As I’m writing this, I’m sitting at my desk and not teaching today because the schools are closed. It’s not a weekend, and it’s not technically a “snow day”… no, it’s because it’s a frigid -9 degrees Fahrenheit outside, with wind chills somewhere around a dangerous 30 degrees below zero. Weather like this comes and goes, and let’s hope my Dashboard widget is correct in saying that tomorrow will be warmer. Plus, I’ve got a jacket if I need to go outside.
Some people, such as Italian plumbers, are a little more hardcore. They’ll head out into entire worlds of ice in nothing but their work clothes, saving penguins, riding skiing dinosaurs, walking on water, and even sporting raccoon tails. I’ve compiled videos of some frigid memories in the Super Mario series after the break, so grab a cup of hot cocoa, wrap yourself in a blanket, and enjoy the cold!
Super Mario Bros. 2
I remember having some frustrating moments with the above levels as a kid. Almost no traction plus gap holes above bottomless pits? It always seems that trying to avoid those tiny gaps would ensure my doom.
Super Mario Bros. 3
World 6: one of the longest endeavors in a game at the time. I’m pretty sure I got sick of the map music really quickly. Plus, since Super Mario Bros. 3 didn’t have a save function, this is usually where I left the game on, turned off the TV, and took my break.
Super Mario World
Secret!
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
This is still one of my favorite moments from the golden age of gaming. It’s also a major reason why Yoshi is as cool as he is.
Super Mario 64
After realizing I couldn’t use the bridge teleporting trick to rescue the baby penguin, I’m pretty sure I found a spot pretty high up where I could just jump down and land near the mother. Sure, I’d drop the penguin a few feet away and drop halfway into the snow, but it was a much better use of time than making my way down the mountain. I forget where exactly that jump is… I’ll have to go back sometime.
Then of course you had other people who simply brought the baby back to the mother, were given the star, and then threw the baby off the cliff before taking the star. You know who you are. Shame on you!
Super Mario Galaxy
Ah, the modern classic. No Tanooki Mario in this game, but Ice Mario was as awesome consolation as I’m sure many of you would agree. Hopefully that sequel Nintendo’s expressed interest in – the one that would supposedly use some suits that didn’t make the cut – is well along the way!
Bonus Video! The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
… I didn’t know you could do that. Then again, I’ve never tried.
