The original Super Mario Bros. came out over 30 years ago, but its design has withstood the test of time.
Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka’s designs were deceptively simple and prime examples of the glory of 8-bit gaming. Now, The Q YouTube channel has revealed a charming tribute to Miyamoto and Tezuka’s masterpiece in the form of a Super Mario Bros-themed rat maze.
The maze, which we first came across at Laughing Squid, isn’t based on any particular Super Mario Bros. world, although it does seem to take its primary inspiration from World 1-1 and World 1-2, with a dash of Bowser at the end. It’s impossible not to appreciate the artistry behind this maze, which transformed simple cardboard into a convincing 3D recreation of Mario-esque backgrounds. The attention to detail is particularly enticing, and it was all done with relatively simple steps and properly selected paint. Shelly the rat may not be able to appreciate the aesthetic, but we can!
As far as rat mazes go, this one doesn’t appear to be too difficult for Shelly to figure out. The rat doesn’t know about the left-right progression of old school video games, so Shelly checked out both ends of the maze before finally making it to the castle exit. Of course, it would have been appropriate if Shelly’s treat had been in another castle, but it was a well-earned reward. Now we kind of want to see Shelly tackle a much larger Mario maze in the future!
What did you think about this Super Mario Bros.-themed rat maze? Let us know in the comment section below!
Image: The Q
