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{{Short description|1992 video game}}
{{Infobox CVG| title = Mario Paint
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
| image = [[Image:mario_paint_box.gif|220px|center|Mario Paint's game box]]
{{Infobox video game
| developer = [[Intelligent Systems]]
|title=Mario Paint
| publisher = [[Nintendo]]
|image=Mario paint box.jpg
| designer =
|caption=North American box art
| engine =
|developer= {{Unbulleted list|[[Nintendo Research & Development 1|Nintendo R&D1]]|[[Intelligent Systems]]}}
| released = [[August 1]], [[1992]]
|publisher=[[Nintendo]]
| genre = [[Educational game|Creativity]]
| modes = [[Single player]]
|producer=[[Gunpei Yokoi]]
|director=Hirofumi Matsuoka
| ratings =
|designer=
| platforms = [[SNES]]
|writer=
| media = cartridge
|programmer={{plainlist|
| requirements =
*Noriaki Teramoto
| input = [[SNES Mouse]]
*Kenji Imai
*Kenji Nakamura
*Genji Kubota}}
|composer={{plainlist|
*[[Hirokazu Tanaka]]
*Ryoji Yoshitomi
*[[Kazumi Totaka]]}}
|artist=Hirofumi Matsuoka
|series=''[[Mario (franchise)|Mario]]''
|platforms=[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]
|released={{vgrelease|JP|July 14, 1992|NA|August 1, 1992|EU|December 10, 1992}}
|genre=[[Video game art|Art tool]]
|modes=[[Single-player video game|Single-player]]
}}
}}
{{Nihongo foot|'''''Mario Paint'''''|マリオペイント|Mario Peinto|group=lower-alpha|lead=yes}} is a 1992 [[Video game art|art creation]] [[video game]] developed by [[Nintendo Research & Development 1]] (R&D1) and [[Intelligent Systems]] and published by [[Nintendo]] for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]].<ref>{{cite web |date=February 17, 2003 |title=クリエイターズファイル 第102回 |url=http://www.gpara.com/contents/creator/bn_102.htm |access-date=June 13, 2011 |publisher=Gpara.com |archive-date=September 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930045254/http://www.gpara.com/contents/creator/bn_102.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Engaged Game Software |url=http://www.intsys.co.jp/english/software/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410192435/http://www.intsys.co.jp/english/software/index.html |archive-date=April 10, 2014 |access-date=August 20, 2009 |publisher=[[Intelligent Systems|Intelligent Systems Co., Ltd]]}}</ref> ''Mario Paint'' consists of a [[raster graphics editor]], an [[animation]] program, a [[music sequencer|music composer]], and a [[point and click]] [[minigame]], all of which are designed to be used with the [[Super NES Mouse]] peripheral, which the game was packaged and sold with. Per its name, the game is ''[[Mario (franchise)|Mario]]''-themed, and features [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprites]] and [[sound effect]]s that are taken from or in the vein of ''[[Super Mario World]]''.
'''''Mario Paint''''' is a [[Computer and video games|video game]] created by [[Nintendo]] for use with the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]], and was released on [[August 1]], [[1992 in video gaming|1992]]<ref>Nintendo.com [http://www.nintendo.com/gamemini?gameid=m-Game-0000-594]. Retrieved [[May 17]], [[2006]].</ref> along with the [[SNES Mouse]] peripheral device. ''Mario Paint'' is the most well-known game to make use of the SNES mouse technology. The game's package was a larger than normal size in order to accommodate a plastic [[mouse pad]] which was included along with the SNES mouse.


''Mario Paint'' sold very well following its release and is one of the [[List of best-selling Super Nintendo Entertainment System video games|best-selling SNES games]], with over 2.3 million copies sold. The game was released to fairly positive contemporaneous reviews; critics highlighted its accessibility, features, innovative design, and educational potential, but criticized unnecessary limitations on creation that rendered it unviable for serious creation. Retrospective reviews have been more positive, praising the game as "memorable", "addictive", "unique", and "ingenious", and it has been deemed one of the best SNES games of all time. ''Mario Paint''<nowiki/>'s music composer in particular has been used to create original songs, [[Cover version|covers]], and [[remix]]es using the game's sounds and limitations.
==Gameplay==
[[Image:Mario Paint.png|left|thumb|The main drawing screen from ''Mario Paint''.]]
The game allowed the user to create artwork using various tools controlled by a mouse (similar to computer painting programs like [[Microsoft Paint]]). Not only could the user paint and draw freehand, but colorless pre-made drawings could be displayed and then colored in using various methods similar to [[coloring books]]. Another feature included pictures that could be inserted with the stamp tool. Stamps of everyday objects such as the [[Sun]] and [[fruit]] were provided by default, and users could even make custom stamps [[pixel]]-by-pixel. Several publications, such as [[Nintendo Power]], released how-to guides on how to create iconic [[Nintendo]] related stamps for use within ''Mario Paint''. Besides just creating static pictures, a user could also make simple looping animations which could then be set to music created in the music generator. These animations painted by the user could only be viewed on a television screen, as there was no way to export any of work done in ''Mario Paint''.


A successor series, ''[[Mario Artist]]'', was released for the [[Nintendo 64]]'s [[64DD]] peripheral starting in 1999; however, only four titles were released in Japan only before the rest were canceled by 2000. Similar titles and [[game creation system]]s released by Nintendo since, such as ''[[WarioWare D.I.Y.]]'', ''[[Super Mario Maker]]'', and ''[[Super Mario Maker 2]]'', include features from and references to ''Mario Paint''; ''Super Mario Maker'' in particular was originally envisioned as a ''Mario Paint'' title for the [[Wii U]].
In addition, standard features consist of:
*15 different [[color]]s
*75 [[texture]]s/backgrounds
*Battery back-up capability for saving certain aspects of the game


== Gameplay ==
The game also contains a number of [[Minigame|mini-games]], one of which is a music generator similar to a piano roll, in which the player places icons representing sounds onto a staff. Other activities include a fly-swatting mini-game, known as "Gnat Attack," which was a fast-paced action game that took full advantage of the [[SNES]] mouse. The player controls a gloved hand (similar to the one seen on the title screen) holding a flyswatter, which must swat all the flying insects on the screen in a limited amount of time. Each level contained a counter with how many insects were left before the boss appeared. There is no final level, as the game will loop endlessly. In a way, even the title screen for ''Mario Paint'' proved to be a mini-game of sorts. The user was able to click each letter in the title to trigger a certain action. Certain letters would cause the music to change, have [[Yoshi]] run by on screen, and even allow the user to temporarily paint the background.
[[File:SNES-Mouse-and-Pad.jpg|thumb|The SNES Mouse and pad that were packaged with the game]]

According to the manual, two parts of ''Mario Paint'' are meant to familiarize the user with the SNES Mouse: the title screen, where users can click on each letter in the logo and each element on the screen to prompt a respective [[Easter egg (media)|Easter egg]];{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=4}} and a [[Fly-killing device|fly-swatting]] minigame, "Gnat Attack", where the player must swat 100 insects before fighting a boss named King Watinga.{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=30}} The minigame has three levels, and after they are completed, the game starts over with the enemies swarming in and attacking at faster speed.{{Sfn|''Nintendo Magazine System''|1993|p=39}} Content creation features of the program include a [[drawing board]], a [[coloring book]], an animation tool (called "Animation Land"), and a music composer. Collages can be saved at a time in the program to be loaded at later usage of the software{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=27}} or recorded to [[VCR]].{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=30}} In the coloring book, the user can color-in and edit four pre-made black-and-white drawings, including one featuring [[Yoshi]] and [[Mario]], another featuring various animals, a greeting card, and an underwater scene.{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=28}}

The drawing board is where original paintings can be created. A user can choose from 15 colors and 75 patterns.{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=4}} After choosing, the user can draw with a pen (small, medium, or large) and airbrush; {{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=7}} fill in a closed area the selected texture with the "paint brush" tool;{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=9}} and create perfectly straight lines, rectangles, and circles that is the color or pattern selected (either fully colored-in, with just an outline, or with a spray-canned outline).{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=10}} Parts of a drawing can be copied, pasted, and moved to other areas,{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=14}} rotated vertically and horizontally,{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=15}} or erased via pens of six various sizes.{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=8}} An entire painting can also be erased via nine unique visual effects.{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=8}} Animation Land involves the use of the drawing board's tools for creating four, six, and/or nine-frame animations. Elements of one frame can be copied to others for smooth animations to be created.{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=22–24}} If a character is being animated, the animation box can be set on a background and move throughout it in a "path" recorded by using the mouse in the "path lever" feature.{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=24}}

In the animation and drawing features, stamps can be added to each painting and frame, with 120 existing stamps included in the software.{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=4}} There is a stamp editor that allows the user to create new stamps or edit existing ones via a large tile grid,{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=39}} with the same 15 colors from the drawing board usable in the stamp editor.{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=12}} Up to 15 user-made stamps can be saved to a "personal stamp database".{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=13}} There are also text stamps, such as [[English language|English]], [[Hiragana]], [[Katakana]], and [[Kanji]] characters, that can be added and changed in size and color.{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=17–18}}

The music composer allows users to write pieces either in [[4/4 time|common time]] or [[triple time]].{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=20}} There are 15 instruments samples to use that are notated with different icons, including eight melodic sounds (a [[piano]] represented by Mario's head, a [[bell]] sound represented by a Power Star, a [[trumpet]] represented by a Fire Flower, a [[pulse wave]] represented by the [[Game Boy]], a [[horn section]] sample represented by a goose, a [[guitar]] sound represented by an airliner, and an [[Organ (music)|organ]] represented by a car), three percussion sounds (a [[bass drum]] represented by a Super Mushroom, a [[Woodblock (instrument)|woodblock]] represented by a ship, and a [[Bass guitar|bass pluck]] represented by a heart), and five sound effects (Yoshi's zip, a dog bark, a cat meow, a pig oink, and a baby hiccup).{{Sfn|Player's Guide|1993|p=69}} The icons are added to a [[treble clef]]. Notes that can be added are limited to a range from the [[B (musical note)|B]] below [[C (musical note)|middle C]] to [[G (musical note)|high G]].{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=20}} Since no [[Flat (music)|flats]] or [[Sharp (music)|sharps]] can be added, pieces are restricted to notes of the [[C major]]/[[A minor]] scale.{{Sfn|Player's Guide|1993|p=71}} Other limitations include composing only in [[quarter note]]s,{{Sfn|Player's Guide|1993|p=70}} a maximum number of three notes on a [[Beat (music)|beat]],{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=20}} and a maximum number of measures a song can last (24 bars for {{music|time|4|4}} songs, and 32 bars for {{music|time|3|4}} songs).{{Sfn|Player's Guide|1993|p=71}} Pieces made in the composition tool can be played in the animation and coloring book modes.{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=25, 27}}


==Reception==
==Reception==
=== Contemporaneous ===
[[Nintendo Power]] magazine held contests centered on the creativity exhibited by ''Mario Paint'' users, and received a healthy amount of individual submissions from children and adults alike.
{{Video game reviews
|title=Initial reception
| CVG = 91%<ref>{{cite magazine |title=CVG Review: Mario Paint |magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]] |date=15 November 1992 |issue=133 (December 1992) |pages=82–3 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/8/87/CVG_UK_133.pdf#page=82 |access-date=October 1, 2021 |archive-date=November 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127045917/https://retrocdn.net/images/8/87/CVG_UK_133.pdf#page=82 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| EGM = 8.25/10{{efn|In ''Electronic Gaming Monthly''{{'}}s review, three critics gave it an 8/10, and one gave it a 9/10.<ref name = "EGMrev">{{cite magazine|last1=Harris|first1=Steve|last2=Semrad|first2=Ed|last3=Alessi|first3=Martin|author4=Sushi-X|volume=5|issue=39|date=October 1992|title=Mario Paint|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|page=24}}</ref>}}
| GI = 8.75/10<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Legacy Review Archives |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/legacyreviews |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214131120/https://www.gameinformer.com/legacyreviews |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 14, 2018 |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |access-date=3 October 2021}}</ref>
| GamePro = 4.75/5{{efn|''GamePro'' gave ''Mario Paint'' two 5/5 ratings for graphics and control and two 4.5/5 scores for sound and fun factor.<ref name = "GameProrev">{{cite magazine|author=N. Somniac|date=January 1993|title=Mario Paint|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=42|page=90}}</ref>}}
| TOT = 48%<ref name = "Total">{{cite magazine|last='Misery|first=Steve|date=October 1992|title=Mario Paint|magazine=[[Total!]]|issue=10|pages=94–95}}</ref>
| rev1 = ''Control''
| rev1Score = 55%<ref name = "Controlrev">{{cite magazine|title=Mario Paint|magazine=Control|issue=9|date=May 1993|page=77}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Nintendo Magazine System (Australia)|Nintendo Magazine System]]'' (Australia)
| rev2Score = 70%{{Sfn|''Nintendo Magazine System''|1993|p=41}}
| rev3 = ''[[Europress|SNES Force]]''
| rev3Score = 82%<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Guide Directory|magazine=[[Europress|SNES Force]]|issue=1|date=July 1993|page=94}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Super Play]]''
| rev4Score = 55%<ref name = "SuperPlay">{{cite magazine|last=Bridgeman|first=Jez|date=April 1993|title=Mario Paint|magazine=[[Super Play]]|pages=70–71|issue=6}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''Super Pro''
| rev5Score = 90%<ref name = "SuperPro">{{cite magazine|title=Mario Paint|magazine=Super Pro|date=January 1993|issue=2|pages=92–94}}</ref>
| award1Pub = ''[[Nintendo Power]]''
| award1 = Most Innovative<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Nintendo Power Awards '92: The NESTERS |magazine=[[Nintendo Power]] |date=May 1993 |issue=48 |pages=36–9 |url=https://archive.org/details/NintendoPower1988-2004/Nintendo%20Power%20Issue%20048%20%28May%201993%29/page/n37/mode/2up}}</ref>
}}
The ''Mario Paint'' and Mouse package sold more than {{Nowrap|1 million}} units by March 1993.<ref>{{Cite news|date=21 May 1993|title=Nintendo earnings up 2 percent|work=[[United Press International]] (UPI)|location=[[Redmond, Washington]]|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1993/05/21/Nintendo-earnings-up-2-percent/5012737956800/|access-date=24 December 2021|archive-date=December 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211224213342/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1993/05/21/Nintendo-earnings-up-2-percent/5012737956800/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Mario Paint'' is one of the [[List of best-selling Super Nintendo Entertainment System video games|best-selling SNES games]] at over 2.3 million copies sold worldwide.<ref name="whitepaper">{{cite book |title=CESA Games White Papers |publisher=[[Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association]] }}</ref>


''Mario Paint''{{'}}s possible age appeal and amount of features were discussed in reviews. While ''[[Nintendo Power]]'' and ''[[GamePro]]'' suggested that it had enough features and interactive elements to fascinate a person of any age with "even a remote interest" in artistic ventures,<ref name = "GameProrev"/><ref name = "NPrev">{{cite magazine|volume=39|last1=Sinfield|first1=George|last2=Noel|first2=Rob|title=Mario Paint|date=August 1992|magazine=Nintendo Power|pages=104–105}}</ref> other reviews, even from critics who enjoyed the program, suggested the program's limitations made its novelty wear thin to those past its young target demographic<ref name = "SuperPlay"/><ref name = "Controlrev"/>{{Sfn|Instruction manual|1992|p=41}} and made its high price tag unjustifiable.<ref name = "Total"/><ref name = "Controlrev"/> ''[[Total!]]''{{'}}s Steve Misery argued that the limitations were inexcusable for a title on a console that can have 250 colors on a screen at a time, stereo audio, and instantly changing graphics.<ref name = "Total"/> Additionally, he noted the program "goes completely overboard in one area, and then misses others out completely", such as the lack of a zoom feature despite there being multiple flashy ways to erase a painting.<ref name = "Total"/>
==Sequels==
A series of games was released exclusively in Japan for the [[Nintendo 64DD]] under the title ''[[Mario Artist]]''. The initial game was a launch title for the 64DD and was packaged with a mouse for the [[Nintendo 64]]. Throughout the series, the games featured ways for the user to create 3D polygonal models, insert images onto 3D models via a Nintendo 64 Capture Cartridge, and even share their artwork via an online Communication Kit.


Criticisms of the program brought up in reviews include long save times, "impossible" fine detailing, and the fact that only one collage can be saved at a time.{{Sfn|''Nintendo Magazine System''|1993|p=41}}
While no official sequel has been released in [[North America]], ''Mario Paint'' makes a cameo appearance in ''[[WarioWare: Touched!]]'' as "Wario Paint," allowing the player to use the stylus to color various characters in the game. Also, you can listen to the Mario Paint Song with the toy ''"Turntable"'' in the ''"Toy Room"''. The fly-swatting game makes an additional appearance in the preceding game, ''[[WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$]]''.


''Mario Paint'' was honored by the [[Parents' Choice Award]], a non-profit organization recognizing children's educational entertainment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deseret.com/platform/amp/1993/1/14/19026775/kids-books-toys-videos-honored|title=Kid's; Books, Toys, Videos Honored|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=January 14, 1993|access-date=September 6, 2020}}</ref> The game also received a platinum award at the 1994 [[Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award]]s.<ref>{{cite book |last=Oppenheim |first=Joanne and Stephanie |author-link= Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award |title = The Best Toys, Books & Videos for Kids |publisher = [[Harper Perennial]] |series = [[Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award|Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Guide Book]] |volume = 1 |edition = 1st |location = New York |date = 1993 |section= Computer Software/CD-ROM - Life After Arcade: Getting Value From Sega and Nintendo - 'Mario Paint' |page = 279 |isbn = 0-06-273196-3 }}</ref> ''Nintendo Power'' rated ''Mario Paint'' the fourth best SNES game of 1992.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=January 1993|title=Top 10 of 1992|url=https://archive.org/details/NintendoPower1988-2004/Nintendo%20Power%20Issue%20044%20%28January%201993%29/page/n117/mode/2up|magazine=Nintendo Power|volume=44|pages=118|access-date=January 23, 2022}}</ref>
==Other Appearances==
*"[[Kazumi Totaka#Totaka's Song|Kazumi Totaka's Song]]" first appears in this game. It later appears in ''[[Animal Crossing]]'' as "K.K. Song" and in the background of ''[[Yoshi's Story]]'' and ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening]]''. In the latter two, there are certain areas in each in which the song will play if the area's music loops eight times.
*In ''[[Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix]]'', the song Up, Down, Left, Right is a remix of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, which appeared as a music demo in ''Mario Paint''.
*''Mario Paint'' was used to create a very early version of the web cartoon ''[[Homestar Runner]]''.<ref>homestarrunner.com [http://www.homestarrunner.com/secrets.html]. Retrieved [[May 17]], [[2006]].</ref> More recently, ''Mario Paint'' was again featured in the episode [[HRWiki:Strong Bad is a Bad Guy|Strong Bad is a Bad Guy]].
*The fly-swatting game was regularly contested on the children's game show ''[[A*mazing]]''.
* In ''[[WarioWare: Touched!]]'', the theme song was included in a Mario Paint micro game in 9-Volt and 18-Volt's stage, and in the record player souvenier. If you listen long enough, it will turn into a remix of the song theme.


=== Retrospective ===
==References==
{{Video game reviews
<div class="references-small">
| title = Retrospective reviews
<references />
| GR = 72% (4 reviews)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamerankings.com/snes/588465-mario-paint/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504114217/https://www.gamerankings.com/snes/588465-mario-paint/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2019-05-04|title=Mario Paint Gamerankings review score}}</ref>
</div>
| Allgame = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="Mario Paint, AllGame">{{cite web |last=House |first=Michael Ll|title=Mario Paint - Review|publisher=[[Allgame]] |access-date=March 26, 2013 |url=http://allgame.com/game.php?id=7426&tab=review |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114125106/http://allgame.com/game.php?id=7426&tab=review |url-status=dead |archive-date=2014-11-14 }}</ref>
| JXV = 14/20<ref name = "Jeuxvideo">{{cite web|last=de Anagund|first=L'avis|date=July 30, 2009|url=http://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00011216-mario-paint-test.htm|title=Test: Mario Paint|language=fr|work=[[Jeuxvideo.com]]|access-date=September 4, 2020|archive-date=October 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029100528/https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00011216-mario-paint-test.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
| rev1 = ''1UP''
| rev1Score = 80%<ref name = "1UPrev">{{cite web|url=http://1up-games.com/snes/mariopaint.html|title=Mario Paint (SNES)|date=March 16, 2002|work=1UP|access-date=September 4, 2020|archive-date=August 16, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240816152830/http://www.1up-games.com/snes/mariopaint.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''Defunct Games''
| rev2Score = C<ref name = "DefunctGames">{{cite web|last=Despain|first=Josh|date=January 6, 2014|url=http://www.defunctgames.com/review/1178/mario-paint|title=Mario Paint|work=Defunct Games|access-date=September 4, 2020|archive-date=October 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026220919/http://www.defunctgames.com/review/1178/mario-paint|url-status=live}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''GameCola''
| rev3Score = 7.8/10<ref name = "GameCola">{{cite web|last=Johnson|first=Allec|date=May 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041016093157/http://www.gamecola.net/3-5.htm#paint|archive-date=October 16, 2004|url=http://www.gamecola.net/3-5.htm|title=Mario Paint|work=GameCola|volume=3|issue=5|access-date=September 4, 2020}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''Honest Gamers''
| rev4Score = {{rating|5|5}}<ref name = "honestgamers">{{cite web|author=Aganar|url=http://www.honestgamers.com/453/snes/mario-paint/review.html|title=Mario Paint (SNES) review|work=Honest Gamers|access-date=September 4, 2020|archive-date=October 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026214433/http://www.honestgamers.com/453/snes/mario-paint/review.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}
Calling ''Mario Paint'' "perhaps the most ingenious and inspired idea Nintendo ever came up with for a product", [[AllGame]] rated it 5 out of 5 stars.<ref name="Mario Paint, AllGame"/> ''Honest Gamers'' stated, "It has very little flaws, if any, is very addictive, and even a child can use it. The games never get old and none of it ever gets tedious. It is one of the best games for the SNES."<ref name = "honestgamers"/> ''[[US Gamer]]'' called ''Mario Paint'' "an era-appropriate solution to graphics programs on expensive PCs" which is "at least somewhat responsible for our modern era of 2D indie throwback games". It said, "Every single element ... is engineered to make the act of creation fun in and of itself, even if you're just aimlessly doodling."<ref name="The Road to SMM">{{cite web |last=Mackey |first=Bob |date=September 11, 2015 |title=The Road to Super Mario Maker |url=http://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-road-to-super-mario-maker |access-date=November 28, 2015 |publisher=US Gamer |archive-date=September 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922100458/http://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-road-to-super-mario-maker |url-status=dead }}</ref> Josh Despain of ''Defunct Games'', however, opined that while it was a "bold and unconventional move" for Nintendo to release a ''Mario'' product that was not a game, thus being a "unique piece of video game history", it was nothing more than another simple paint program with a Mario theme.<ref name = "DefunctGames"/>

In 2006, it was rated the 162nd best game made on a Nintendo system in ''Nintendo Power'''s Top 200 Games list.<ref name="NP Top 200">{{Cite magazine|date=February 2006| title=NP Top 200|magazine=Nintendo Power|volume=200|pages=58–66}}.</ref> In 2014, ''[[IGN]]'' ranked it as the 105th best Nintendo game in its list of "The Top 125 Nintendo Games of All Time". ''IGN'' editor Peer Schneider cited the game's "smart and playful interface" as a "game changer" and commented that "It effectively erased the barriers between creating and playing, making it one of the most memorable and unique games to ever be released on a console."<ref name="Top 125 Nintendo Games">{{cite web | publisher=IGN | title=The Top 125 Nintendo Games of All Time | date=September 24, 2014 | url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/09/24/the-top-125-nintendo-games-of-all-time | access-date=September 26, 2014 | archive-date=March 24, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150324190126/http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/09/24/the-top-125-nintendo-games-of-all-time | url-status=live }}</ref>{{rp|2}} In 2018, [[Complex Networks|''Complex'']] listed Mario Paint 35th on their "The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Knight|first=Rich|date=April 30, 2018|title=The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time|url=https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/the-100-best-super-nintendo-games/|access-date=2022-02-06|website=Complex|language=en|archive-date=January 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109005057/https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/the-100-best-super-nintendo-games/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2022, ''IGN'' rated ''Mario Paint'' 22nd on its "Top 100 SNES Games of All Time", noting that the game inspired different variations of popular songs.<ref>{{Citation |title=Top 100 SNES Games of All Time - IGN.com |url=https://www.ign.com/lists/top-100-snes-games |language=en |access-date=2022-09-08 |archive-date=January 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120123081606/http://www.ign.com/top/snes-games/31 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Legacy===
====In video games====
Several video game developers have cited ''Mario Paint'' as an inspiration. [[Hirokazu Tanaka]], a member of ''Mario Paint''<nowiki/>'s sound staff, later worked on ''[[EarthBound]]'' (1994), where some of ''Mario Paint''{{'}}s sound effects and instrument patches appear. Hirofumi Matsuoka, who directed the development of ''Mario Paint'', later worked on several ''Mario Artist'' entries and many of the [[Wario (series)|''Wario'']] titles, including ''[[WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!]]'' (2003) for the [[Game Boy Advance]], the microgames from which originated from minigames present in ''Mario Artist: Polygon Studio'', which themselves were conceptualized by Kouichi Kawamoto.<ref name="Nintendo RD1 Interview">{{cite interview |last1=Sakamoto |first1=Yoshio |title=Nintendo R&D1 Interview |last2=Nakada |first2=Ryuichi |last3=Takeuchi |first3=Ko |last4=Abe |first4=Goro |last5=Sugioka |first5=Taku |last6=Mori |first6=Naoko |url=http://archive.videogamesdaily.com/features/ncl_nintendo_wwiv_apr06_p1.asp |access-date=June 14, 2014 |publisher=Video Games Daily |date=April 7, 2006 |archive-date=February 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100220005915/http://archive.videogamesdaily.com/features/ncl_nintendo_wwiv_apr06_p1.asp |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mirachian |first=Darron |date=2021-09-29 |title=Three decades of Wario all started with a name |url=https://www.polygon.com/wario/22698796/wario-game-list-history-retrospective |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=Polygon |language=en-US |archive-date=April 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420222226/https://www.polygon.com/wario/22698796/wario-game-list-history-retrospective |url-status=live }}</ref> Masahito Hatakeyama, one of the designers of ''WarioWare D.I.Y.'' (2009) for the [[Nintendo DS]], cited ''Mario Paint''{{'}}s drawing board and music composer as the inspiration for ''D.I.Y.''<nowiki/>'s drawing and music creation tools, and several development team members cited it as an early inspiration for their video game development careers.<ref name="Iwata Asks Warioware">{{cite web |title=Iwata Asks |url=https://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/news/iwata/iwata_asks_-_warioware_diy_16112_16113.html |access-date=January 9, 2015 |publisher=Nintendo of Europe |archive-date=August 16, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240816152817/https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Iwata-Asks/Iwata-Asks-WarioWare-D-I-Y-/Iwata-Asks-WarioWare-D-I-Y-/1-It-Started-Over-Five-Years-Ago/1-It-Started-Over-Five-Years-Ago-214996.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Further references to ''Mario Paint'' appear elsewhere in the ''[[WarioWare]]'' series. ''WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!'' includes Gnat Attack as a microgame. ''[[WarioWare: Touched!]]'' (2004) for the Nintendo DS includes both a microgame set in ''Mario Paint''<nowiki/>'s drawing board and a feature called "Wario Paint", which has players color in outlines of ''WarioWare'' series characters in a manner similar to ''Mario Paint''<nowiki/>'s coloring book. ''WarioWare D.I.Y.'' includes several easter eggs and callbacks to ''Mario Paint'', including microgames based on the drawing board and Gnat Attack.<ref name="Iwata Asks Warioware" /> ''[[WarioWare Gold]]'' (2018) for the [[Nintendo 3DS]] also includes Gnat Attack as a returning microgame. Sound effects from ''Mario Paint'' also appear throughout the series.

The [[Wii]] [[Photo Channel]] features editing functionality similar to ''Mario Paint'', and includes several of the special erasers.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}

''Super Mario Maker'' (2015), a level creation suite, was originally envisioned as a ''Mario Paint'' title for the [[Wii U]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=2015-09-11 |title=What Super Mario Bros.' Creators Think of Super Mario Maker |url=https://time.com/4030885/super-mario-maker-nintendo-wii-u/ |access-date=2023-04-20 |magazine=Time |language=en |archive-date=April 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420222226/https://time.com/4030885/super-mario-maker-nintendo-wii-u/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Takashi Tezuka, the game's producer, stated that he "was inspired to bring the fun of ''Mario Paint'' into this course editor to make something fun and creative for people to enjoy".<ref name="Mario Maker started out">{{cite web | publisher=Polygon | first=Tracey | last=Lien | date=June 13, 2014 | title=Mario Maker started out as a tool for Nintendo's developers | url=http://www.polygon.com/2014/6/13/5805472/mario-maker-started-out-as-a-tool-for-nintendos-developers | access-date=September 22, 2014 | archive-date=October 17, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017181328/http://www.polygon.com/2014/6/13/5805472/mario-maker-started-out-as-a-tool-for-nintendos-developers | url-status=live }}</ref> ''US Gamer'' called ''Mario Paint'' an essential part of "the road to ''Super Mario Maker''".<ref name="The Road to SMM" /> As a callback to ''Mario Paint'', ''Super Mario Maker'' includes interactive title screen easter eggs, the return of the Gnat Attack minigame, and the appearance of elements and characters originally from ''Mario Paint'', including Undodog, a tan dog functioning as the [[Undo|undo button]] in both games. Its sequel, ''Super Mario Maker 2'' (2019) for the Nintendo Switch, also features references to ''Mario Paint'', including the return of Undodog as a prominent [[non-player character]] in the game's story mode.

''[[Super Mario Odyssey]]'' (2017) for the Nintendo Switch includes three costumes for Mario—a black [[tuxedo]], an artists' paint-covered [[apron]], and a classical [[Conducting|conductor]] outfit—that are directly based on artworks created for ''Mario Paint''<nowiki/>'s promotional materials, with the apron's paired [[beret]] also referencing ''Mario Artist''.

A remixed ''Mario Paint'' soundtrack medley can be played as background music in the [[Miiverse]] stage in ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U|Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]'' (2014). ''Mario Paint'' is also represented in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' (2018) for the Nintendo Switch through an Assist Trophy called "Flies & Hand", where the flyswatter from Gnat Attack attempts to hit both insects and opposing players.

====In animation====
The first episode of ''[[Homestar Runner]]'' in 1996 was animated using ''Mario Paint''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.homestarrunner.com/supernes.swf |title=Super NES |access-date=January 3, 2007 |work=homestarrunner.com |format=SWF |year=1996 |archive-date=September 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120910143859/http://www.homestarrunner.com/supernes.swf |url-status=live }}</ref> A primitive introduction video made with ''Mario Paint'' can be found in the museum section of the site. A later short in the series, "Strong Bad is a Bad Guy", was made using ''Mario Paint''.

==== In music ====
Since the early 2010s, there has been an online culture of users on [[Internet forum|forums]], [[Discord (software)|Discord]], and [[YouTube]] creating original songs and covers with ''Mario Paint''{{'}}s music composer and programs replicating it, including ''Mario Paint Composer'', ''Advanced Mario Sequencer'', and ''Super Mario Paint''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Henges|first=Elizabeth|date=February 6, 2020|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/6/21122335/nintendo-mario-paint-music-composers-snes|title=Meet the musicians who compose in Mario Paint|work=[[The Verge]]|access-date=September 6, 2020|archive-date=September 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927163050/https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/6/21122335/nintendo-mario-paint-music-composers-snes|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name = "GameRantcomp"/> ''Mario Paint'' covers that have garnered coverage from the press include jeonghoon95's rendition of [[Daft Punk]]'s "[[Get Lucky (Daft Punk song)|Get Lucky]]",<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Greenwald|first=David|date=September 3, 2013|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/viral-videos/5680109/get-lucky-goes-16-bit-with-mario-paint-cover-watch|title='Get Lucky' Goes 16-Bit With 'Mario Paint' Cover: Watch|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=September 6, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Reißmann|first=Ole|date=September 10, 2013|url=https://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/angeklickt-daft-punk-get-lucky-mario-paint-composer-a-921245.html|title=Angeklickt: Daft Punk Get Lucky Mario Paint Composer|work=[[Der Spiegel (website)|Der Spiegel]]|access-date=September 6, 2020|archive-date=August 16, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240816152823/https://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/angeklickt-daft-punk-get-lucky-mario-paint-composer-a-921245.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Maloney|first=Devon|date=September 9, 2013|url=https://www.wired.com/2013/09/monday-jam-get-lucky-mario-paint/|title=Man's First Try at Mario Paint Composition Results in Perfect Cover of 'Get Lucky'|magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|access-date=September 6, 2020|archive-date=August 16, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240816152849/https://www.wired.com/2013/09/monday-jam-get-lucky-mario-paint/|url-status=live}}</ref> a cover of [[Nicholas Britell]]'s theme for the [[HBO]] series ''[[Succession (TV series)|Succession]]'',<ref name="GameRantcomp">{{cite web|last=Grimm|first=Peter|date=October 5, 2019|url=https://gamerant.com/mario-paint-succession/|title=Succession TV Show Theme Remade In Mario Paint|work=Game Rant|access-date=September 6, 2020|archive-date=October 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211031050711/https://gamerant.com/mario-paint-succession/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Bryan|first=Chloe|date=October 4, 2019|url=https://mashable.com/article/succession-theme-song-mario-paint/|title=The 'Succession' theme song recreated in 'Mario Paint' is simply delightful|work=Mashable|access-date=September 6, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Chitwood|first=Adam|date=October 3, 2019|url=https://collider.com/succession-theme-song-in-mario-paint/|title=The Succession Theme Song in Mario Paint Is Pure Joy|work=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]|access-date=September 6, 2020|archive-date=March 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200329080629/https://collider.com/succession-theme-song-in-mario-paint/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Bitran|first=Tara|date=November 20, 2019|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/succession-theme-song-launched-100-memes-1255958|title='Succession' and the Theme Song That Launched 100 Memes|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|access-date=September 6, 2020|archive-date=August 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804033002/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/succession-theme-song-launched-100-memes-1255958|url-status=live}}</ref> and axelrod777's cover of the Bob-omb Battlefield level music from 1996's ''[[Super Mario 64]]''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Kyle|date=May 16, 2018|url=https://gamefreaks365.com/fan-recreates-super-mario-64-music-in-mario-paint/|title=Fan Recreates Super Mario 64 Music in Mario Paint|work=Game Freaks 365|access-date=September 6, 2020|archive-date=March 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306104206/https://gamefreaks365.com/fan-recreates-super-mario-64-music-in-mario-paint/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Successors==
A downloadable version was released in Japan via the [[Satellaview]] broadcast service in 1997. Titled {{nihongo|''BS Mario Paint: Yuu Shou Naizou Ban''|マリオペイントBS版}}, this version was modified to use a standard controller without the need of a mouse.

A sequel to ''Mario Paint'' was titled ''Mario Paint 64'' in development,<ref name="Miyamoto Reveals Secrets">{{cite interview | title=Miyamoto Reveals Secrets: Fire Emblem, Mario Paint 64 | date=July 29, 1997 | subject-link=Shigeru Miyamoto | first=Shigeru | last=Miyamoto | interviewer=IGN staff | url=http://ign64.ign.com/news/1138.html | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010417173639/http://ign64.ign.com/news/1138.html | archive-date=April 17, 2001 | access-date=November 20, 2015}}</ref> and then released in 1999 as the Japan-exclusive [[launch game]] ''[[Mario Artist]]'' for the [[64DD]]. Nintendo had commissioned the joint developer [[Software Creations]], who described the game's original 1995 design idea as "a sequel to ''Mario Paint'' in 3D for the [[N64]]".<ref name="Miyamoto Reveals Secrets"/><ref name="Mario Artist at Pickford Bros">{{cite web | title=Mario Artist: Paint Studio / Sound Studio | publisher=Zee-3 Digital Publishing | url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/softography/index.php?game=61 | access-date=January 5, 2014 | archive-date=December 10, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210055018/http://zee-3.com/pickfordbros/softography/index.php?game=61 | url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Paint Studio'' has been described by ''IGN'' and ''Nintendo World Report'' as being ''Mario Paint''{{'s}} "direct follow-up"<ref name="Mario Artist: Paint Studio Review at IGN">{{cite web |last=Schneider |first=Peer |date=August 22, 2000 |title=Mario Artist: Paint Studio (Import) |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/08/23/mario-artist-paint-studio-import |access-date=January 5, 2015 |publisher=IGN |archive-date=September 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220916105332/https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/08/23/mario-artist-paint-studio-import |url-status=live }}</ref> and "spiritual successor"<ref name="64DD at NWP">{{cite web | title=Nintendo's Expansion Ports: Nintendo 64 Disk Drive | first=Danny | last=Bivens | date=October 29, 2011 | publisher=Nintendo World Report | url=http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/27670/nintendos-expansion-ports-nintendo-64-disk-drive | access-date=September 2, 2014 | archive-date=October 27, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141027170538/http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/27670/nintendos-expansion-ports-nintendo-64-disk-drive | url-status=live }}</ref> respectively. Likewise bundled with its system's mouse, ''Paint Studio'' includes many features from ''Mario Paint'', including new additions such as a gallery and 3D explorable spaces that can be drawn on.<ref name="Mario Artist: Paint Studio Review at IGN"/> Gnat Attack was also intended to appear in ''Paint Studio'', but it was cut before the final release,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Proto:Mario Artist Paint Studio |url=https://tcrf.net/Proto:Mario_Artist_Paint_Studio |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=The Cutting Room Floor |archive-date=April 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420222235/https://tcrf.net/Proto:Mario_Artist_Paint_Studio |url-status=live }}</ref> though it was shown on several magazine previews and some reviewers received copies including it.<ref name="Mario Artist: Paint Studio Review at IGN" />

==See also==
{{Portal|Video games|1990s}}
*''[[Acme Animation Factory]]''
*''[[Art Academy (video game)|Art Academy]]''
*''[[Art Alive!]]''
*''[[Fun 'n Games]]''
*[[Game Boy Camera]]
*''[[Kid Pix]]''
*''[[Sound Fantasy]]''

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
*{{cite book |title=Mario Paint ''instruction manual'' |date=1992 |publisher=[[Nintendo of America]] |pages=1–34 |ref={{SfnRef|Instruction manual|1992}}}}
*{{cite magazine |title=Mario Paint Nintendo Player's Guide |date=1993 |magazine=Nintendo Power |pages=1–120 |ref={{SfnRef|Player's Guide|1993}}}}
*{{cite magazine |title=Mario Paint|date=July 1993 |pages=38–41|issue=4|magazine=[[Nintendo Magazine System (Australia)|Nintendo Magazine System]]|ref={{SfnRef|''Nintendo Magazine System''|1993}}}}


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.nintendo.com/gamemini?gameid=m-Game-0000-594 Mario Paint at Nintendo.com]
*{{official website|http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n02/shvc/msa/index.html}} {{in lang|ja}}
*[http://www.mobygames.com/game/mario-paint Mario Paint at MobyGames]
*{{moby game|id=/mario-paint}}

*[http://www.mariopaint.blogspot.com Mario Paint Vlog]
{{Mario series}}
{{Mario series}}
{{Intelligent Systems}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:1992 computer and video games]]
[[Category:1992 video games]]
[[Category:Educational computer and video games]]
[[Category:Drawing video games]]
[[Category:Intelligent Systems games]]
[[Category:Intelligent Systems games]]
[[Category:Mario Bros. games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Research & Development 1 games]]
[[Category:Super NES games]]
[[Category:Raster graphics editors]]
[[Category:Super Nintendo Entertainment System-only games]]

[[Category:Super Nintendo Entertainment System games]]
[[fr:Mario Paint]]
[[Category:Video games about insects]]
[[ja:マリオペイント]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Japan]]
[[pt:Mario Paint]]
[[Category:Video games scored by Hirokazu Tanaka]]
[[sv:Mario Paint]]
[[Category:Video games scored by Kazumi Totaka]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]
[[Category:Mario spin-off games|Paint]]

Latest revision as of 17:05, 28 September 2024

Mario Paint
North American box art
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Hirofumi Matsuoka
Producer(s)Gunpei Yokoi
Programmer(s)
  • Noriaki Teramoto
  • Kenji Imai
  • Kenji Nakamura
  • Genji Kubota
Artist(s)Hirofumi Matsuoka
Composer(s)
SeriesMario
Platform(s)Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Release
  • JP: July 14, 1992
  • NA: August 1, 1992
  • EU: December 10, 1992
Genre(s)Art tool
Mode(s)Single-player

Mario Paint[a] is a 1992 art creation video game developed by Nintendo Research & Development 1 (R&D1) and Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.[1][2] Mario Paint consists of a raster graphics editor, an animation program, a music composer, and a point and click minigame, all of which are designed to be used with the Super NES Mouse peripheral, which the game was packaged and sold with. Per its name, the game is Mario-themed, and features sprites and sound effects that are taken from or in the vein of Super Mario World.

Mario Paint sold very well following its release and is one of the best-selling SNES games, with over 2.3 million copies sold. The game was released to fairly positive contemporaneous reviews; critics highlighted its accessibility, features, innovative design, and educational potential, but criticized unnecessary limitations on creation that rendered it unviable for serious creation. Retrospective reviews have been more positive, praising the game as "memorable", "addictive", "unique", and "ingenious", and it has been deemed one of the best SNES games of all time. Mario Paint's music composer in particular has been used to create original songs, covers, and remixes using the game's sounds and limitations.

A successor series, Mario Artist, was released for the Nintendo 64's 64DD peripheral starting in 1999; however, only four titles were released in Japan only before the rest were canceled by 2000. Similar titles and game creation systems released by Nintendo since, such as WarioWare D.I.Y., Super Mario Maker, and Super Mario Maker 2, include features from and references to Mario Paint; Super Mario Maker in particular was originally envisioned as a Mario Paint title for the Wii U.

Gameplay

[edit]
The SNES Mouse and pad that were packaged with the game

According to the manual, two parts of Mario Paint are meant to familiarize the user with the SNES Mouse: the title screen, where users can click on each letter in the logo and each element on the screen to prompt a respective Easter egg;[3] and a fly-swatting minigame, "Gnat Attack", where the player must swat 100 insects before fighting a boss named King Watinga.[4] The minigame has three levels, and after they are completed, the game starts over with the enemies swarming in and attacking at faster speed.[5] Content creation features of the program include a drawing board, a coloring book, an animation tool (called "Animation Land"), and a music composer. Collages can be saved at a time in the program to be loaded at later usage of the software[6] or recorded to VCR.[4] In the coloring book, the user can color-in and edit four pre-made black-and-white drawings, including one featuring Yoshi and Mario, another featuring various animals, a greeting card, and an underwater scene.[7]

The drawing board is where original paintings can be created. A user can choose from 15 colors and 75 patterns.[3] After choosing, the user can draw with a pen (small, medium, or large) and airbrush; [8] fill in a closed area the selected texture with the "paint brush" tool;[9] and create perfectly straight lines, rectangles, and circles that is the color or pattern selected (either fully colored-in, with just an outline, or with a spray-canned outline).[10] Parts of a drawing can be copied, pasted, and moved to other areas,[11] rotated vertically and horizontally,[12] or erased via pens of six various sizes.[13] An entire painting can also be erased via nine unique visual effects.[13] Animation Land involves the use of the drawing board's tools for creating four, six, and/or nine-frame animations. Elements of one frame can be copied to others for smooth animations to be created.[14] If a character is being animated, the animation box can be set on a background and move throughout it in a "path" recorded by using the mouse in the "path lever" feature.[15]

In the animation and drawing features, stamps can be added to each painting and frame, with 120 existing stamps included in the software.[3] There is a stamp editor that allows the user to create new stamps or edit existing ones via a large tile grid,[16] with the same 15 colors from the drawing board usable in the stamp editor.[17] Up to 15 user-made stamps can be saved to a "personal stamp database".[18] There are also text stamps, such as English, Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji characters, that can be added and changed in size and color.[19]

The music composer allows users to write pieces either in common time or triple time.[20] There are 15 instruments samples to use that are notated with different icons, including eight melodic sounds (a piano represented by Mario's head, a bell sound represented by a Power Star, a trumpet represented by a Fire Flower, a pulse wave represented by the Game Boy, a horn section sample represented by a goose, a guitar sound represented by an airliner, and an organ represented by a car), three percussion sounds (a bass drum represented by a Super Mushroom, a woodblock represented by a ship, and a bass pluck represented by a heart), and five sound effects (Yoshi's zip, a dog bark, a cat meow, a pig oink, and a baby hiccup).[21] The icons are added to a treble clef. Notes that can be added are limited to a range from the B below middle C to high G.[20] Since no flats or sharps can be added, pieces are restricted to notes of the C major/A minor scale.[22] Other limitations include composing only in quarter notes,[23] a maximum number of three notes on a beat,[20] and a maximum number of measures a song can last (24 bars for 4
4 songs, and 32 bars for 3
4 songs).[22] Pieces made in the composition tool can be played in the animation and coloring book modes.[24]

Reception

[edit]

Contemporaneous

[edit]

The Mario Paint and Mouse package sold more than 1 million units by March 1993.[36] Mario Paint is one of the best-selling SNES games at over 2.3 million copies sold worldwide.[37]

Mario Paint's possible age appeal and amount of features were discussed in reviews. While Nintendo Power and GamePro suggested that it had enough features and interactive elements to fascinate a person of any age with "even a remote interest" in artistic ventures,[28][38] other reviews, even from critics who enjoyed the program, suggested the program's limitations made its novelty wear thin to those past its young target demographic[33][30][39] and made its high price tag unjustifiable.[29][30] Total!'s Steve Misery argued that the limitations were inexcusable for a title on a console that can have 250 colors on a screen at a time, stereo audio, and instantly changing graphics.[29] Additionally, he noted the program "goes completely overboard in one area, and then misses others out completely", such as the lack of a zoom feature despite there being multiple flashy ways to erase a painting.[29]

Criticisms of the program brought up in reviews include long save times, "impossible" fine detailing, and the fact that only one collage can be saved at a time.[31]

Mario Paint was honored by the Parents' Choice Award, a non-profit organization recognizing children's educational entertainment.[40] The game also received a platinum award at the 1994 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Awards.[41] Nintendo Power rated Mario Paint the fourth best SNES game of 1992.[42]

Retrospective

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Calling Mario Paint "perhaps the most ingenious and inspired idea Nintendo ever came up with for a product", AllGame rated it 5 out of 5 stars.[44] Honest Gamers stated, "It has very little flaws, if any, is very addictive, and even a child can use it. The games never get old and none of it ever gets tedious. It is one of the best games for the SNES."[49] US Gamer called Mario Paint "an era-appropriate solution to graphics programs on expensive PCs" which is "at least somewhat responsible for our modern era of 2D indie throwback games". It said, "Every single element ... is engineered to make the act of creation fun in and of itself, even if you're just aimlessly doodling."[50] Josh Despain of Defunct Games, however, opined that while it was a "bold and unconventional move" for Nintendo to release a Mario product that was not a game, thus being a "unique piece of video game history", it was nothing more than another simple paint program with a Mario theme.[47]

In 2006, it was rated the 162nd best game made on a Nintendo system in Nintendo Power's Top 200 Games list.[51] In 2014, IGN ranked it as the 105th best Nintendo game in its list of "The Top 125 Nintendo Games of All Time". IGN editor Peer Schneider cited the game's "smart and playful interface" as a "game changer" and commented that "It effectively erased the barriers between creating and playing, making it one of the most memorable and unique games to ever be released on a console."[52]: 2  In 2018, Complex listed Mario Paint 35th on their "The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time."[53] In 2022, IGN rated Mario Paint 22nd on its "Top 100 SNES Games of All Time", noting that the game inspired different variations of popular songs.[54]

Legacy

[edit]

In video games

[edit]

Several video game developers have cited Mario Paint as an inspiration. Hirokazu Tanaka, a member of Mario Paint's sound staff, later worked on EarthBound (1994), where some of Mario Paint's sound effects and instrument patches appear. Hirofumi Matsuoka, who directed the development of Mario Paint, later worked on several Mario Artist entries and many of the Wario titles, including WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! (2003) for the Game Boy Advance, the microgames from which originated from minigames present in Mario Artist: Polygon Studio, which themselves were conceptualized by Kouichi Kawamoto.[55][56] Masahito Hatakeyama, one of the designers of WarioWare D.I.Y. (2009) for the Nintendo DS, cited Mario Paint's drawing board and music composer as the inspiration for D.I.Y.'s drawing and music creation tools, and several development team members cited it as an early inspiration for their video game development careers.[57]

Further references to Mario Paint appear elsewhere in the WarioWare series. WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! includes Gnat Attack as a microgame. WarioWare: Touched! (2004) for the Nintendo DS includes both a microgame set in Mario Paint's drawing board and a feature called "Wario Paint", which has players color in outlines of WarioWare series characters in a manner similar to Mario Paint's coloring book. WarioWare D.I.Y. includes several easter eggs and callbacks to Mario Paint, including microgames based on the drawing board and Gnat Attack.[57] WarioWare Gold (2018) for the Nintendo 3DS also includes Gnat Attack as a returning microgame. Sound effects from Mario Paint also appear throughout the series.

The Wii Photo Channel features editing functionality similar to Mario Paint, and includes several of the special erasers.[citation needed]

Super Mario Maker (2015), a level creation suite, was originally envisioned as a Mario Paint title for the Wii U.[58] Takashi Tezuka, the game's producer, stated that he "was inspired to bring the fun of Mario Paint into this course editor to make something fun and creative for people to enjoy".[59] US Gamer called Mario Paint an essential part of "the road to Super Mario Maker".[50] As a callback to Mario Paint, Super Mario Maker includes interactive title screen easter eggs, the return of the Gnat Attack minigame, and the appearance of elements and characters originally from Mario Paint, including Undodog, a tan dog functioning as the undo button in both games. Its sequel, Super Mario Maker 2 (2019) for the Nintendo Switch, also features references to Mario Paint, including the return of Undodog as a prominent non-player character in the game's story mode.

Super Mario Odyssey (2017) for the Nintendo Switch includes three costumes for Mario—a black tuxedo, an artists' paint-covered apron, and a classical conductor outfit—that are directly based on artworks created for Mario Paint's promotional materials, with the apron's paired beret also referencing Mario Artist.

A remixed Mario Paint soundtrack medley can be played as background music in the Miiverse stage in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (2014). Mario Paint is also represented in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018) for the Nintendo Switch through an Assist Trophy called "Flies & Hand", where the flyswatter from Gnat Attack attempts to hit both insects and opposing players.

In animation

[edit]

The first episode of Homestar Runner in 1996 was animated using Mario Paint.[60] A primitive introduction video made with Mario Paint can be found in the museum section of the site. A later short in the series, "Strong Bad is a Bad Guy", was made using Mario Paint.

In music

[edit]

Since the early 2010s, there has been an online culture of users on forums, Discord, and YouTube creating original songs and covers with Mario Paint's music composer and programs replicating it, including Mario Paint Composer, Advanced Mario Sequencer, and Super Mario Paint.[61][62] Mario Paint covers that have garnered coverage from the press include jeonghoon95's rendition of Daft Punk's "Get Lucky",[63][64][65] a cover of Nicholas Britell's theme for the HBO series Succession,[62][66][67][68] and axelrod777's cover of the Bob-omb Battlefield level music from 1996's Super Mario 64.[69]

Successors

[edit]

A downloadable version was released in Japan via the Satellaview broadcast service in 1997. Titled BS Mario Paint: Yuu Shou Naizou Ban (マリオペイントBS版), this version was modified to use a standard controller without the need of a mouse.

A sequel to Mario Paint was titled Mario Paint 64 in development,[70] and then released in 1999 as the Japan-exclusive launch game Mario Artist for the 64DD. Nintendo had commissioned the joint developer Software Creations, who described the game's original 1995 design idea as "a sequel to Mario Paint in 3D for the N64".[70][71] Paint Studio has been described by IGN and Nintendo World Report as being Mario Paint's "direct follow-up"[72] and "spiritual successor"[73] respectively. Likewise bundled with its system's mouse, Paint Studio includes many features from Mario Paint, including new additions such as a gallery and 3D explorable spaces that can be drawn on.[72] Gnat Attack was also intended to appear in Paint Studio, but it was cut before the final release,[74] though it was shown on several magazine previews and some reviewers received copies including it.[72]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Japanese: マリオペイント, Hepburn: Mario Peinto
  2. ^ In Electronic Gaming Monthly's review, three critics gave it an 8/10, and one gave it a 9/10.[26]
  3. ^ GamePro gave Mario Paint two 5/5 ratings for graphics and control and two 4.5/5 scores for sound and fun factor.[28]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "クリエイターズファイル 第102回". Gpara.com. February 17, 2003. Archived from the original on September 30, 2011. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
  2. ^ "Engaged Game Software". Intelligent Systems Co., Ltd. Archived from the original on April 10, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
  3. ^ a b c Instruction manual 1992, p. 4.
  4. ^ a b Instruction manual 1992, p. 30.
  5. ^ Nintendo Magazine System 1993, p. 39.
  6. ^ Instruction manual 1992, p. 27.
  7. ^ Instruction manual 1992, p. 28.
  8. ^ Instruction manual 1992, p. 7.
  9. ^ Instruction manual 1992, p. 9.
  10. ^ Instruction manual 1992, p. 10.
  11. ^ Instruction manual 1992, p. 14.
  12. ^ Instruction manual 1992, p. 15.
  13. ^ a b Instruction manual 1992, p. 8.
  14. ^ Instruction manual 1992, p. 22–24.
  15. ^ Instruction manual 1992, p. 24.
  16. ^ Instruction manual 1992, p. 39.
  17. ^ Instruction manual 1992, p. 12.
  18. ^ Instruction manual 1992, p. 13.
  19. ^ Instruction manual 1992, p. 17–18.
  20. ^ a b c Instruction manual 1992, p. 20.
  21. ^ Player's Guide 1993, p. 69.
  22. ^ a b Player's Guide 1993, p. 71.
  23. ^ Player's Guide 1993, p. 70.
  24. ^ Instruction manual 1992, p. 25, 27.
  25. ^ "CVG Review: Mario Paint" (PDF). Computer and Video Games. No. 133 (December 1992). November 15, 1992. pp. 82–3. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 27, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
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  27. ^ "Legacy Review Archives". Game Informer. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  28. ^ a b N. Somniac (January 1993). "Mario Paint". GamePro. No. 42. p. 90.
  29. ^ a b c d 'Misery, Steve (October 1992). "Mario Paint". Total!. No. 10. pp. 94–95.
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  39. ^ Instruction manual 1992, p. 41.
  40. ^ "Kid's; Books, Toys, Videos Honored". Associated Press. January 14, 1993. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  41. ^ Oppenheim, Joanne and Stephanie (1993). "Computer Software/CD-ROM - Life After Arcade: Getting Value From Sega and Nintendo - 'Mario Paint'". The Best Toys, Books & Videos for Kids. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Guide Book. Vol. 1 (1st ed.). New York: Harper Perennial. p. 279. ISBN 0-06-273196-3.
  42. ^ "Top 10 of 1992". Nintendo Power. Vol. 44. January 1993. p. 118. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  43. ^ "Mario Paint Gamerankings review score". Archived from the original on May 4, 2019.
  44. ^ a b House, Michael Ll. "Mario Paint - Review". Allgame. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
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  50. ^ a b Mackey, Bob (September 11, 2015). "The Road to Super Mario Maker". US Gamer. Archived from the original on September 22, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  51. ^ "NP Top 200". Nintendo Power. Vol. 200. February 2006. pp. 58–66..
  52. ^ "The Top 125 Nintendo Games of All Time". IGN. September 24, 2014. Archived from the original on March 24, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  53. ^ Knight, Rich (April 30, 2018). "The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time". Complex. Archived from the original on January 9, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  54. ^ Top 100 SNES Games of All Time - IGN.com, archived from the original on January 23, 2012, retrieved September 8, 2022
  55. ^ Sakamoto, Yoshio; Nakada, Ryuichi; Takeuchi, Ko; Abe, Goro; Sugioka, Taku; Mori, Naoko (April 7, 2006). "Nintendo R&D1 Interview" (Interview). Video Games Daily. Archived from the original on February 20, 2010. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  56. ^ Mirachian, Darron (September 29, 2021). "Three decades of Wario all started with a name". Polygon. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  57. ^ a b "Iwata Asks". Nintendo of Europe. Archived from the original on August 16, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  58. ^ "What Super Mario Bros.' Creators Think of Super Mario Maker". Time. September 11, 2015. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  59. ^ Lien, Tracey (June 13, 2014). "Mario Maker started out as a tool for Nintendo's developers". Polygon. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  60. ^ "Super NES" (SWF). homestarrunner.com. 1996. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved January 3, 2007.
  61. ^ Henges, Elizabeth (February 6, 2020). "Meet the musicians who compose in Mario Paint". The Verge. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  62. ^ a b Grimm, Peter (October 5, 2019). "Succession TV Show Theme Remade In Mario Paint". Game Rant. Archived from the original on October 31, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  63. ^ Greenwald, David (September 3, 2013). "'Get Lucky' Goes 16-Bit With 'Mario Paint' Cover: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  64. ^ Reißmann, Ole (September 10, 2013). "Angeklickt: Daft Punk Get Lucky Mario Paint Composer". Der Spiegel. Archived from the original on August 16, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  65. ^ Maloney, Devon (September 9, 2013). "Man's First Try at Mario Paint Composition Results in Perfect Cover of 'Get Lucky'". Wired. Archived from the original on August 16, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  66. ^ Bryan, Chloe (October 4, 2019). "The 'Succession' theme song recreated in 'Mario Paint' is simply delightful". Mashable. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  67. ^ Chitwood, Adam (October 3, 2019). "The Succession Theme Song in Mario Paint Is Pure Joy". Collider. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  68. ^ Bitran, Tara (November 20, 2019). "'Succession' and the Theme Song That Launched 100 Memes". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  69. ^ Kyle (May 16, 2018). "Fan Recreates Super Mario 64 Music in Mario Paint". Game Freaks 365. Archived from the original on March 6, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  70. ^ a b Miyamoto, Shigeru (July 29, 1997). "Miyamoto Reveals Secrets: Fire Emblem, Mario Paint 64" (Interview). Interviewed by IGN staff. Archived from the original on April 17, 2001. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  71. ^ "Mario Artist: Paint Studio / Sound Studio". Zee-3 Digital Publishing. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
  72. ^ a b c Schneider, Peer (August 22, 2000). "Mario Artist: Paint Studio (Import)". IGN. Archived from the original on September 16, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  73. ^ Bivens, Danny (October 29, 2011). "Nintendo's Expansion Ports: Nintendo 64 Disk Drive". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on October 27, 2014. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
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Bibliography

[edit]
  • Mario Paint instruction manual. Nintendo of America. 1992. pp. 1–34.
  • "Mario Paint Nintendo Player's Guide". Nintendo Power. 1993. pp. 1–120.
  • "Mario Paint". Nintendo Magazine System. No. 4. July 1993. pp. 38–41.
[edit]
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