Platform: Nintendo GameCube In the wake of Super Mario 64's insanely successful release, upon which it was branded one of the greatest games ever made (like, ever), the words "Super Mario 128" began to circulate, courtesy of one Shigeru Miyamoto - a mere working title for a potential sequel, yes, but three words that seemed to offer up the promise of a game unlike any other: a project of unparalleled greatness. A game with the potential to be... well, the greatest video game ever made. After being talked up for years, with one especially memorable "demo" being shown during E3 in 2000, in which dozens of Mario characters scurried across a 3D "globe," Super Mario 128 seemed to disintegrate, its components reworked for reuse in a bunch of other Nintendo titles. The true "sequel" to Super Mario 64 seemed to fall by the wayside, but Miyamoto could still be heard talking - in vague terms, at least - about the mysterious project in 2005. Then came 2007, when Miyamoto dropped a bombshell on fans who had been waiting for this game to surface for nearly a decade: the footage glimpsed at E3 back in 2000 had been that of a mere tech demo, as a means of showcasing the power inherent to the then-unreleased GameCube. It was later revealed that 128 had evolved sideways into Super Mario Galaxy. Still, had it ever happened, there's no doubting that it would have made millions. Like this article? Would these games have made millions? Let us know all your thoughts in the comments below.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
