What could have been: check out the cancelled Super Mario Spikers

By Will Fulton September 19, 2014

check cancelled super mario spikers — Image used with permission by copyright holder

After the success of its Mario soccer games, Super Mario Strikers and Mario Strikers: Charged, Next Level Games started development on a volleyball/wrestling hybrid for the Wii called Super Mario Spikers, which never saw the light of day. Unseen 64 has compiled all of that lost game’s assets for a glimpse at what could have been.

Nintendo was so pleased with the critical and commercial success of Mario Strikers: Charged on the Wii in 2007 that it granted Next Level a larger budget and more creative freedom for the studio’s next project. The game began its life as Mario Volleyball, but over its development absorbed elements of professional wrestling and game shows and was retitled as Super Mario Spikers.

The project was never greenlit by the higher-ups at Nintendo, though, who apparently felt that some of the game’s concepts clashed with the Japanese company’s identity. “It was a Japanese honor thing,” added a source close to the project. Work ceased on Spikers by the end of 2007, and Next Level went on to develop for Nintendo the Wii Punch-Out!! and a Metroid 3DS prototype.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Will Fulton is a New York-based writer and theater-maker. In 2011 he co-founded mythic theater company AntiMatter Collective…

Gaming

Where to get a snack for the Frog Sage in Super Mario RPG

Super Mario RPG shop

Super Mario RPG has a mostly straightforward and easy to follow main story, so figuring out what to do next is usually a quick and simple affair. However, soon after finishing up a segment of your adventure in Marrymore, Mallow will mention that you should go back and speak with his grandfather, Frog Sage, who you can find at Tadpole Pond. However, upon arriving, you may find that you can't progress the story any further because the Frog Sage is waiting for a snack. Luckily, rounding up a tasty bite for him won't take you very long, and we'll tell you how to do so below.
Where to get a snack for the Frog Sage
The first step in obtaining a snack for the Frog Sage is to open your map and fast-travel back to the Mushroom Kingdom. Upon your arrival, head over to the item shop, which can be identified by the spinning mushroom on the side of the building.

Inside, speak to the shopkeeper and use the Rare Frog Coin (which you obtained from Croco earlier in the game) to purchase a Cricket Pie. Since this tasty snack is precisely what the Frog Sage had sent Mallow to retrieve back when you first met the little fluffball, you can now take it back to the wise frog and fulfill his grandson's initial quest. In return for bringing him his food, the Frog Sage will gift you the Froggy Stick weapon for Mallow and move the main story forward with a bit of dialogue.

Gaming

Where to find the Safety Ring in Super Mario RPG

Safety Ring Super Mario RPG

There are a lot of useful accessories you can find throughout your journey in Super Mario RPG, but one that tends to be part of nearly any great party build is the Safety Ring. Whichever character you choose to equip this beloved (and relatively well-hidden) ring with will be granted a variety of useful effects -- not least of which is protection against all status effects. However, you'll need to make it about halfway through the game before you can pick it up, and we'll tell you exactly where below.
Where to find the Safety Ring
The Safety Ring is located within the Sunken Ship. If you've already completed this area, you can fast-travel back to it at any time during your adventure, though we'd recommend doing so sooner rather than later.

Make your way past the password puzzle and the subsequent boss, then continue forward until you reach a segment of the ship wherein many sections are underwater. You can take the whirlpools here to reach the bottom level, so do just that and continue pushing forward.

Gaming

Super Mario RPG: Bowser’s Keep six doors guide

Super Mario RPG Bowser Six Doors

Super Mario RPG is a fairly easy game overall, but it does sport a few challenging spots throughout. As your journey nears its conclusion, you'll come to Bowser's Keep where you'll eventually stumble upon six doors that contain difficult courses behind them. If you're feeling a bit stuck at this location, here's everything you need to know about how to complete each of the six door challenges in Bowser's Keep.
How to complete all six door challenges in Bowser's Keep
Note that the challenge you receive behind each door is totally random, so there's no way to guarantee a specific challenge. But while you only need to complete four of the courses, we recommend hitting all six to ensure that you get all of the useful items contained within.
Puzzle Course No. 1

This puzzle course asks you to clear three rooms of brain-focused tasks.
First Room
The first room will involve a quiz wherein you are asked multiple questions about your adventure. The questions are randomly chosen from a pool of around 40 and should all be fairly simple if you've been following along with the story.
Second Room
In the second room, you are required to quickly count how many barrels are in the corner of the room and then choose from three options. You need to do this twice. Once again, the number of barrels is random.
Third Room
Upon reaching the third room, you need to pay attention to what the different characters tell you about their placement in a race, then choose the order in which you believe they placed.
Reward
You're rewarded with a Rock Candy after completing this course.
Puzzle Course No. 2