10 Best Gaming Surprises Of 2023

Until this decade, Nintendo would probably have liked to erase the phrase "Mario movie" out of public consciousness. It's fair to say that the 90s Bob Hoskins flick was not what anyone was expecting, least of all the head honchos who owned the brand.

But the company decided to finally take another swing at it 30 years later, which was generally met with reactions that ranged from mixed down to "oh no" at every turn. Partnering with Illumination caused concern among those who (quite rightfully) hated the conveyor belt of Minions movies and the announcement of Chris Pratt in the starring role felt like a joke.

Still, potential voice cast disagreements aside, the Mario movie actually turned out to be a huge hit. It's hardly going to revolutionise film-making or Mario as a series, but its breezy tone, heartfelt soundtrack and steady flow of references made it easy to watch and hard to be mad about. Plus, the film touchingly features original Mario voice Charles Martinet signing off his career as the Father of the plumbing duo.

Super Mario: The Movie became the highest-grossing video game film and finished in the top three for animated flicks. That's a pretty strong comeback and has set Nintendo up for what will surely be a long string of perhaps overdue Hollywood adaptations.