Super Mario has been around for a long, long time. He’s older than I am! As one of the–if not the–most iconic and recognizable video game characters of all time, he’s been a part of a great many games and game genres. Super Mario genres range from the classic 2D side-scrolling platformer to the modern turn-based strategy, the rail shooter of Yoshi’s Safari, the fighting games in Smash Bros., puzzles, edutainment, rhythm, creation, party, sports, and racing, you name it! However, there are still some genres that Super Mario has never really made an appearance in, nevermind headlined.
Come with me on a journey of imagination with the aid of a few words and some AI art I slapped together for just such an occasion. These are 13 Super Mario genres that might have been, just in time to mark MAR10 Week!
1. Mech Game
Kicking off our list is something truly technical, far removed from the accessibility and ease of play that Super Mario games have so consistently represented. I’m sorry that that sounds antithetical, but this is pure self-indulgence. You’re a mercenary hired by competing mega-corporations and you’ve got to complete missions to collect funds to build your gigantic mech a la Armored Core. Iconic robot parts would be the icing on the cake. A birdo mortar that launches egg-shaped barrages. A whip-like leech-life Piranha Plant melee weapon. A snifit railgun. Never gonna happen but fun to dream about.
2. Roguelite/like
Inject it straight into my veins. The procedurally generated levels. The loss of loot. The keeping of key loot. The “just one more run” mentality. Heck, gimme the isometric levels and even permadeath, I don’t care. It’d be a whole new way to make Mario addicting again. A whole new kind of collectathon and a whole new way to explore the Marioverse. Set it deep underground and have him fight to the surface like in Hades.
3. Adult Coloring Book
A step above Color-By-Number or Color A Dinosaur, this could be an easy smash hit with the casual crowd. And for Mario, “casual” is not a dirty word. Adult coloring books have come into fashion and you can find them everywhere. They’re complex, hold the attention, and represent some much-needed escapism. More than many other games on this list, that last part kinda screams Super Mario, does it not? Sometimes you don’t want a grimdark hyperrealistic bit of the ol’ ultraviolence. Sometimes you just want to get a crayon and color something.
4. Farming Simulator
I feel like this one is coming sooner or later. Whether they make it an actual RPG or not, a Super Mario Bros. farm sim could be the perfect fit for the tone of the franchise. Maybe give it a facelift like the one above for a softer, more pastel look. Just steer clear of the mobile game farm sim territory and give us something more akin to Stardew or Harvestella. After all, Mario’s been pulling up turnips since Mario 2. Just don’t forget to include a marriage system. Speaking of which…
5. Visual Novel
It writes itself. True, a game like this would likely veer into territory that would make the family-friendly censors at Nintendo sweat right through their business suits. Things could certainly start out innocently enough in a romantic adventure visual novel, but several waifus vying for Mario’s attention later, we’re dropping into some serious drama. Keep it engaging with meaningful dialogue choices and real consequences. And to think, it all started innocently enough with a princess who baked a cake.
6. Metroidvania / Exploratory Platformer
This is one I’m surprised Nintendo hasn’t really done yet. It wouldn’t even necessarily have to be set in a sci-fi setting, but it needs to nail the sense of atmosphere and loneliness and ruin, which… is probably why Nintendo hasn’t really done it yet. I said that like a fanboy, didn’t I? If they did develop a Mariovania, it’d probably be a significant tonal shift. That’s alright, but a mage can dream. Take a cue from Breath of the Wild and Hollow Knight: land the game in a future timeline where Mario awakens alone in a vast underground world and slowly pieces together the fate of the Mushroom Kingdom. It might be interesting to explore a Mario dystopia. Hey, Kirby did it!
7. RTS
In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only WAHOO LETSA GO YAH WAH HOO! I know there’s Mario + Rabbids, but how about something much bigger? I’m talking StarCraftian. Structure trees and buildings, resources to gather, multiple playable races (Mushroom Kingdom, Koopa Troopas, Dreamland from SMB2, etc.), and of course the ever-deadly toadling rush.
8. Digital Tabletop Wargame
Whether you want to go full-on TBS/RTT/RPG like Sega’s Total War series or really capture the feel of arguing over inches and shady dice rolls with your friends, I’d love to see something like this. All the better if you can customize and color your digital miniatures! Maybe they could tie in amiibo? Yeah, that’s the ticket. Amassing an army of digital figureines. You’re sitting on a goldmine, Nintendo.
9. Reverse Tower Defense
One for Luigi and an idea that I’ve had for some time now. Instead of playing as the frightened tall-bro guarding the tower (in this case, a mansion), you play as King Boo and his cohorts tasked with re-haunting the place. That means getting in and sneaking past all of Luigi’s traps, as well as Luigi himself, until you get to the heart of the mansion. Once that’s done, spooky success has been achieved! Then onto the next household with increasingly challenging traps, multiple anti-boo guardians, and complex floors. Final boss: Mario himself with a crucifix and some holy water? lol
10. MMORPG
Just stop for a moment and imagine what a Nintendo MMORPG would be like. The most difficult thing would be making it safe for kids, of course (considering adults will ruin anything), but with so much IP to pull from, you could have a best-seller bigger than Final Fantasy XIV. Exploring multiple regions from the Mushroom Kingdom to Donkey Kong Country to Hyrule, with several job classes available like doctor, architect, athlete, racer, and of course plumber, featuring music from across Super Mario history… this could really be something, but maybe a bit too ambitious for Nintendo.
11. Soulslike
Maybe about as contrary to the heart of Super Mariodom as you can get, a hybridization between Mario and Soulsborne seems like a match made only on the likes of DeviantArt (or with AI generators). After all, Miyamoto was worried about giving Mario a gun? Imagine how he’d feel if FromSoft gave him a switchblade buzzsaw flamethrower that cut through meat like it was something really sharp cutting through meat? On the other hand, Soulslike Bowser.
12. Stealth Action
“Toad, do you read me?” “Loud and clear, Mario!” So much of the plucky plumber’s adventures have had him yelling his lungs out about how much fun he’s having, but what about a much quieter sneak mission through castles, corridors, and causeways? Mario could be investigating the mysterious appearance of technologically-advanced weaponry that even the Koopa King doesn’t seem to know about, leading him down a path to uncovering a new villain: Wadaisy, who is Daisy with Wario’s haunted hand grafted onto her wrist in place of her real one. It’s just nanomachines, don’t worry about it.
13. Super Dead Or Alive Beach Volleyball
This one’s just here for clicks. Kinda like DoA volleyball.
Would you actually play any of these? Tell me your own ideas for Super Mario genres! I’d love to hear them.
Be sure to come back tomorrow for even more celebration for this week’s MAR10 event!
Red formerly ran The Well-Red Mage and now serves The Pixels as founder, writer, editor, streamer, and podcaster. He has undertaken a seemingly endless crusade to talk about the games themselves in the midst of a culture obsessed with the latest controversy, scandal, and news cycle about harassment, toxicity, and negativity. Pick out his feathered cap on Mage Cast podcast, on Twitter @thewellredmage, or on Twitch at /thewellredmage.
