Back in college, I built a more powerful computer so I could play Unreal Tournament 2004 online without any lag. I had a 2006 MacBook, which was okay, but the souped-up Power Mac G4 I made ran it wonderfully. Being able to compete online was a blast. I was actually not too bad at it. In high school, I worked with others on development for an online MMORPG. I bought a PS4 because I wanted to play Overwatch. I love online games, but so often they just become too toxic to play. Still, I’ve always loved video games, since I was just four years old.
Do you want to guess what that first game I played was? Yeah, that one was probably easy. It was Super Mario Bros. on the NES.
To this day, it is one of my favorite games of all time. It had such simplistic platforming and fast action that even modern Mario games frequently fail to emulate. It was fun. Simple and fun.
Nintendo came along and took the Battle Royale genre and applied it to their classic platformer, creating Super Mario Bros. 35 to celebrate the game’s 35th anniversary. It has quickly become one of my favorite games.
There’s just one problem: it’s free.
Believe it or not, that actually is a problem.
Super Mario Bros. 35
What is Super Mario Bros. 35? It’s a new game from Nintendo that’s free for Switch Online subscribers. The game is essentially Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros., the original game for the NES, but turned into a Battle Royale-style game. The last person playing wins. Every enemy you stomp will be sent to someone else’s game, making the levels increasingly difficult as they become littered with enemies. The levels are chosen at random, seemingly with a preference for the lower numbered worlds. As you play, you can spend coins on randomized power-ups, allowing you to compete, even when you’re at the edge of defeat.
It’s incredibly fun and addictive, and I’m not just saying that because I won my second match.
And, no, I’m not just writing this post because I won my second match. That would be incredibly petty.
Incredibly petty.
Promotions Don’t Last Forever
Nothing could make a product less viable in the long term like the fact that it generates no profits. Nintendo does have some products on the Switch that cost nothing more than a subscription to Nintendo Switch Online. Nintendo’s virtual consoles, for example, are completely free and come with quite a few classic games. Nintendo still keeps these up to date, and, speaking for myself, they are certainly a motivator for those looking to get Nintendo’s subscription plan. Super Mario Bros. 35 could drive profits indirectly by being one of the reasons people decide to get a Switch Online subscription. However, if Nintendo made money off of the game directly, they may be willing to keep it online forever.
Nintendo Already Gave it an Expiration Date
However, Nintendo has already decided this would be short lived. Nintendo says Super Mario Bros. 35 will only be playable until March 31st, 2021. That’s not enough time. This is the kind of game you buy a Switch for. It’s endlessly replayable, fun, competitive, and shows a lot of potential. Nintendo could add lobbies, so you could play with your friends. Additional power-ups, levels from other Mario games, all jumbled together or custom rule sets. They could combine it with Super Mario Maker levels. The possibilities are endless.
Super Mario Bros. battle royale, as a concept, is incredible. It reminds me of the ideas my younger brother and I would come up with while playing games in our basement as kids. NES games didn’t have much in the ways of graphics, stories, or play modes, so we’d come up with all kinds of ideas, theories, and gameplay versions. One that we’d frequently think of was just this, a version of Mario where you would play against someone in real time. The idea came about because we, or at least, I could make it to at least level 8-1 without ever even coming close to death. I frequently do deathless runs of Super Mario! That could mean 15 minutes of just sitting there, watching your older sister kick butt in Mario. Do you know how long 15 minutes is to a 5 year old? It’s an eternity! No wonder my brother lost interest in games.
You get where I’m coming from though, right? This is the essence of classical gaming, realized in modern times. That incredibly competitive, imaginative play styles, combined with short rounds, no chat, and simple and familiar gameplay mechanics make Super Mario Bros. 35 a hit. I hope Nintendo reconsiders their March 31st expiration date, because it’s more fun to play online than Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and I love that franchise too.
Hopeful 2021?
I can think of plenty of reasons to be worried about 2021. But if this game remains as popular as it is now, I doubt its cancellation will be among the things we have to worry about. Nintendo won’t shut down an active game, not if there’s a chance they could make money off of the platform. Remember how I said the possibilities were endless for a game like this? Nintendo surely sees that too. They likely also see that they could charge for such additional DLC.
Let’s hope Nintendo expands upon this game and finds ways to monetize it, because it’s a blast.
Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to use my unfair advantage of over a quarter of a century playing Super Mario Bros. to go crush some players online.