Anybody’s who’s ever played a Super Mario Bros. platformer has, from time to time, imagined themselves bounding and stomping their way through a Mario level in real life. Well, indie developer Abhishek Singh has made Nintendo fans’ fantasies a reality by created a first-person version Super Mario Bros’ iconic World 1-1 for Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality helmet, and it’s kind of amazing. Singh demoes his creation, which projects Super Mario Bros. elements onto a path in New York’s Central Park, in the video above.
Videos by ComicBook.com
As you can see, everything you’d rightfully expect from Super Mario Bros. is accounted for. You can hit question blocks, stomp Goombas, kick Koopa Troopa shells, throw fireballs, and even grab a Super Mushroom, which, cleverly, makes everything else shrink as you “grow.” Ah, but things get a little bit unnerving as you approach a bottomless pit – unlike the chasms in the original 2D Super Mario Bros., you can actually peer down into these ones, which may trigger a bit of vertigo. Pretty much the only thing Singh’s demo doesn’t do is let you jump up on things like pipes and stairs – you just have to walk around them. Honestly, I’m not sure if there’s any way to solve that particular issue.
It’s doubtful we’ll ever see an official Super Mario game on HoloLens, but Nintendo has done plenty of experimenting with augmented reality in the past. Perhaps they’ll create their own real-world Mario experience in the future. Heck, maybe they’re already working on it! We’ve already seen hints Universal Resorts’ Super Nintendo World may include some sort of Super Mario simulator that will let lets players leap over pits and obstacles – perhaps AR will be involved there!
For those who prefer to platform from the comfort of their couches, Super Mario Odyssey leaps onto Nintendo Switch on October 27.
