© NintendoIf you’re reading this, it’s a safe bet to assume that you went out with Mario and his friends in any less once in a lifetime. Whether you’re speeding karts, playing a few matches on the tennis courts or participating in them cruel parties where all the coins and stars you had were stolen (no, I’m not crazy), Mario’s multiplayer antics without a platform need little introduction. The Mushroom Kingdom crew saw more adventures than most in a variety of disciplines, and we have often been able to bring our friends on the tour. However, despite Mario’s rich multiplayer story, the main Super Mario games have historically been a mixed bag in this department.
Mario’s 2D adventures have gained consistency in cooperation over the past decade, but it wasn’t until Super Mario 3D World that 3D inputs really brought the multiplayer to life. Offering local co-op for four players on Wii U, it is arguably the peak of the Super Mario multiplayer platform, and with online being added to Bowser’s Fury With the switch port, we will potentially have the definitive package in our hands soon. We are less than a month from launch and, with that in mind – derivations aside – we decided to recall the history of the Super Mario multiplayer …
Humble origins
Discounting the training action of two players on a non-Super single screen Mario Bros., few will need to be reminded of how it all started with Super Mario Bros.. Considering the technology of the time, the two-player functionality was understandably limited. With Luigi acting as a palette switch for Mario, players would simply switch turns when losing a life in the eight game worlds, and that was it.
Despite having almost identical mechanics (difficulty aside), this ‘multiplayer’ element was not transported to The Lost Levels, although Luigi was available separately, offering a higher jump, but less friction with the ground. His western replacement, Super Mario Bros. two, allows you to choose from four incredible characters, although it was also a solo case.
Super Mario Bros. 3 saw the return of pad switch multiplayer, but this time, you would take turns while exploring the upper world map. Much like before, Luigi was a Mario palette switch, but the game featured some expanded options like a remake of the arcade game Mario Bros. mentioned earlier and the stealing of each other’s cards, but in the end it didn’t add much in terms of multiplayer. Nintendo maintained a similar approach with Super Mario World, although the ‘sequence’ of the world Yoshi Island (a significantly different game) completely discarded it.
Moving to 3D
NintendoIt was never implemented in the final version, but when Mario made the 3D transition in Super Mario 64, Shigeru Miyamoto tried out multiplayer. In interviews, he said that support for two players was planned with Luigi, but ended up being canceled – a result of the N64’s hardware limitations. Later clarifying that they had also planned a minigame in the style of Mario Bros., which was also ready.
The lack of multiplayer functionality in the final product did not stop fans from making their own over the years, although the outcome of these projects was very predictable. He only officially received this multiplayer support of any kind through the DS remake, which included new mini-games and a VS. Mode.
Much like 64, Super Mario Sunshine it was a solo adventure. It wasn’t until Galaxy that a 3D entry finally included an option to engage a second player, taking a cooperative approach that basically meant sharing your controls. Player One controlled Mario and Player Two could aim, collect and shoot Star Bits, allowing them to hit enemies and offer help (Mario could also jump higher if both players pressed ‘A’ at the same time). A fun and subtle addition, but perhaps too minimal – hardly the kind of ‘appropriate’ multiplayer action available elsewhere. Galaxy 2 based on that, allowing players to control an orange Luma that could attack enemies, but it’s a smooth variation on the theme.
The real deal
O real The discovery of multiplayer came with the return of Super Mario to 2D. Launched between the two Galaxy games in 2009, New Super Mario Bros. Wii based on the success of his predecessor DS and we finally saw Miyamoto’s dream of cooperative Super Mario realized. It allowed four players to come together in the main story and create what the designer called a “meaningful group experience”. This is not to say that the DS game did not have multiplayer at all, but it was more focused on minigames and a competitive mode.
The potential of Mario co-op was clear and defined a path that future 2D entries would follow. New Super Mario Bros. two on 3DS it continued to offer the co-op story mode with a two-player option, but the Wii U continued based on that structure and allowed a fifth player to participate via the Gamepad. Called ‘Boost Mode’, the GamePad user can place blocks throughout the level, helping (or hindering) other players as they navigate the course. Due to hardware changes, it was removed in the Deluxe edition of the Switch, but it was made for a lot of fun at the time. We haven’t seen a new entry in this regard since, although the Battle Royale peculiarity is the limited time Super Mario Bros. 35 arrived last year for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers and delivered a competitive online multiplayer brand using the original game as a model.
In fact, it is a fair assessment to say Super Mario Maker replaced the ‘New’ sub-series to some extent, giving us tools for creating custom levels and the ability to share courses online. Despite aspects of the community, it was originally just for one player, but in 2019 Super Mario Maker 2 added a considerable number of tools to Mario’s multiplayer belt. We said at the time that it will probably be the last 2D Mario game you’ll need, and for good reason; presenting expanded and multiplayer stage options for four people – both locally and eventually online – how Nintendo will evolve this model (in addition to simplifying the experience) is hard to imagine.
Nintendo has always been able to bring surprises and, back to 3D inputs, solo experience Super Mario 3D Land laid the foundation on which Super Mario 3D World was built. Loading various elements of 3D Land’s gameplay, this was the game that finally introduced us to the fully developed cooperative mode in three dimensions. Although limited by poor Wii U sales, it was a critical success and also utilized resources from the Miiverse community (RIP) and a two-player “Luigi Bros” game based on Mario Bros. was also present.
Changing things
It was almost disappointing to see this expansive cooperative functionality removed in Super Mario Odyssey, although frankly speaking, it is not really a fair comparison. They share the name of Super Mario, of course, but each game runs very differently, and Odyssey’s sandbox approach meant that it was more suitable for a single player. Much like the Galaxy, he chose a lighter cooperative option, allowing a second player to control Cappy independently of Mario. You also have a separate online mini game option with Luigi’s Balloon World. Players hide a balloon within a kingdom and the others will have to find it within a certain time limit. Fun fun, for sure; just not a particularly expansive one.
Super Mario is not a particularly consistent franchise when it comes to multiplayer, but over the decades it has certainly offered a way to connect with other people. Since many of us are still stuck at home at the moment, this ability is more important than ever, making 3D World’s next online options even more valuable to Switch players. Miyamoto never lost sight of his original goal, bringing us experiences that two people can play together, and that was gradually being accomplished. Whichever way Nintendo takes it, we look forward to seeing where our favorite Italian plumber goes next.
© NintendoTell us about your favorite Super Mario multiplayer experiences over the years.