SUPER MARIO LAND
The story goes that distant Sarasaland had been invaded by the evil alien Tatanga who has cast a spell over the populace and kidnapped their princess, Daisy. Mario gets wind of this wickedness and sets off to save the day, bolstered by his two armoured vehicles: the submersible Marine Pop and the airborne Sky Pop. Hold up. Sarasaland and not the Mushroom Kingdom? Tatanga not Bowser? Daisy not Peach? And vehicles?
The story behind story goes that Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi wanted a new game to launch alongside the Game Boy in 1989, but as series creator Shigeru Miyamoto was busy producing games for the upcoming SNES console (including and the next mainline game), the task was entrusted and make it work on the handheld’s tiny 2.6-inch screen. And so, without Miyamoto’s involvement, Yokoi and director Satoru Okada cooked up a miniaturised version that resembled the NES original in most ways but introduced enough new elements to delight – and potentially irritate – fans.
