Self-propelled Mario

(Cross-posted from my personal site, because I really don't think anyone reads it anymore.)

I'm fully aware that I haven't updated this blog in about eight months. So what is it that finally led me to break my silence? The most amazing gaming-related videos I've ever seen.

The Detteiu Mario series (available in eight installments so far: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight) is the work of a man who decided to hack his own levels of Super Mario World, the first 16-bit Super Mario game, in a way that allows the levels to be completed with no controller input whatsoever. This isn't so clever in and of itself; it wouldn't be so hard to construct a level that drops Mario onto a conveyor belt that takes him directly to the exit. What makes these videos so incredible to watch is the style, inventiveness, and wit that goes into the design.

Under the direction of the designer (one "daigam," whose real Japanese name I don't know) Mario becomes sort of a cross between Buster Keaton and Mr. Magoo, blithely making razor-thin escapes through impossible deathtraps. The videos keep getting longer and more self-aware; even the very first ones have a topper gag like reuniting Mario with Yoshi after the exit, but the capper gets more and more outrageous until Mario literally sleepwalks his way through defeating one of the game's major bosses. The videos are full of hilariously impressive bits such as that, where you can almost see daigam's wink at the viewer as Mario dodges bullets, hitches rides on enemies, and bounces around the levels like a pinball.

These videos are more than just technically impressive feats to wow videogame geeks. They're there to remind anyone, whether or not they've played a Mario game or even know what SNES stands for, of the joys of well-executed, impeccably timed physical comedy. The best part? Anyone who is familiar with Mario games knows from the introductory map screens that he's only on world 3--there's still as many as 5 worlds of this stuff to go, and I can't wait to see how inventive it can get before the end.