11 Fascinating Gaming Moments That Almost Happened

4. Mario Originally Used A Gun

"Who needs courage when you can give Mario a gun?" was the question most likely asked by Nintendo when deciding on what their next protagonist should embody, because - for a time - everyone's favourite Italian plumber had more in common with The Godfather's Luca Brazzi than your local handyman.

In an interview with the Famitsu magazine (translated by 1Up), Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that Mario was originally going to wield a gun, and that the original Mario Bros. title was going to be a side-scrolling shooter. Miyamoto also stated that shoot em' up stages were also considered, "where Mario jumps on a cloud and shoots at enemies," but that the feature was scrapped when the company decided that "jumping action" made for much more compelling gameplay.

Needless to say, the thought of Mario having potentially once become a forgettable side-scrolling shooter protagonist isn't one many Nintendo fans will want to entertain, but it doesn't make speculating on what could've been any less enjoyable.

EP