SmashBoards Creates: Super Mario Atlantis (Job #2: 8 worlds)

[Perkilator]

Mario has delved into a lot of unique ideas on the GBA, with games like Mario & Luigi and Mario Pinball Land being notable examples. And yet, aside from the Super Mario Advance series, the GBA hasn't seen a fully original Mario platformer, which is unusual for Nintendo's golden goose. Hence, I wanted to create a fully original 2D Mario platformer for the Game Boy Advance.

Spoiler: Gameplay

This title is based on the Game Boy Advance's initial name, Project Atlantis. The game would take place in Atlantis itself, and the main gameplay hook would be the ability to turn the stage by 90 degrees.

The general control scheme is based on Super Mario World, but the 90-degree turns would be activated by special switched found in certain levels.

Spoiler: Worlds

TBD

Spoiler: Power-Ups

TBD

 

[Perkilator]

Job # 1: Title and premise
​

What should our game be called and what should it be about? What should the gameplay be like?

 

[DragonRobotKing26]

Job 1: Super Mario Magical

the premise is Super Mario World-like gameplay,but no Yoshies,and it have magic stars who are collectibles

 

[Perkilator]

Job #1: Super Mario Atlantis

This title is based on the Game Boy Advance's initial name, Project Atlantis. The game would take place in Atlantis itself, and the main gameplay hook would be the ability to turn the stage by 90 degrees.

 

[KneeOfJustice99]

Job #01: Super Mario Subcon.
The idea is that it's intended as a spiritual and thematic sequel to Super Mario Bros. 2, but rather than just being a remake akin to the Super Mario Advance games, it runs with the idea of Mario and friends being stuck inside a dream world in a whole new light. The different "worlds" could, as such, be really unique and out-there - rather than being limited to more traditional Mushroom Kingdom worlds.

The game doesn't have a particular "gimmick", per se, aside from the ability to play as the four characters from SMB2 once again. Rather, the appeal would be in the various worlds that Mario and friends encounter, with potential world-specific gimmicks being present there. (All of these could then come together in the final world.) Also, in terms of gameplay, I'd lean more toward a more traditional Mario experience.

 

[Perkilator]

• Magical ( DragonRobotKing26 )
• Atlantis ( Perkilator )
• Subcon ( KneeOfJustice99 )

Vote for your top 3 submissions, with your own below 1st. For me:

1. Subcon
2. Atlantis
3. Magical

 

[DragonRobotKing26]

1. Subcon
2. Magical
3. Atlantis

 

[KneeOfJustice99]

1. Super Mario Atlantis feels like a really fun concept, albeit on the sole condition that the entire game shouldn't be made up of underwater levels. (Jokes aside, it's really creative in my mind, and I think the idea of being able to actually turn the world itself lends to some interesting challenges in design.)
2. Super Mario Magical could honestly be pretty fun too, given the potential that exists in SMW for some new concepts and ideas to replace the Yoshis.
3. Super Mario Subcon is my own submission, hence last place.

 

[BritishGuy54]

1. Atlantis
2. Magical
3. Subcon

 

[TheGipper]

1. Magical
2. Atlantis
3. Subcon

 

[Perkilator]

User	3 x # of votes	2 x # of votes	1 x # of votes	Result
DragonRobotKing26​	3 x 1 (3)​	2 x 3 (6)​	1 x 1 (1)​	10​
Perkilator​	3 x 2 (6)​	2 x 2 (4)​	1 x 1 (1)​	11​
KneeOfJustice99​	3 x 2 (6)​	2 x 0 (0)​	1 x 3 (3)​	9​

It was a close race, but the game will be titled Super Mario Atlantis!

Job #2: Come up with 8 world themes​

Since it's a 2D Mario game, the 8-world staple is gonna follow through into this game as well. The twist here, however, is that they would still be thematically connected to Atlantis. Anyway, here's my 8 world themes:

1. Atlantis City
2. Sidestepper Resort
3. Sunken Sphinx
4. Ghostly Shipyard
5. Iceberg Outpost
6. USS Toadstool
7. Volcanic Fortress
8. Titanikoopa

 

[KneeOfJustice99]

Job #02: I feel like a more story-centric progression between these worlds might make sense, though I don't want to spoil potential future jobs in doing so. As such, I'll try and keep things broad-strokes, and leave it open to interpretation.

1. Peculiar Palace - Starting with a "castle" theme might seem odd, but I think it'd work pretty well. Mario (and friends?) enter a temple that suddenly rises out of the sea, taking heavy inspiration from Greek architecture and the like. However, when the temple starts to recede back beneath the waves, they end up going with it... and entering a strange and bizarre subnautical city.
2. Coral Cove - A strange underwater city hidden amongst a gigantic and colourful coral reef, with a heavy tropical theming. The upcoming Millenium Festival is in its preparation stages, but the townsfolk seem a little weirded out by the sudden rise of the Peculiar Palace. Regardless, Mario and co. end up passing through - but they end up on a quest to find and recover the Millenium Crown in time for the Millenium Festival.
3. Hot-Cold Colony - A colony mostly made up of coldwater settlers in an icy area of the ocean - but also populated with lots of volcanic activity below the gigantic icebergs that people live in here. Mario and friends arrive here on their quest to recover the Crown, but end up roped into a strange plan to stop the volcanic activity to prevent the Colony from melting...
4. Treacherous Trenches - Mario and friends manage to save Hot-Cold Colony, but are pulled into an underground network of caves in the process - and find themselves in a vast trench completely bereft of light... aside from that which comes from strange beings and plants alike. There seems to be an entire primitive society down here - and, at the very depths of these trenches, lies...
5. Spooky Shipwreck - With Mario and the gang having found out a rogue group of ghostly pirates stole the Crown, they end up heading right into their trap - a massive underwater graveyard of sunken ships from all kinds of eras, even including sunken airships from Bowser's empire. The last stage in this "world" takes place on a singular, gigantic ghost ship that heads directly toward the Millenium Festival in order to try and gatecrash.
6. Rubbish Rampart - While heading back with the Crown in tow, it gets stolen - and Mario and the gang have to recover it from an extremely greedy hoarder. However, the hoarder's created an entire stronghold out of, well... trash. Hence, Mario and co. have to delve into it and try and recover the Crown in time for the Millenium Festival!
7. Fishy Festival - After saving Coral Cove, Mario and friends are invited to the Millenium Festival, celebrating 1,000 years of Coral Cove's survival. The festival as a whole takes heavy inspiration from Brazillian festivals, but takes place in a park of sorts that leans heavily into the coral theming (akin to Coral Cove, but more natural and laid back.) However... something terrifying seeks to destroy it!
8. Onerous Oilrig - An oilrig run by Bowser Oil, which is seeking to drill straight through Coral Cove and use the world's heat to power Lord Bowser's empire - inspired by what was happening at Hot-Cold Colony. The oil leaking from the rig itself is poisoning the residents of Coral Cove, so Mario and friends have to travel up the oilrig to shut it down, all while returning to the surface world in the process.

There's unintentionally a very environmental theme here, huh...