Update: Something to Think About…
Friday, June 27th, 2008 at 9:14pm by Will
Have you ever wondered if there was a deeper meaning to the games that we play? Maybe something that if we took a look from a different perspective we might see a little more into the world around us and walk away with a deeper understanding of our life. A game that has underlying tones that connects to every day life, and is something that everyone has played.
Let’s just take Super Mario Bros for example, if we were to look at the game and try to search for hidden metaphors there is most likely thousands of them. Take a world in Mushroom Kingdom, say that this represents our transition from life to death. As we progress through the stage, we must collect many things from coins, to mushrooms, and even stars.
The coins could be a representation of our constant need for income and as we bash blocks open for them it is the equivalent of us working at a job. We work hard to get our money, bashing blocks open and sometimes doing it repetitively just to make money. However, sometimes there are ways to get money without having to work for it. Just like people do bad things or “underground dealings” to get cash quickly, this is also represented as well. Since we can all take that path, although hidden from view, by hopping down a pipe to a secret stash easily accessible wealth.
Also as we progress through the world we are in a constant search for mushrooms. These make us feel better and make us grow. We can say that mushrooms are our source of sustenance, and without them we would be starving. Yet, if we go and run into an enemy, which I would say would be “hard times” we actually begin to starve and get skinnier, thus shrinking. There is more than just mushrooms to find in the world as we can also obtain stars.
Now if Mario happens to obtain a Power Star he becomes invincible and starts flashing all sorts of different colors. Now these Stars are a direct representation of a lot of dangers in our life, especially those of drugs. When someone uses drugs it only affects them and can even make them feel like we are invincible. Explaining why it is only Mario that is flashing colors since he is the only one experiencing this euphoria. Thus giving him the power and mentality to be able to run past all his problems without fear.
However, just like in the real world, life always has its ups and downs, as accidents tend to happen to everyone. A direct representation of this are the “pitfalls” as they are the problems that we run into. We can easily run into them without even noticing them approaching, and unknowingly fall into them without meaning to. Since they can surprise us by just appearing below us without even knowing they were there in the first place. As we grow we learn that we are able to handle this situations with skill and are we learn how to avoid them. But even once in a a while we all have to suffer these problems.
There is also the fact that the bushes and the clouds in Super Mario Bros happen to look exactly the same just recolored. This is most definitely a meaning of a connection heavens and earth, and how they are indeed part of the same creation. In most religions this could stand as a metaphor for the final resting place that the earth and heavens are one. This is also strongly reinforced by the end of every level, as we have to climb a stairway high into the sky to reach the end. We could call this “The Stairway to Heaven”.
However, that is not all that is present in the Super Mario Bros., as the main goal of the game is to rescue the Princess. For what purpose would you need to rescue to the Princess but to fall in love and reproduce, and ultimately this brings us to the actual meaning of life. One can say that you weren’t actually going through Mushroom Kingdom to rescue her, but that your goal was to pass on your lineage through your offspring.
I don’t know if this is just a total coincidence or maybe we are all just looking for some type of connection and an understanding to the meaning to life…
[Note: I did not originally come up with the idea of this, I just expanded upon it. I saw the picture of someone explaining these theories but did not know the source, So I couldn't source anyone, since the source has shown up as shown here It should be known that this was the inspiration for this post.]
June 27th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Holy Crap… That was deep. There are several things I could say:
It’s just a game man,
Very good observation,
You must have a lot of time on your hands to notice this.
In all, very good post. I never thought about things like that. You should seriously show that to a philospher who has played video games. You have made me see the light.
This is proof that video games aren’t just games of violence for the purpose of entertainment, but on the contrary they are great stories full of secrect meanings that reflect real life. That was a very beautiful article Will. I thank you for opening my eyes to this very amazing discovery of yours. Keep up the good work!
(consider video game phillosophy as a future career.)
June 27th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Let’s see, turn game on, play game for a while, turn game off.
Nope, nothing there for me.
June 27th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
I think this was a poor attempt, video games don’t contain philosophy, leave that to literature.
June 27th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Very nice read. I really do wonder if those aspects of real life inspired the various aspects of Mario. Mario has in turn inspired many “real life” re-interpretations (just take a look on youtube), probably due to the strong correlations between game world and real world, which were never coincidence in the first place. Only one man knows for sure, but as is the case with all art, it is what we make it.
June 27th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
You didn’t mention that the flag at the end of the level has a skull on it.
June 27th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
I saw this somewhere else….
June 27th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Wow. Will, you need to get out more. Heh, just kidding.
It takes an open mind to think of something like that. You have a gift, my friend.
June 27th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Did you post this on Digg?
http://digg.com/nintendo/Super_Mario_Bros_Finally_Makes_Sense_PIC
If so, cool. Good read. Otherwise…
-Age
June 27th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Sometimes, a game is just a game.
June 27th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
That was cool, but not deep, I think about this stuff everyday. Is there something wrong with me, or do I just make a good candidate for LUE?
June 27th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Props for mentioning LUE DmNt
June 28th, 2008 at 12:11 am
It’s not just Super Mario Bros, ALL videogames a metaphoric interpretations of human life. We move though space, trying to survive, succeed and discover. The older classic games tend to be a lot more pure in their expression of these basic human motivations, and contemporary games more muddled. That’s why I think classic games really stand the test of time, and stand up against the best of “high art” whereas most contemporary games fall very short.
June 28th, 2008 at 12:12 am
that’s supposed to be “are metaphoric interpretations” not “a metaphoric”.
June 28th, 2008 at 12:18 am
Nice read but really it was just about getting good at the game. the graphics where just there for function. I like what you said but mario always represented beating the odds any way possible. Then once that was done I started finding out the other secrets like touching bowser and the ax at the same time so I could have firepower while little or the minus worlds. Or making it thru the whole game with out warping.
I mean it really shows a side of people some times. Some people just wake up and just try to get thru the day. Some actualy force them selves to do better and some just throw the controller at the TV when things don’t go their way.
June 28th, 2008 at 1:32 am
Interesting, but bullshit over analysis of anything, books, games, or anything else is incredibly off putting to me. I don’t mean this in any sort of insulting way, but anyone with a good portion of a brain can over expand anything into some sort of overreaching philosophical statement.
June 28th, 2008 at 3:39 am
I agree with peshue, sorry. Not everything has to have some hidden meaning behind it. This wasn’t really deep at all…. I think the word you’re all looking for is pretentious
And Damien, it’s not a skull. It’s a peace sign. And even if it was, what does any of this really prove?
June 28th, 2008 at 5:26 am
I would like to say just one thing. Games were created for entertainment purposes and not for us to link them with real-life situations. Games act as a pathway or even escape from real life problems that everyone has during that short time that we play them and i think they should stay like that. if games end up being the same or connected to the real life nobody will be playing them anymore, and imagination and creativity that makes games what they are today will go down the drain!
June 28th, 2008 at 10:26 am
Do you not see the light? This could prove that video games are good for more than improving hand-eye coordination skills. This might partially explain why the origional Super Mario Bros. for NES is one of the best games ever. This logic says that video games can actually teach you lessons in life if you are willing to look deep enough. No matter what, Mario HAS to beat the odds to save the princess. Mario has two choices: work hard and go through every level or take the short cuts in life a.k.a. Warp Pipes. If he chooses the later, he shall miss some very great experiences but reach his goal faster, but it might feel less rewarding since he wouldn’t have gone through that many hardships.
If you don’t want to look deeper, fine, but you are really missing something.
June 28th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
…???
June 28th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
I strongly believe that there’s no purpose in looking that far into an enjoyable game.
You run. You collect stuff. Make it to the end.
That’s all I need to know
June 29th, 2008 at 7:15 am
I very much doubt anything in your post motivated Miyamoto to make Mario what it is.
July 1st, 2008 at 10:14 pm
I recently had a conversation with jesus. hes glad that someone got it right. jesus knows this because god (his father) told him so. he also said that all the people who take this article to seriously to the point of bashing it were purposely made with a deficiency. their condition is called being an asswhole.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:23 am
Cool!
What’s with everybody taking this seriously and slamming it!?Come on!
And I have to say(wait,type)hi to my fellow Luigi fan(3 comments above).
July 8th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
i’m way late to this party, but i wanted to still say that although this was a nice post i can almost garuntee you without ever meeting anyone at nintendo none of what you wrote was on their minds while creating it.
maybe now we have the hindsight to create games with meaning and a message seeing as the platform has grown into more than kid’s entertainment, but the original Mario Bros games was just a simple addicting mindless run, jump, shoot fireballs, and jump again game.
it’s so fun because it’s so simple and anyone can play, not because it was a metaphor for life. real life sucks and no one would want to play a game as hard as real life.