Guess who turns 25 today?

[Scotty]

Take a guess...

Nope, not me, still got another two months...

I declare that today, every man who touched a video game pay homage to the most iconic character in all of video game history by firing up their favorite game of:

Super Mario!

Some good montage in that link for those who have played all the different games over the past 25 years!

[Lucifer]

Happy birthday Mario!
Sadly, I was born a bit too late, and my early life revolved too little around gaming, so I can't say I've been a long time Super Mario lover.  (Nor am I any good at the game, Chaos can back that up...)

[DarkTrinity]

Mario is my heroooo

[Mr Pwnage]

My favorite game of all time and always will be! I love you mario! (That's what MAMA LUIGI said)

[Meiun]

Happy birthday Mario! Just played through a level in good old Super Mario Bros 3, such a great game. Mario will always be the most iconic video game character ever, as well as being one of my favorites. Besides, who else can say they've maintaned such a sweet stache for the entire 25 years of their existence?

[krele]

I can't believe they didn't show Super Mario World 2 on their franchise game showcase... That game is my all-time favorite mario game (even though it revolves more around yoshi). I personally think the whole franchise went downhill since the announcement of Wii and DS... What the franchise needed was evolution, not revolution...

But still, happy birthday to our favorite plumber!

[Scotty]

I can't believe they didn't show Super Mario World 2 on their franchise game showcase... That game is my all-time favorite mario game (even though it revolves more around yoshi). I personally think the whole franchise went downhill since the announcement of Wii and DS... What the franchise needed was evolution, not revolution...

But still, happy birthday to our favorite plumber!

That's exactly it, that you missed in that article.  Mario has stayed true to the game, and NOT evolved, which is what has made him last this long.  He didn't evolve as a character, and we love him for it!

[Lingus]

Exactly. Had they shaved Mario's moustache, gave him spikey hair, a couple tatoos, and instead of saying "It's-a Mario" saying "Yo yo yo I'm Mario"; the fans would have run for the hills.

(btw, I have no idea what look I just described. Some combination of a punk, biker, rapper? Either way it's retarded and proves a point.)

[DarkBlade325]

I can't believe they didn't show Super Mario World 2 on their franchise game showcase... That game is my all-time favorite mario game (even though it revolves more around yoshi). I personally think the whole franchise went downhill since the announcement of Wii and DS... What the franchise needed was evolution, not revolution...

But still, happy birthday to our favorite plumber!

That's exactly it, that you missed in that article.  Mario has stayed true to the game, and NOT evolved, which is what has made him last this long.  He didn't evolve as a character, and we love him for it!

Ironically, I know alot of people who hate Mario/Nintendo because he/they hasn't changed in years as well. Yahtzee for example says that all Nintendo does is remake the same games over and over, which is partly true. But hell- why do you think they're so successful? I always had a weird opinion when it comes to Nintendo. I always felt they never take enough risks, because what Yahtzee says is partly true.

But as said before, it's one of the main reasons their games, specially Mario, are so great. Don't fix what isn't broken as they say. Anyways happy birthday Mario.

[Meiun]

  The Mario franchise in my opinion has had some amazing games for the Wii. New Super Mario Bros for instance, is extremely classic and true to the series, but the addition of multiplayer in my opinion is simply an awesome feature for a game of that genre (but ofcourse I'm going to say that, being all about the multiplayer sidescroller...). Also, Mario Galaxy 2 got nearly flawless reviews on most gaming websites, often even receiving a 10/10 on some very respectable ones. So even if you personally don't like the style, I don't think anyone can say that they are garbage. The galaxy games have some of the most creative and awesome level designs of any game I've even seen by far, even though they do sound a bit strange at first glance.
 Also, I totally agree that Mario World 2 was a kick-ass game. Super Nintendo I think has to be my favorite system to this day, and was a definite high point in the Mario series.

[krele]

I can't believe they didn't show Super Mario World 2 on their franchise game showcase... That game is my all-time favorite mario game (even though it revolves more around yoshi). I personally think the whole franchise went downhill since the announcement of Wii and DS... What the franchise needed was evolution, not revolution...

But still, happy birthday to our favorite plumber!

That's exactly it, that you missed in that article.  Mario has stayed true to the game, and NOT evolved, which is what has made him last this long.  He didn't evolve as a character, and we love him for it!

Naw, didn't mean like that. Not in characteristics of heroes, enemies, and other crap like that, but in games genre, type, etc... Look at mario galaxy... Look at mario and sonic at the olympics... Look at 90% of 3d mario games! In my honest opinion, mario should've been kept 2D... Only good 3d mario game is Mario64 (don't mention SSB, it's not even mario-game)... What I meant is that they didn't let the gameplay evolve. They made a revolution in super mario genre. Honestly, how many of you actually enjoyed Mario Galaxy more than Super Mario World? I thought so =)

[Meiun]

All that "Mario olympics" stuff dosn't really count as much in my opinion. Every major game icon is going to have some spin-off games like that which stray from the main series a bit. That game for instance was developed by Sega, not Nintendo.

[Mystery]

I can't believe they didn't show Super Mario World 2 on their franchise game showcase... That game is my all-time favorite mario game (even though it revolves more around yoshi). I personally think the whole franchise went downhill since the announcement of Wii and DS... What the franchise needed was evolution, not revolution...

But still, happy birthday to our favorite plumber!

That's exactly it, that you missed in that article.  Mario has stayed true to the game, and NOT evolved, which is what has made him last this long.  He didn't evolve as a character, and we love him for it!

Naw, didn't mean like that. Not in characteristics of heroes, enemies, and other crap like that, but in games genre, type, etc... Look at mario galaxy... Look at mario and sonic at the olympics... Look at 90% of 3d mario games! In my honest opinion, mario should've been kept 2D... Only good 3d mario game is Mario64 (don't mention SSB, it's not even mario-game)... What I meant is that they didn't let the gameplay evolve. They made a revolution in super mario genre. Honestly, how many of you actually enjoyed Mario Galaxy more than Super Mario World? I thought so =)

...If you think Super Mario Galaxy was bad, and Super Mario 64 was the only good 3D Mario game, either you're blinded by nostalgia, or you are biased. Super Mario Galaxy was incredibly similar to Super Mario 64, but with 242 stars, the option to play as Luigi, and more gameplay features overall. Super Mario 64 was a great game, but to say it's the only great Mario game, just because Mario gameplay didn't 'evolve'? Guess what, several games don't evolve, because they got things right the first time. And when they do evolve, their 'fans' bitch about the gameplay being too different, and that hurts the game's image, even when it's good. (Kirby Canvas Curse, for example.)

From my personal experience, evolving CAN(if done incorrectly, if done well, a success, like Super Mario 64) ruin a game. Take a look at Sonic. He tried to evolve gameplay with crappy gimmicks and ridiculous stories, and he's on life support, a shell of the big star he was in the 90's. Every main console game of Sonic's past Sonic Heroes was absolute crap. Sonic Unleashed broke free from that, and I'm looking forward to Sonic Colors as well. And they stick true to the old Sonic. I enjoyed Super Mario Galaxy a greal deal more than Super Mario World; both are great games, but Super Mario Galaxy is more epic, more redeeming qualities, more replay value, everything.

EDIT: And happy birthday, Super Mario.  :)

[krele]

Stop rephrasing my statements =/

The Olympics game was just an example. And my question about Mario Galaxy wasn't even aimed to compete with Mario64. My question is pretty much clear. Mario64 still stands as a game of immense quality, but nothing like all new 3d games. And please quote me, where did I state this:

but to say it's the only great Mario game, just because Mario gameplay didn't 'evolve'?

This is absolutely pissing me off. Never said such thing =). Refrain from doing this in the future.

What I want to point out, is that mario games SHOULD EVOLVE, and DO EVOLVE, just not as much as they did before. I'm absolutely against making some revolution of mario games. Dunno from what butthole are you drawing those fake claims =/

And it's not me being biased, nor nostalgic for mario64. Mario64 was a WOW for the time it was released at. Mario galaxy was a MEH (probably since it's clouded by other nextgen games)... Again, I'm not saying it's a bad game, but mario64 was a much bigger hit =P

[Scotty]

How about we all go masturbate, get it out of our systems, have a coke, then come back when we can be civil.  Once that happens, read on...

What I want to point out, is that mario games SHOULD EVOLVE, and DO EVOLVE, just not as much as they did before.

That isn't necessarily on the developer's fault, that is more of a limitation of the systems he's been on.  Mario 64 is, in my opinion, the most revolutionary of all Mario games.  The Super Nintendo was limited in its capabilities.  As soon as the Nintendo 64 came out, this was the first game for it (if I'm not mistaken), and developers could finally develop Mario in 3D.  Since then, they've revolutionized Mario games as they could for the systems he's been on.  To say that he hasn't evolved/revolutionized as much as you want, that doesn't necessarily hold water, as the Mario games have done the best they could for the platforms he's been on, and of course going from 2D to 3D is going to be a HUGE leap for any game that's been around for 25 years.