Day 2 – Favorite game franchise
There are quite a few franchises that I follow devotedly, but none has been quite as long lasting or as free of disappointment as the Mario franchise has been. Besides, it was my first, and you never forget your first.
Not only has the Mario franchise been around for more then thirty years, it has produced some of the best games ever; Super Mario Bros, Mario Kart, Mario Party, Paper Mario, Luigi’s Mansion, etc. I’m not even mentioning all the sequels because the amount is overwhelming.
This franchise is Nintendo’s bread and butter, the reason for Nintendo’s continuing existence and one of the main reasons I keep supporting them.
Of course it is not only about Mario anymore. The franchise has given us a veritable cornucopia of characters to love, hate, and cheer; Mario, Luigi, Toad, Princess Peach, Bowser, Yoshi, Wario, and more. The Mario family is large and lovable and contains some of the most recognizable characters in the world.
And to the father of the whole bunch, Shigery Miyamoto, thank you so very much for sharing this little bit of awesome with the world. Me = Mario fan for life. <3<3<3
(Cute little side note article – The genealogy of Mario as explained by Japanese 6 year olds.)
Tags: 30 days of video games, adoration, industry, mario, nintendo, win
August 2nd, 2012 at 3:37 pm
Not surprised in the least by that choice. :) Mario is timeless, iconic, and even the “not so great” games are enjoyable. You forgot to mention a major character of the franchise, though, and the key antagonist early on – the big dumb lovable ape himself – and one of my first arcade loves – Donkey Kong. (The game, I loved, not the ape. I friggin’ hated that barrel chucking ape.)
Still, with all the fond memories that the Mario franchise has given me, it shouldn’t come as any shock to you that it only ranks #2 with me. My favorite is the OTHER timeless Nintendo classic: Zelda.
Probably it’s because I’m a gigantic RPG nerd, but the Legend of Zelda (Despite my first exposure to the series being the completely terrible/awesome 80s TV spot for it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoXb7PIJYmA ) BLEW MY FRIGGIN’ MIND. Finding the Master Sword for the first time perhaps spoiled me forever and sent me on countless quests for, dare I say, phat loot.
It was Ocarina, however, that really pushed Zelda over Mario for me, though. The story line was pure childhood magic, starting with the often whimsical/humorous adventures of child Link and then having the game turn a dark note with the dystopian future of Hyrule. The items were even better (3D hookshot?!? SO COOL!), the monsters & bosses were fantastic, and the final fight: I loved every second of it.
So, Mario a clear #2, Zelda my #1, and behind them there are host of good franchises, but none of them really come close to Nintendo’s classics.
August 2nd, 2012 at 5:12 pm
I think Mario also gets a boost because Nintendo used him for everything:
Side-scrollers:
Super Mario Bros
3D:
Mario World, Mario Galaxy
Sports:
Mario Soccer, Mario Tennis, Mario Superstars Baseball
Racing:
Mario Kart
RPG:
Paper Mario
Party/Puzzle:
Mario Party, Dr. Mario
That doesn’t even count the “Mario” games starring Luigi, Wario or Yoshi.
August 2nd, 2012 at 9:41 pm
I have to agree that Zelda is fabulous, but it just never had the diversity that Mario boasts.
I’m not sure what would be my second choice. Zelda might be up there. But there are a lot that I really like.
August 6th, 2012 at 8:40 am
Mario FTW~!
August 6th, 2012 at 9:53 am
Mario solidarity. =D
August 6th, 2012 at 12:31 pm
Color me NOT surprised! This however was my wife’s pick as well.
August 6th, 2012 at 4:00 pm
Well when it comes to franchises its hard to beat Mario. =P
August 8th, 2012 at 8:40 am
I agree. My second choice is the Lego franchise. Granted it is a bunch of other franchises merged into one, but I think it still counts.
August 8th, 2012 at 4:10 pm
Hmm that’s an interesting choice. Hard to fault that one, though it does seem a bit like cheating. Star Wars and Super Heroes and Harry Potter all in one place. Might be cheating. =P
August 17th, 2012 at 2:42 pm
Ultima. lots of fond memories.
August 17th, 2012 at 7:56 pm
I missed out on Ultima. =(