The game itself is almost exactly the same: Eight worlds, you keep going right, avoid dying, grab the hammer, drop Bowser into the lava and save the Mushroom Kingdom. However, instead of a man saving a princess, you play a woman saving a prince. That means changes to some of the sprites and box/cartridge art, but other than that, it is very much the same game.
I know, it isn't the biggest difference never made, and it has been demonstrated that videogames have as much effect on a persons brain as a movie or a painting, but I think it would have at least some interesting consequences.
It's fair to say that, at present, the videogame industry has a certain amount of bias towards male gamers, and far less than 50% of people involved in the design of games are female. The same was even more true back in 1985, when there weren't even any female player-characters, at least none starring a hit fanchise (true, Samus got her first game in 1986, but since the entirety of the game has you thinking she was a man, she doesn't really count).
But, one little change in what is often called the Greatest Game of All Time might've done a lot to change that. Mario (along with Link) came to dominate gaming and produce a huge franchise that is still going strong. Would the same have happened had the star been a girl, and would that have had an effect different to OTL?
Partly inspired by the story of the dad who hacked Donkey Kong so his daughter could play as Pauline saving Jumpman (go read it, it's really cute!).
I know, it isn't the biggest difference never made, and it has been demonstrated that videogames have as much effect on a persons brain as a movie or a painting, but I think it would have at least some interesting consequences.
It's fair to say that, at present, the videogame industry has a certain amount of bias towards male gamers, and far less than 50% of people involved in the design of games are female. The same was even more true back in 1985, when there weren't even any female player-characters, at least none starring a hit fanchise (true, Samus got her first game in 1986, but since the entirety of the game has you thinking she was a man, she doesn't really count).
But, one little change in what is often called the Greatest Game of All Time might've done a lot to change that. Mario (along with Link) came to dominate gaming and produce a huge franchise that is still going strong. Would the same have happened had the star been a girl, and would that have had an effect different to OTL?
Partly inspired by the story of the dad who hacked Donkey Kong so his daughter could play as Pauline saving Jumpman (go read it, it's really cute!).
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