Ever wondered why there are hundreds of floating brick blocks in Mario? No, didn't think so. If we're to believe the official instruction booklet for Super Mario Bros, it's a result of the koopas' black magic which turned the toads of mushroom kingdom into stones, bricks and plants - a curse which only Princess Toadstool can reverse. So, complete each level, beat Bowser, save Princess Peach and the toads will all be fine. Well, that's assuming you didn't break hundreds of blocks with Mario's head. Oh wait. Yep, each one of those blocks you smashed for a measly coin was an innocent, defenceless toad. Suddenly, it's easy to see how Mario might be the bad guy. What Bowser did was essentially harmless and he didn't hurt the princess or anyone else, when he certainly had the means to do so. Mario however, went on a quest to save one princess whilst murdering hundreds of the kingdom's innocent populace, probably without realizing. Never before this detail would you have any reason to doubt Mario as the hero, but that tiny piece of information completely changes our perspective of Mario as a character and as a hero. No wonder why Nintendo thought it best to leave that salient piece of information alone, back in the era when the only form of exposition in video games came from the manual.
Sam is an experienced Film, Gaming and Wrestling writer, critic and journalist who was written for a vast number of different entertainment websites. Follow him on twitter at @Sams_Reel_Views.
