Mario's Many Moves: The Jump

The time has come to post on something other than Kid Icarus: Uprising. I cannot tell you how much I love this game, so I'm really looking forward to the big review!

And now for today's topic! Mario's jump is legendary. Mario, after all, defined the platform genre, to which jumping is essential! It's easy to take Mario's jump for granted, but it is really outrageous.

Mario's amazing jumping skills have evolved over the years. Nowhere is that change more pronounced than in Mario's first 3-D adventure, Super Mario 64. Before this groundbreaking game, Mario's jumps were fairly straightforward. They could be manipulated to some degree, but there are many varieties of jumps in Super Mario 64. One of those variations is the consecutive high-jump. To pull this off, a player must jump three times in quick succession, without losing momentum. The first is a normal jump, the second a little higher, and the third even higher. Since Super Mario 64 was released, the consecutive high-jump has stuck with the series, even appearing in Mario's side-scrolling adventures.

Next, Super Mario 64 added the long jump to Mario's skill set. The long jump is undoubtedly harder to pull off, but well worth mastering. As Mario runs, he can duck, then quickly jump for an impressive long jump. Again, this maneuver has become a staple of successive 3-D Super Mario games.

The back flip was also an important jump that Mario learned in Super Mario 64. The back flip is considerably easier than the long jump, yet the only difference between the two in controller command is Mario's movement. The long jump requires a running start, while the back flip requires stillness. When still, Mario can duck and then jump. Voila! A back flip! Mario's back flip will propel him into the air more than a regular jump, but not more than a consecutive high jump.

So there you have it! It's gospel truth that playing a 3-D Mario platformer is easier and more fun when you have mastered Mario's various jumps. Hope you have a great weekend!