This was a hard topic to make. I mean, does it go into Super Arts or into REVENGE OF THE MUH FUCKIN' D-PAD? I eventually chose the former, since this
is art I'm going to be speaking about.
Anyways, for those not in the know, a Canadian artist by the name of
Myfawnwy Ashmore created three rom hacks of the original Super Mario Brothers. However, unlike most rom hacks, which feature meditations on the penis and ass, and a few pot leaves, these are a bit different. Allow me to link and explain.
Mario Battle No 1This is a hack of world 1-1 from the original Mario. HOWEVER, all of the enemies, items and architecture have been removed, leaving only Mario, the ground and the time limit. During this time, the only thing you can do is walk, run or jump forward until time runs out and you die. The art part of this comes from how players react to this; some jump in time with the music, some simply run or walk forward, some focus on the ? box placed inside the ground at the very beginning of the level (which is also never seen again after walking past it).
Mario Is DrowningSimilar to the first hack; all of the obstacles have been removed, leaving Mario to swim forward until he runs out of air and drowns. A terrible way to go.
Mario Does TimeAgain, like the first two, Mario is trapped behind a giant wall, unable to do anything besides run forward. Since this is a prison Mario is in, he and the player can do nothing but live out the rest of the "sentence" behind this giant, inescapable wall.
Before you ask, why yes, I
have jumped onto the New Games Are Art Journalism bandwagon. One of these days I'll write my article on why Final Fight is an allegory for the struggles we face in life.
