Super Mario Crossover Grows More Awesome
April 29, 2013
I've mentioned the amazing 8-bit smashup that is Super Mario Crossover before, but now it's worth mentioning again as the free Flash game is about to get an upgrade to version 3.0 which includes new levels, skins, and a few other tricks. The team at Exploding Rabbit is hard at work adding the contents of the obscure Super Mario Bros. Special into the mix. Here's the explanation:
We decided to take the levels from an obscure Mario game called Super Mario Bros. Special. It is a pretty weird game that even has some new items and enemies. Playing the game is an absolute nightmare because it’s on an old Japanese computer and it has many technical limitations. Now that it’s playable in SMBC, it can finally be enjoyed like other Mario games.The other big feature we’re adding is levels that change based on difficulty. This means if you play on easy mode, you’ll play an easier version of each level, and for hard mode, a harder version. I really enjoy the hard mode levels. Since I’ve played the game so many times, I’m used to playing through the levels pretty quickly, but on hard mode, I have to stop and think about what I’m doing. It’s really fun, and it plays with the player’s expectations. Easy mode is also fun. Instead of just making the levels easier, we added tons of coins. It makes you want to collect as many as you can so it changes the gameplay a bit.
And of course, there are new skins. Many of the skins in the trailer were released in version 2.1, but I included them since many people may not be aware of them. The new map skins are Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES and SNES), Super Mario Bros. Special, Atari, and Castlevania. There are also some new character skins that were not shown in the trailer only because there is so much stuff in the game it’s difficult to show it all. As mentioned in the trailer, the new version will be released in May or June.
I can't wait to try this new version. The Crossover series is basically made of nostalgia, and the new trailer looks as if even more memories are packed into the game than ever before. The Super Mario Bros. 2 skin will make you smile, I promise. Playable Mega Man Robot Masters are a great bonus, too. I can't wait to see what the development team comes up with next. The pantheon of great Nintendo Entertainment System franchises is just about completely represented here as it is.