When you put 'New' in something's title, you're putting a clock on it. Before soon, it's not new anymore, and before long, it's old. Historically, it's also not a great precedent to set (see: New Coke). But nevertheless, that's what 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Super Mario did. Ever since 2006, every 2D Mario platformer has been called New Super Mario Bros., which denoted the art style and gameplay design of the series. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:The latest game, 2D platformer 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Super Mario Bros. Wonder, has ditched the 'New' titling, and with it, the art style that defined it. Mario, I love ya buddy, but I gotta say good ridda𒐪nce.
The last new 'New' game released way back in 2012, so you might think this has been a long time coming, but it's not that simple. The series has had various ports since then, keeping it in the public sphere, and the mobile game Super Mario Run also uses the New art style, despite ditching the title. While there were rumours that this week's 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Nintendo Direct was set to bring a new 2D Mario game, I for one did not imagine tha𝔉t would mean ditching the New style along with it. Now that we know it does, we can rejoice.
The aim of the New style was simple, even admirable. As tech improved, 3D Mario improved with it. There was only so much 2D could evolve by (at least on a technical level), so we didn't see much change here, until along came the New games. The New games basically decided to hit 3D Mario with a hammer, squishing him flat. He looked just like he looked in 3D, and that was that. But where the 3D games kept pushing the boundaries with new powers and vast worlds and Cappy, 2D Mario was just there. There was nothing wrong with how Mario and the gang looked in the New games, but at the same time, everything was wrong with it.
There was no soul to New Mario, no personality. The body had no shadows, and was oddly realistic with no flair or sense of fun. He was still Mario, and there are only so many ways you can screw Mario up, but for all the points against New Mario seem minor and vague, the points for him are nil. There is nothing good about New Mario, and I don't speak emotionally here, but mathematically. It wasn't an incomprehensible horror, but compared to other Mario designs, there is nothing New Mario excelled at.
And now he's dead forever! Hooray! Looking at the new Mario, by which I mean the one recently revealed in Wonder, not the old New Mario, we see a huge difference. This Mario doesn't look like the 3D version, and is all the better for it. As many people have noted, he looks fresh out of the N64 era, the glory days for the plumber, with the cartoonish vibe sold by the chubby limbs, rounder face, and detailed shadows. When he does the classic Mario leap, he looks far more animated, like a cartoon character. New Mario tried to push back against being a cartoon and, fitting for a 3D character forced into a 2D frame, only succeeded in falling flat.
The fact New Mario is without a truly great Mario game is also responsible for a lack of fondness. They're good - I mean, they're Mario, duh - but they're not at the top of the all-time list like classic 2D or modern 3D games are. They've also had some odd decisions. A playabꦉle Daisy has ꦏbeen celebrated after the reveal of Wonder, but in the New games we instead had Toad and Nabbit to contend with. Nabbit. How I loathe it. The much-celebrated Mario Elephant was a crowd pleaser at the Direct too, and while recency bias is in full swing, I can't think of a moment from the New games that ever had the same reaction.
The New Super Mario games were fine. And now they're dead. That's about as much as anybody cares. While perfectly playable, serviceable games, they were below the standard of Mario, and had an art style to match. Wonder is the start of a new era, and I hope it's better than the last one.