Virtual Mario

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Virtual Mario (v5.0)
VMarioTitle.gif

Release type: Freeware
Release date: September 1, 1997
Levels: 65
Author: Dylan Durdle
Related games: Jario!, Luigi's Heroic Debut!, Super Mario 5, Pipemare, Penguin Pete, Nebula, Houses

Game-Maker has its limits and its idiosyncrasies, and they're not always where one might expect. Often the first task of a new user is to replicate something familiar; for those raised on Japanese game consoles, Super Mario Bros. is as close as it gets to a "Hello World" program. Those users who try to recreate Miyamoto and Tezuka's ideas with RSD's tools are met with resistance.

Game-Maker's heritage is more in top-down maze games than in specialized physics and control schemes. Though there are environmental properties, and characters may have complex motions, actions and logic aren't coordinated in the sort of simplified branching structure of games in Nintendo's heritage. In RSD's system, as in classic PC games, every action tends to be separate and deliberate. Nevertheless, the tools suggest action games more than methodical adventures or simulations. More importantly, they allow such games -- if reluctantly and with reservation.

Since the system suggests and allows console-style action games, users try to make them -- and then they hit those walls. With a little lateral thought nearly all problems have a solution, but perhaps understandably those who start out with a specific idea of what they want from a game tend to come away frustrated.

Of all the attempts to recreate Super Mario Bros., Dylan Durdle's is the most ambitious and one of the most literal. Whereas in Luigi's Heroic Debut! Mike Perrucci stepped back and found his own workarounds within the tools, Durdle forged ahead with his copy and shrugged off any difficulty.

Mario.gif

The sprites and background tiles come directly out of Super Mario World; the interstitial images are all screenshots of Super Mario 64, scanned in from Nintendo Power magazine. To allow Mario's trademark jump attacks, Durdle implemented a stomp move. Shells become collectible items; the green ones can be used as stepping stones, and the red ones as weapons. Since Game-Maker does not provide for character state changes, fire flowers now give Mario ammunition.

DMD Software's 'Virtual Mario

It goes on. There are slight tweaks, to make the familiar mechanics sort of work. The problem is that the new mechanics rarely are thought through, and that comparison to the originals is inevitable. To the player familiar with Miyamoto's games, then, it seems that nothing in Virtual Mario works quite right.

The bulk of Dylan's attention seems to have been focused less on the mechanics than on the content. Although Virtual Mario is hard to play, it is also enormous. Beyond the overworld map and side-scrolling stages, Dylan also included dungeon levels straight out of The Legend of Zelda. Then when he hit his limit on original level design, Durdle began to draw on RSD's sample content. At various points, the player will navigate the entirety of Oliver Stone's Pipemare, Joan Stone's Penguin Pete, and Andy Stone's Nebula.

If nothing else, Virtual Mario is a curious study of the engine's strengths and of the wisdom of echoing another's thoughts too literally, regardless of the circumstances.

Story[edit]

The Mushroom Kingdom is in great mourn ever since the governor of the Mushroom Kingdom had received a urgent stress call from Princess Toadstool, his daughter. Princess Toadstool, accompanied by Luigi for her safety, were making a trip across the land looking for a mystery Super Mushroom.

The call was made from the royal family's submarine, somewhere near the northern hemisphere of the planet called "Yoshi's World". The message was simple. The Princess and Luigi were trapped on the shore of Lake Amherst, where their submarine had been wrecked by a violent storm at sea.

This is where Mario's role comes in to play. Mario must make his way to Lake Amherst to rescue the Princess and Luigi. Why does Mario have to do the job you ask? Well, when Bowser heard word about the Princess and Luigi being stranded on the shore of Lake Amherst, he sent his goons out to stop any rescue ships from coming to the rescue.

It seems Bowser is up to his no good. The only one who is capable of beating Bowser's goons and rescuing the Princess and Luigi (by the way, Luigi forgot his fire flower at home, leaving him powerless against Bowser's goons) is Mario.

This situation would not be as bad as it would be, however Mario was just recently taking a vacation from just had rescued the Princess from Bowser a month earlier, is not in the area (Yoshi's World). As such, Mario must travel from the planet he is now on to "Yoshi's World", four planets way, however, he must stop on each planet to pick up the key, which only then can he continue his journey on to the next planet.

Bowser is also making his way through, therefore Mario must battle against Bowser's goons. Time is against Mario as he must make it to the submarine wreck (Princess and Luigi) before Bowser does. Will Mario become the hero once again?

Instructions[edit]

Movement[edit]

8 (up arrow) = JUMP UP
2 (down arrow) = CROUCH
6 (right arrow) = RIGHT
4 (left arrow) = LEFT
9 = JUMP UP-RIGHT
7 = JUMP UP-LEFT
1 = SHRUNKEN MARIO WALKING LEFT
3 = SHRUNKEN MARIO WALKING RIGHT

Attacks[edit]

INS = FIRE A FIREBALL ONLY WHEN THERE IS A FIRE FLOWER IN MARIO'S INVENTORY (Fires in the direction Mario was last heading!)
ENTER = SHOOT A RED SHELL ONLY WHEN THERE IS A RED OR PURPLE SHELL IN MARIO'S INVENTORY (Fires in the right direction. Watch out for the shell when it comes back. Nothing can destroy the shell.)
Space Bar = Killer Whomp

Specialty attacks[edit]

+ = KILLER JUMP (in Northern Hemisphere level)
DEL = DROP A BOMB (in Northern Hemisphere/Cave/Underground Pipe Levels)
ENTER = THROW A HARPOON (in Northern Hemisphere level)
SPACE BAR: fire the laser. (Cave/Underground Pipe levels)
B: DROP BOMBS (if you have any). (Cave/Underground Pipe levels)

Northern Hemisphere attack powers[edit]

  1. Bomb (highest)
  2. Fireball
  3. Killing Jump
  4. Harpoon (lowest)

Inventory[edit]

p = PICK UP AN OBJECT(SUCH AS THE GREEN SHELL)
d = DROP AN OBJECT(SUCH AS THE GREEN SHELL, SO YOU CAN STAND ON IT)

Items[edit]

COIN = adds 1 coin to inventory
YELLOW KEYS = opens "Yoshi" doors
ORANGE, RED, PURPLE, GREEN, BLUE KEYS = allows Mario to advance
MUSHROOM = adds 1 hit point
GREEN MUSHROOM = adds 1 life
FIRE FLOWER = adds 10 fireballs to your inventory
FIRE FLOWER WITH A 99 PRINTED ON IT: adds 99 fireballs to to your inventory

Specialty items[edit]

YELLOW KEY WITH 99 PRINTED ON IT:adds 99 yellow keys to your inventory
PURPLE SHELL:adds 600 red shells to your inventory
RED MUSHROOM WITH 99 PRINTED ON IT:adds 99 hit points to your inventory
GREEN MUSHROOM WITH 99 PRINTED ON IT:adds 99 lives to your inventory

Northern Hemisphere items[edit]

Touch a bomb and you acquire it.
Items such as mines and pebbles increase score.
Gold increases money.

Credits[edit]

DMD Software is now a non-profit organization! Donations are now used for funding for future projects.

Please Note: Due to the same reasons why we cannot reveal our address or telephone numbers, we therefore cannot reveal the full names of those who have helped contribute to the game.

Programer/Producer/Storyline:

D M D

Graphics:

D M D, J S (donated data. License #112), G S (donated data. License #114), Nintendo Of America

Additional Character/Background/Scenes:

"Warlock", "AcidCool", Nintendo Power Magazine

Penguin Pete (Northern Hemisphere levels) was created by:

J S

Nebula (Levels 8-3,8-4,8-5):

Background/Scenes: G S
Monsters: J S

Mario 64 Screen Shots and Sound(SFX and Music):

We appreciate Nintendo Power and Nintendo of America for providing their sound, music and screen shots, that have been included.
To order a one year subscription of Nintendo Power Magazine for $25 US/$27.95 CAN, phone 1-800-255-3700.

Beta Testers:

D M D, "Xainith", "LinkMstr19", "Warlock", "SlayerDude", "SL013"
A special thanks goes out to "Xainith," who has supported DMD Software by lending his support.

Walkthrough[edit]

So you're starting the game for the very first time. You are going to need some pointers and tips to get you started.

  1. You start the game as a star on a map. Make your way to the planet Earth.
  2. When you arrive, you will be presented to the first world. You will see a star behind you(where you came from), a pipe, which you should ignore for just now, and a mushroom, parallel to the pipe. You will also see a box with a "1" in it. Lets visit the mushroom.
  3. When there, you will see three items on the top of the screen. This is a "mushroom store" where you can buy items. The money to buy three items is found in the levels. Be aware that you should buy items whenever possible. These "mushroom stores" are only available on the 1st level and after the final level on each map. As soon as you pass level one, the store will disappear. To buy an item, simply touch it. To view your money amount in reserve, press F2. To exit the store, move to the key hole that is flashing in the lower right hand corner. Remember that all flashing key holes always lead to the exit. Wow, now you know what the pipe is for. You will see yourself returning to the map through the pipe.
  4. Lets adventure into the first level. Move onto the first box labeled "1." Now you will see a side-scrolling screen.
  5. Before we start, press F1 to see the controls.
  6. Now that you read the contents, lets experiment. Hit the fire button. Opps, a fireball flies out but only once. You start the game with only one. You will have to find the fire flowers to shoot more. Each give you ten (10) shots, so don't go shooting crazy. Manage the fire power. This is the hard part of the game. You will have to learn how to dodge enemies without using fire power. Don't go close to the enemies! You can't crush them. You can only shoot enemies. By the way, flowers, red twisters (not gray twisters) and yellow stars cannot be killed. Avoid them or die! You can walk through a flower without dying when its mouth is closed.
  7. Hate those new sound effects? Shut them off by pressing F4. Keep the music on, but if you need a quite computer, press F3. Want to see your lives, money, time, and hit points? Press F2 at any time. Want to use your joystick, press F9. Follow the prompts. Press F8 to turn the Joystick on and off. Remember escape takes you out of the game and/or text help screen.
  8. Press F5. You'll see a "saving game" message. Use this option often. You never know when you will take the wrong turn and end up dying or getting stuck. Press F7 to load the saved game.
  9. By the way, if you ever get stuck between blocks after crouching into a small space, try jumping out of it by pressing up(Jump) or up-left(Jump) and up-right(Jump).
  10. Lets start playing the game. Remember, always listen to my suggestions and hints that follow. Don't get to attached to the first level. Every level is different. Some levels are side-scrolling, over head view, 2-D, and 3-D. Every map features different sets of levels. Part 2 and 3 of Virtual Mario contain even more levels, as well as a show down with the "big boss."

Part 1[edit]

Level 1:

  • Save often
  • There are more then 2 exits. Can you find them all? Some lead to secret levels, as others lead to warp zones (which allows you to skip to other worlds without beating preceding levels).
  • Collect those yellow keys! Use them wisely. You won't be able to get any more in future levels. You never know when you will need a couple of them to advance to a warp zone (hint-hint!)
  • Follow the green/purple arrows, but always rush to the red flashing arrows as they indicate the exit.
  • Use your fire flower wisely.
  • Don't fall through the wrong pipes! You might find yourself starting the level over.
  • Watch out for the 4 hidden levels.
  • You can place green shells on top of each other to climb.

Hidden Levels:

  • Hey, who says you can't have hidden levels within hidden levels (hint-hint!)?
  • Watch for entrances to warp zones. Look out for hidden areas!
  • Collect those power-ups and have FUN in these levels. Watch your back, these levels contain even harder bad guys.

Basic Tips:

  • Follow the arrows, especially the red arrows.
  • You can float through the air in certain levels(sky world sounds like an obvious level).
  • Spend your money wisely. You never know when you will need $1000 for an item that is a necessity, not a luxury.
  • SAVE OFTEN, especially if you come across the warp zone.
  • F4 turns the sound affects off.
  • Read all dialogs carefully.
  • Don't forget to write down the password given to you at the end of the current episode. When is says write this password down, you better WRITE IT DOWN!

Top View Levels:

  • You can walk through certain walls, which appears as cracked walls!
  • Look carefully.
  • Certain enemies follow you as others can't be killed.
  • Collect the power-ups.
  • Don't get lost. There are always exits, usually hidden. If you get lost, look for areas that you have yet to cover, by looking for areas that still have the power ups present.
  • Some pipe mazes are hard. GOOD LUCK! You made it this far, the end is near.

Part 2 and Part 3[edit]

  • No hints are provided, however, the levels are very unique and different than the previous levels. MAKE SURE YOU REREAD THE STORYLINE!!!! THE STORYLINE HAS CHANGED AND FEATURES HINTS AND INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO FINISH THE GAME. DON'T FORGET ABOUT FIXING THE SUBMARINE. FIND THOSE TOOLS AND KEEP COLLECTING MONEY!!!

Updates[edit]

There are many changes in the new version beyond those listed below. To learn more, please start the game and wait at the screen where it says "Play" and wait for the demo to play in 1 minute's time. The demo features tips and hints that are only in 5.0.

Changes:

  • You can now shoot shells(by pressing enter). But note, if the shell comes shooting back, you will be injured if hit.
  • The map setup is quite different. Please ignore all map statments below.
  • There are now SFX through the Soundblaster. Please ignore all false statements about sound effects coming through the PC Speaker.
  • The mushroom stores have been replaced with Yoshi's house.
  • The registered version now does not include parts 1, 2, and 3. Instead, the whole game is lumped into one game.
  • For up-to-date details, view the online help file within the games accordingly.
  • You can use green shells as stepping stones(you can pick them up and drop them).

Availability[edit]

This game seems to have been made available on several shareware compilation CD-ROMs. More precise details TBD.

Archive History[edit]

Added to the archive on December 20, 2010. Located on a now-defunct FTP site, during a search for Game-Maker file types.

Links[edit]

Interviews / Articles[edit]

Listings[edit]

Misc. Links[edit]

Downloads[edit]

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