When it comes to gaming franchises, they don’t really get any bigger thanSuper Mario. Technically debuting in 1981, with Mario first appearing inthe arcade gameDonkey Kong, theSuper Mariofranchise has had a constant presence in the video game landscape, and a monumental one at that. Soft toys, board games, spin-offs, manga, TV shows, movies, Mario has appeared in every medium imaginable, and he’s been to a lot of different settings along the way.
By far, the most iconicSuper Mariolocation is the Mushroom Kingdom. First appearing inSuper Mario Bros.in 1985,the Mushroom Kingdom can be found in nearly every mainline and spin-offMariotitlein one form or another, whether it’s as a racetrack inMario Kart, the hub area inSuper Mario 64, or the bustling metropolis of the live-actionSuperMario Bros. movie. With the Mushroom Kingdom being such an iconic setting, it’s easy to forget some ofSuper Mario’s lesser known locations, andSuper Mario Land’s Sarasaland tends to be one that gets passed over.
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The Next Super Mario Should Bring Back Sarasaland
Sarasaland was first introduced withSuper Mario Landin 1989. ThoughSuper Mario Landwas the first ever handheldMariotitle, releasing for the original Game Boy, the game manages to retain the same general look and feel of the originalSuper Mario Bros. side-scrolling platformer. Rather than traveling across the Mushroom Kingdom, however,Super Mario Landdrops the player into Sarasaland, a united country governed by Princess Daisy.
InSuper Mario Land, Sarasaland is made up of four distinct kingdoms, each inspired by a real-world location. The Birabuto Kingdom, where players start their adventure, isbased on Ancient Egypt, which can be spotted straight away with the first screen in the game showcasing some pyramids and Sphinxes. The Muda Kingdom comes after, being based on Bermuda. The Easton Kingdom is one ofSuper Mario Land’s more memorable areas, being based on Easter Island, and large heads sticking out of the ground. The final Sarasaland kingdom is called Chai Kingdom and is based on ancient China. As opposed to scouring the land for his own love, Peach, Mario is tasked with chasing after Princess Daisy, who has been kidnaped by an alien named Tatanga.
In the decades that have followedSuper Mario Land’s release, Sarasaland hasn’t made a single reappearance in a mainlineMariogame. The only appearances Sarasaland has made since its debut is within theWarioWareseries, where it occasionally pops up as the background for a microgame. The most recent reference to Sarasaland can be found inWarioWare: Get It Together, where it acts as the backdrop for the “Super Mario Land” microgame, which sees players attempt to grab the mushroom before Mario can get it. Aside from brief mentions in Daisy’s profile in a variety of games, Sarasaland hasn’t been seen outside ofSuper Mario LandorWarioWare.
A newSuper Mariotitle should definitely return players to Sarasaland. On a surface level, Sarasaland features some extremely unique settings that aren’t often explored inMariotitles. While a desert and a jungle isn’t something players haven’t seen inMario, it’s unlikely that they’ve seen an Easter Island-inspired location, or an area heavily inspired by ancient, mythical China. On top of the exotic location itself, settinga futureSuper Mariotitlein Sarasaland would pave the way for Princess Daisy to get a larger part in the narrative and action. It’s often the case that Daisy’s brought in whenever another side character slot needs to be filled, but the character deserves more than that, having been in the franchise since 1989.
Super Mario Landis available on Game Boy.
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