Mushroom Patrol - The Midas Machine Demo

The Super Mario Bros. franchise dates back a few decades and you can now find one or more titles on basically every platform out there, whether it’s the old 8-bit consoles or the newest smartphones on the market. Obviously, it didn’t remain quite the same over the years, which means that Mario and his friends tackled almost every kind of environment and theme.

Mushroom Patrol - The Midas Machine is a fan-made tribute to Nintendo’s super hit and it comes very close to what video games used to be back when 3D graphics were not yet conceivable. Thus, the same linear environments packed with goombas and various other surreal creatures await you, although you are not alone this time around.

The story talks about a bunch of great villains that have come up with yet another diabolical scheme to bring the Mushroom Kingdom to its knees: turn everything and everyone into gold. It’s worse than it sounds, and there are a few subplot points as well, so the entire adventure should keep you entertained from one end to the other, even if the title is not complete and this is merely a demonstration of what’s to come.

Unlike the classic Super Mario games, you now have a bit of an inventory to manage as well, which means that you can pick up a few special items along the way. Not only that, but there are also two different characters to choose from at the beginning of each level. Thus, both Mario and Luigi can be used, each one of which have a unique skill that can come in handy in certain situations, such as Luigi’s ability to perform giant leaps.

One thing that truly impresses at the game is the level design, because it doesn’t feel rushed or unprofessional at all. In fact, it looks quite convincing, not to mention the fact that there are special zones you can enter to participate in timed mini-games with unique prizes. The controls are smooth and responsive as well, even if you decide to use the keyboard instead of the gamepad.

When it’s all said and done, Mushroom Patrol - The Midas Machine feels a lot like a quality product, even if it doesn’t have Nintendo’s seal of approval. However, it is still rather short and incomplete, so you are left hoping that the developers can provide the rest of the adventure as well.