatest video games of all-time not only because it helped shape the platform genre of gaming but it was also very successful as well. The original Super Mario Bros game has reportedly sold over 40 million worldwide since its original release and the series itself had only grew in popularity as time passed. While Super Mario Bros 2 was a pretty fun game that allowed players to choose multiple characters including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Toad it was not as successful as its prequel. Despite, the improvements in gameplay featured in Super Mario Bros 2 it sold less than both its predecessor and successor and was often seen as the black sheep of the trilogy. While the original Super Mario Bros 2 game reach over 7.4 million in sales since ‘88; Super Mario Bros 3 managed to reach over 13 million in sales and was almost every bit as popular as the very first installment within the series. Super Mario World from 1990 which appeared on the SNES was arguably the best game within its series during the 90’s in general.
Super Mario World had a beautiful overworld along nice looking 2D sprites, stages and animation with the inclusion of Yoshi. Players could spend days, weeks or even months trying to complete Super Mario World since the game itself had multiple overworld maps and became more challenging towards the end of the game. Super Mario World ended up reaching over 20 million in sales since appearing on the 16-bit SNES console and is considered to be of the greatest installments within the entire series. We then got Super Mario All-Stars for the SNES which was a 16-bit remastered collection of the first three NES Mario games from the 80’s; with the addition of Mario Lost Levels. Super Mario All-Stars was a huge success sales wise and sold over 10 million copies worldwide since ‘93. We also got to see other 2D classics on the SNES & Game Boy throughout the 90’s such as Super Mario Land 1 & 2, Yoshi’s Island and Super Mario RPG which were all critically acclaimed classics that sold millions worldwide as well. The Super Mario Kart game from ‘92 was a nostalgic classic where players were introduced to iconic stages such as: Koopa Beach, Choco Valley and Rainbow Road. By the mid 90’s the world got to see Super Mario 64 & Mario Kart 64 two games that are legendary among the gaming community. While Super Mario 64 managed to sell roughly under 12 million copies for the N64 Mario Kart 64 arguably had the best soundtracks that one would ever hear in a racing game.
While the Mario games from the 90’s were more iconic there was no doubt that in terms of quality the titles we have seen from the 00’s onwards were far more superior games in comparison. In fact, the 00’s was the decade where we got to see the releases of titles such as Mario Kart DS, New Super Mario Bros, New Super Mario Bros Wii, Mario Kart Wii along with Super Mario Galaxy. The New Super Mario Bros series was like a breath of fresh air to many people during the mid to late 00’s because the 2D gameplay was reminiscent to the older installments within the series from the mid 80’s-early 90’s. However, the New Super Mario Bros games provided players with 2D gameplay with 3D visuals in a addition to simultaneous multiplayer mode which not he done on the NES/SNES during the 80’s or 90’s. The New Super Mario Bros game from ‘06 along with its Wii sequel from ‘09 sold over 30 million copies individually and are among the best selling titles within the entire series. We also got to see the release of Mario Kart Wii in ‘08 which became the second best selling Mario game of all-time reaching over 37 million in sales. While Mario Kart Wii might not be the most memorable installment within the Mario racing series it was highly successful due to popularity of Nintendo’s Wii console from late 2006. Prior to the release Mario Kart Wii Nintendo released Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii console in November 2007; Super Mario Galaxy was a critically acclaimed 3D platformer with a fantastic soundtrack and a and a solid plot where the setting takes place in multiple galaxies opposed to Mushroom Kingdom. Super Mario Galaxy had reached roughly under 12 million copies in sales since its Wii release back in late ‘07 is considered to be one the best 3D platformers within the series along with Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Odyssey.
We then look at the 10’s decade and Nintendo gave us some outstanding games such as: Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 7, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe, Super Mario Maker along with Super Mario Odyssey. Despite, being exclusively on the Nintendo DS Mario Kart 7 reached over 11 million units in sales following its release in 2011. It was also in ‘11 where Super Mario 3D Land was released for the Nintendo 3DS and managed to reach roughly under 13 million in sales. Super Mario 3D Land in some ways felt like a prelude to Super Mario 3D World which included multiplayer gameplay where players could select Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Toad. Super Mario 3D World was the type of platform multiplayer game that Nintendo fans wanted to see in the Super Mario series since 90’s. Despite, being an incredible 3D platformer Super Mario 3D World had only reached over 5.8 million in sales which overall is pretty good. However, the Wii-U console was considered to be a flop sales wise in comparison to its competitors along with previous consoles that Nintendo had released with the exception of GameCube. Super Mario Odyssey from ‘17 was without a doubt the best Mario platform game that we got from Nintendo during the 10’s decade. Super Mario Odyssey felt like the 10’s version of Super Mario 64 and included cinematic cutscenes and soundtracks that made the game feel somewhat like a kids movie. Super Mario Odyssey not only received praise from various gaming publications but it also managed to reach over 18 million units in sales since its release in late 2017.
While the 80’s & 90’s may have been the period where Nintendo released its most iconic Mario games the overall quality of the titles that came out during the 00’s-10’s decade was without a doubt more superior. In fact, many would probably agree that the Mario series has aged like fine wine since the 80’s. It seemed like Nintendo has released more successful Mario games within the past two decades than they did in the 80’s & 90’s. Despite, Nintendo producing more successful Mario games during the 00’s & 10’s decade the very first game from ‘85 is still the most popular game within the entire series after being around for 35 years. While everyone has their own respective opinions on which decade was the best for in relation to the Mario series; everyone can agree that Nintendo has done an incredible job on the series fresh for over three decades which is an incredible milestone within the gaming world.
As many people know Donkey Kong is one of the most iconic names within the gaming world. Ever since the very first Donkey Kong arcade game from ‘81 Nintendo has produced numerous titles within the series that were considered to be classics as it pertained to the platform genre of gaming. However, many people would argue that some of the most successful and high profile games within the entire series came due the 90’s within the SNES/N64 era of gaming. As far as 16-bit platformers are concerned games such as the Donkey Kong: Country trilogy from ‘94-‘96 were considered some of the best titles that Nintendo had produced for SNES. In fact, the Donkey Kong trilogy had reached roughly under million copies worldwide in terms of sales; while each game could give the likes of Super Mario World or any of the three Sonic the Hedgehog games for the Sega Genesis a run for their money. Also, we got to see Donkey Kong 64 for the Nintendo 64 a game that was also successful since it reached over 5.2 million copies in sales since its release in 1999. The success of Donkey Kong 64 was followed after the release of Diddy Kong Racing from ‘97; not only was it the first racing game within the DK set but it too also ended up becoming one of the best selling games for the N64 overall.
Diddy Kong racing reached roughly under five million in sales before the N64 was ultimately discontinued in retail back in 2001. It should also be noted that the Donkey Kong title from ‘94 for Game Boy reaches over three million in sales and is a memorable classic that retro gamers enjoyed as well. If anything the DK series may have reached its peat in popularity during 90’s mainly because the platform genre of gaming declined following that decade. While games like Donkey Kong Country Returns & Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze were attractions on the Wii/Wii-U console during the 10’s decade the series itself was not nearly as popular as it was during the 80’s & 90’s. While everyone has their own respective opinion on which DK games were among the very best many would definitely argue that the most memorable titles within the series came out during 90’s.
When it comes down to slightly underrated games for the N64 one of the few titles that some people might think of is Dr Mario 64 from 2001. As many people know the very first Dr Mario came out back in 1990 for the 8-bit NES and was considered to be a critically acclaimed puzzle game at the time. The original Dr Mario game was ported for multiple game systems throughout the 90’s decade including Game Boy and Super Nintendo. The plot for the original Dr Mario game was basic and involved players utilizing colored capsules to kill viruses which was a pretty interesting concept. The plot for Dr Mario 64 from ‘01 was a bit different and also involved one of Mario’s arch-rivals known as Wario. While Wario attempted to steal multivitamins from Mario he eventually fails and ends up forming an alliance with him to deal with mutual enemies. The main antagonists for Dr Mario 64 included Rudy The Clown and Mad Scienstein who end up being the ones who actually steal the multivitamins; leading to players having to battle multiple foes from the Wario Land 3 game which was pretty interesting.
While Dr Mario 64 was a pretty coolest puzzle game it did not sell an enormous amount of copies following its release mainly due to the year that it was released. Dr Mario 64 came out the same year that the Nintendo GameCube was released which was 2001; by this time people had already lost interest in the N64 and were focusing on the PlayStation 2 which was released back November 2000. Puzzle games like Dr Mario 64 were not too common on the N64 between the ‘96-‘01 time period especially since there was more emphasis on 3D gaming with a few exceptions such as Capcom’s Magical Tetris Challenge from ‘98. Dr Mario 64 has to alternate endings depending on how players completed the game which gave it a higher replay value than the NES Prequel from 90’s which was seen a positive to some critics. If Dr Mario 64 came out a few years earlier than it did somewhere between ‘96-‘98 it college have been a slightly bigger attraction than it was in ‘01.
