Joystiq [Nintendo]

Gravity

As far as intimidation factor is concerned, popular bosses like Bowser and his castle-guarding minions are second-to-none. You face off against them in secluded, dead-end rooms where maneuverability is low and the only escape is victory. The pressure to succeed escalates further when the menacing boss music cues at the start of a battle. Even the amateur player knows it's Do or Die when facing a boss.

But among Mario's most easily overlooked obstacles are the cliffs and lava pits dotting the landscape everywhere a plumber might go. When the platforming level design gets tough, the danger of plummeting plagues our hero regardless of what kind of Super suit he might be wearing. Even stars and mega-mushrooms can't stop the inevitable death that awaits off-screen, and Mario just shrugs and looks at the camera as if to say, "It's-a not my fault."

04/08/08