SKETCH -

Happy Wednesday, my lil' Dragon Coins!

The past week and change was super draining and I didn't have a lot of time to draw for funsies. So it was nice to finally be able to doodle something for enjoyment (and for you!). Thanks for being patient and understanding. The shop drop yesterday was a success (reminder to visit my store for some new stuff if you're interested!) and I'm so thankful for that as well. I'll be packing orders over the next couple evenings, which is not something I mind one bit.

Anyway, onto some commentary:

The great debate: Mario 3 or Mario World. I usually cite Super Mario Bros. 3 as my first video game, which probably isn't technically true, but it's the first game I remember playing, and the first game that really had a major impact on me. There's no question that it's a masterpiece, playable and completely enjoyable to this very day (whether you're playing the NES, SNES, or GBA version). Not something you can say about a lot of games.

And yet...there's just something that pushes Super Mario World right over it for me. The SNES was such a giant leap over the NES in its power and presentation, and still holds some of the best games ever made. Mario World feels a smidge less creative than Mario 3, but despite or maybe even because of that, feels like a perfect default/center for the entire series. It's the right length, plays beautifully, looks amazing, sounds incredible. It established so much about the Mario formula and brand that still lives on. It's just a perfect game to me. I can play it any time and not be bored of it. It's wild they were able to use the SNES to such great effect so early on in its life. Incredible.

But really, there's only one right answer to the Mario 3 vs. Mario World debate: play 'em both! Duh!

I really like this sketch. One benefit of drawing consistently and in large quantities for work (or in this case, a storyboard test) is that you stay pretty sharp for the days following because your brain is in that efficiency mode still. This sketch hasn't been flipped so maybe it's an imbalanced nightmare, something I'll certainly fix if I decide to take it to a finished form, but I didn't go in with much planning and the whole thing came together in just 30-ish minutes, maybe less. It was fun.

I hope that you like it! Tell me your favorite Mario game in the comments, if you're feelin' silly.

Yoshiiiii! I mean, thank you!

Drew