Growing up around the Mario craze, I have distinct memories of playing Balloon Battle on Mario Kart with my Pink Nintendo DS or Yoshi’s Island on my Game Boy advance. 20 Years later, Mario games are still taking over the console world, with Mario Party and Mario Kart being popular go-to games for group gatherings. The Mario Franchise has been around for about 40 years and their new releases never disappoint. With every game they release they provide us with both the excitement of a new game, but also the Nostalgia that older games provide. The nostalgia that comes from Mario games will never die. Why is that?

What makes Mario Games so Nostalgic? For one thing, games like Mario Kart and Super Mario Bros hasn’t changed significantly since they were first launched. Sure, the games now have definitely improved with clearer imaging on the Super Mario games and more elaborate tracks on the most recent release of Mario Kart. However, the overall concept of these games have not changed since they were first released. You play Mario Kart 8 the same way you’d play the original Mario Kart game. You might not be playing it on the same console, but the overall game play is the same. The same linear map is provided with every super Mario game. You’re provided with a pre-determined path that you need to follow in order to complete the level. Newer releases may give you more levels to complete or better graphics but the overall goal of the game never changes. That is what Nintendo does so well. Nintendo has done an excellent job in ensuring that with every new release of an Original Mario game, they don’t change the overall game play of it. This helps to build the Reflective Nostalgia mentioned in the Shovel Night chapter in How to Play Video Games. Regarding the reflective Nostalgia that the Shovel Night game provides, Vanderhoef states “Upon its release, critics praised the game for its ‘Classic,’ ‘old school,’ ‘retro’ appeal” (Shovel Night 319). This is similar to what Nintendo is doing with their games. By keeping their game design similar to how they were on the original release, they provide players with that reflective Nostalgia that they’re looking for.

What reflective Nostalgia does best is it gives us a sense of escape. Playing Mario games brings me back to my childhood. It reminds me of a more simpler time, playing video games with my sister and having no real “Responsibilities.” For this reason exactly, I find myself playing Mario games to get away from the real world and reflect on a part of my life where “adulting” wasn’t a thing. I feel that Reflective Nostalgia is especially significant for adults. It provides us with a memory of the past. Maybe that memory is with someone we used to know, or someone that is no longer with us. Whatever that memory may be, find a game from your childhood that provides you with that nostalgia.