Released in 1990 as the flagship title for the Super Nintendo, Super Mario World didn’t change how we play video games but it gave the Super Mario Brothers universe some wonderful features that are still featured in the games that we play today.

In particular, two things about Super Mario World stood out to me as I recently replayed the game:

1. The Spin jump:  Basically, you jump gets some more firepower.  In addition to being able to KO enemy by stomping on their head, the spin jump allowed you to bust bricks and defeat some enemies that couldn’t be killed with the standard jump.

Doesn’t sound too fancy, right?  BUT IT IS!  Think about modern Mario games and his ever popular butt thump.  This is where it came from.  The butt thump is a central feature in 3D Mario games.

2. Yoshi: Mario’s always been the star of his games, but Yoshi gives him a major run for his money.  It was in Super Mario World that Yoshi made his first appearance.  Since then, Yoshi’s had so many spin offs (read my review of one of those here) that he’s almost become his own franchise.

This is what Nintendo does so very well.  They’ll add one small element to a game that won’t seem like a big deal, yet over time it becomes almost as important as the original game itself.  Yoshi is a perfect example of how a simple idea can be taken to the next level.

So how can we incorporate Super Mario World into the classroom?

  • Examine how Yoshi has changed the landscape of Super Mario Brothers.  Look at the Yoshi character over a large period of time (1990 to present) and trace the path of his humble beginnings to his current status as a gaming icon almost as big as Mario.
  • The little details: The spin jump changed how we play Mario games forever.  Has this element been translated into any other games that you can think of?  Have students look at the history of games over a time period and focus on the little details.  What elements have changed the way we play games?

Sorry for the long overdue part 4 of this installment.  I promise to not make you wait for part 5 as long!   -Justin