Software:Super Mario's Wacky Worlds

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Short description: Cancelled 1990 video game
Super Mario's Wacky Worlds
Super Mario's Wacky Worlds Greek 1.png
The first stage, Greek 1
Developer(s)NovaLogic[1]
Publisher(s)Philips Interactive Media[2]
Designer(s)Marty Foulger
Programmer(s)John Brooks
Silas Warner
Artist(s)Nina Stanley
SeriesMario
Platform(s)Philips CD-i
ReleaseCancelled
Genre(s)Adventure, platform
Mode(s)Single-player

Super Mario's Wacky Worlds was a canceled Mario platform video game developed by NovaLogic for the Philips CD-i system. The game was conceived as a sequel to Super Mario World, a game released for Super NES in 1990. An early prototype received positive feedback from Nintendo, but the game was soon canceled due to the declining sales of the Philips CD-i system.[3]

Development

NovaLogic, the developer of Super Mario's Wacky Worlds, was hoping to be hired by Nintendo.[4] Philips was developing Nintendo's Super NES CD-ROM peripheral, and as part of that deal had the right to use Nintendo's characters in its own games for its existing CD-i console.[5] A Nintendo sales executive suggested to NovaLogic that a simplified style of Super NES games could be adapted to the CD-i, so they decided to demonstrate a follow-up to Super Mario World. Developers Silas Warner and John Brooks worked reportedly 24 hours a day for two weeks on the game, finishing only a part of one level to present to Nintendo.[1] Nintendo was impressed, but because of poor CD-i sales was forced to cancel the game.[6] Multiple designers also left to work for Electronic Arts.[7] This ended the CD-i career of Warner, who had expected Nintendo's reaction. Other developers such as lead artist Nina Stanley stayed with the project. Though the developers were highly enthusiastic about making a traditional Mario game (partly to establish their reputation surrounding Nintendo-licensed characters), NovaLogic hoped to use as little money as possible on the project. The company intended to make a small amount of profit while focusing on games such as the Comanche series. The game's final prototype is a pre-alpha at Version 0.11, finished on March 3, 1993, after one year of work. Approximately 80% of the game's art, 95% of its design, and around 30% of its code was finished.[citation needed] The prototype contains music taken from Super Mario World and no sound effects beside the jumping sound.[8][9] This seems to be an early placeholder, as the idea for the final game was to take advantage of the disc format and use a flexible audio range rather than port unimproved synthesized sound.[4]

Accurately capturing the sprites of Super Mario World was difficult for the Wacky Worlds development team, since the CD-i had a different sprite-making style than that of the SNES.[8] To create their characters, they copied sprites of Mario and several Koopa Troopas from Super Mario World.[4] Their original designs include a Greek Koopa, knight Koopa, eskimo Koopa, vampire Koopa, and a walrus.[10] The backgrounds were all hand-drawn,[8][4] based on real-world locations.[11]

Three prototypes are in circulation.[4]

Gameplay

SuperMarioWackyWorldsTitle.png

As an incomplete pastiche of Super Mario World, Mario can only walk and jump.[4] Enemies are not programmed correctly, as they disappear when Mario ends up above them, suggesting incomplete stomping implementation.[8] Enemies cannot harm Mario, and are stopped if touched, even if it means floating in the air. Mario can't die when he falls into a pit but floats on it.[12]

Level progression can be pieced together by the selectable stages, with two or three levels per world. Each level has an exit such as a Warp Pipe, a Trojan Horse, or a stylized "M" object holding tape—some of which are non-functional,[8] so the system must be restarted.[4]

Reception

Kombo wrote that the game paled in comparison to Sonic CD, another platformer sequel released on a CD-based platform. He criticized the real-world setting as not befitting the "Wacky" monicker, suggesting that its cancelation helped avoid the laughingstock fate of the other Nintendo adaptation for CD-i, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon.[11] GamesRadar writer Tom Goulter compared its quality to fan games, stating that while it was an impressive effort, the CD-i's limitations made it fortunate that it was never released.[1] Joystiq's Justin McElroy said that the game would have been better off to have not been rediscovered. He said that the real-world settings were an odd choice and that it was not a worthy successor to Super Mario World.[13] Digital Spy's Mark Langshaw said that the limited sprite count and the CD-i's pointer controls would have tarnished Super Mario World had it been released.[14]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Goulter, Tom (January 29, 2011). "The worst games you never played". GamesRadar. https://www.gamesradar.com/the-worst-games-you-never-played/3/. 
  2. ↑ "Company Bio: Philips Interactive Media". GameSpy. http://www.gamespy.com/company/025/025243.html. 
  3. ↑ "The Mario Series: 10 Games That Were Canceled". July 25, 2019. https://www.thegamer.com/mario-series-games-canceled/. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Sidewalk CD-i Playground[yes|permanent dead link|dead link}}] (Accessed on 6-19-08)
  5. ↑ Samuel Clemens (July 4, 2022). "Stephen Radosh: An Interview with the Creator of Hotel Mario". GR Media. https://www.gamesreviews.com/news/07/stephen-radosh-a-qa-with-the-creator-of-hotel-mario/. 
  6. ↑ Langshaw, Mark (April 22, 2011). "Retro Corner: 'Super Mario World'". Digital Spy. https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/retro-gaming/a315958/retro-corner-super-mario-world/. 
  7. ↑ East, Tom (April 10, 2009). "Rare Mario games". Official Nintendo Magazine. http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/article.php?id=7898. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Quebec Gamers (Accessed on 6-19-08)
  9. ↑ Gerardi, Matt (September 17, 2014). "Read This: A peek into the making of a lost Mario game". The A.V. Club. https://news.avclub.com/read-this-a-peek-into-the-making-of-a-lost-mario-game-1798272166. 
  10. ↑ Mario Fan Games Galaxy (accessed 6-19-08)
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Super Mario's Wacky Worlds Footage Revealed". Kombo. May 4, 2012. https://www.gamezone.com/originals/super-mario-39-s-wacky-worlds-footage-revealed/. 
  12. ↑ YouTube (accessed 6-20-08)
  13. ↑ McElroy, Justin (September 7, 2009). "Super Mario's Wacky Worlds should have stayed buried". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/super-marios-wacky-worlds-should-have-stayed-buried/. 
  14. ↑ Langshaw, Mark (May 29, 2011). "Feature: Lost Levels: The Best of Vapourware". https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/a321545/feature-lost-levels-the-best-of-vapourware/. 

Further reading



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