In 1985, Lucas, an eight-year old boy, has received one of the greatest gifts for his birthday. His hard-working uncle, Mark, got a game from the recently opened GameStop: Super Mario Bros! A classic game, one of its kind. After a week of playing, Lucas finally beats the game, but... something isn't right. What might've been Lucas's greatest dream come true, might just be slowly deforming into a nightmare, that not even he can understand.
MARIO '85 (Previously known as MARIO PC PORT) is a Super Mario Bros. horror game based on Sonic PC Port. It is directed by Inferno and programmed by Taco Games.
Your name is Lucas. You're 8 years old. You were just playing Super Mario on your NES, when suddenly, a flashing light came from your TV. You fall on the ground unconscious, and when you wake up, you are in a familiar place, but you notice that something is wrong. He is here.
The demos can be downloaded here
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Tropes present in Mario '85 include:
- Artifact Title: The game's previous name of MARIO PC PORT was changed to MARIO' 85 to separate the game from Sonic Pc Port. However, the original name was still kept in the title screen until the World 1-2 demo.
- Blackground: The moment MX appears, the blue skies of Level 1-1 turn completely pitch-black.
- Butterfly of Doom: The game's events probably could've been avoided (or at least delayed) had Uncle Mark double-checked the copy of the game he bought for Lucas.
- Cumulonemesis: Downplayed. Once MX shows his true form, the clouds in the background turn into hostile-looking monsters with slasher smiles, yet they can't actually hurt you since they're merely in the background.
- Dramatic Irony: A Gamejolt post by Taco Games shows a picture of the game's cartridge with Lucas thanking his uncle Mark for buying him the game, completely oblivious to what is going to happen to him later...
- Half the Man He Used to Be: Before the chase sequence on Level 1-1, we get a cutscene where MX shifts into his real form and then kills a Toad by throwing him towards the level's flag hard enough to break his body in half.
- The Juggernaut: Once MX starts chasing you, there is NOTHING that you can do to stop him, you can merely slow him down at best. Brick blocks and steel pipes on his way? He busts his way through them. Fell down a bottomless pit? He jumps back up screaming "WAHOO" at the top of his lungs. Even after Lucas manages to escape him through a pipe, he makes it clear to him that he still won't stop chasing after him.
- This trope is even clearer in the second demo released for April Fools' Day, when Nekoamon (the antagonist of the demo) even surprise-attacks Syobon, throws away the 1-2 pipe to prevent an easy victory and even smashes an entire section of ground apart.
- Jump Scare: When Nekoamon first appears in the April Fool's demo, he briefly turns red and makes a sudden loud roar. He also jumpscares you after the end of the demo.
- The Most Dangerous Video Game: The game's about a Super Mario Bros. game inhabited by an Eldritch Abomination that traps its victim's souls inside vessels that look like Mario characters.
- Off with His Head!: Lucas' destiny if he doesn't outrun MX.
- Ominous Visual Glitch: The screen flashes with static before Level 1-1's blocks become nonfunctional.
- One-Winged Angel: At the beginning of the chase sequence, MX changes from a simple Palette Swap of Mario to a taller Monstrous Humanoid. Then, when he seemingly falls to his death in a Bottomless Pit only to jump back out, he changes to an even bigger and more monstrous form.
- Run or Die: Once MX spots Lucas, he starts chasing after him for all of the level to kill him, with no way to stop him or kill him.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Mark, Lucas's uncle, he doesn't appear in the game at all, but he's the one who gifted the cursed Mario game to his nephew in the first place.
- Stealth-Based Mission: World 1-2 is this from what's seen so far. MX' giant head is in the background, peaking out of the shadows every once in a while. Lucas can hide from MX behind the remains of the walls of World 1-2, but it gets spotted by MX, he dies, presumably from getting killed by him. And then, close the end of the unfinished demo, MX' ghostly giant hand appears from the right, floating towards the left. Though this is presumably him trying to grab Lucas, said mechanic hasn't been implemented yet in the unfinished demo.
- There Is Another: Hinted to. One teaser for the game mentions Lucas seeking to find the Princess for help, hinting that he may not be the only one having to survive against MX.
- Uncanny Atmosphere: Even before MX appears, the first hints that there's something wrong with the game are that Level 1-1 is nearly devoid of enemies, the few Goombas that appear give you 0 points whenever they die, the blocks don't work and the music is slightly distorted.
- Would Hurt a Child: MX stole Lucas' soul and shoved it into the game to kill him, and Lucas is merely 8 years old.
- Your Soul Is Mine!: Lucas' destiny at the beginning of the game was having his soul stolen by MX and inserted inside of a vessel that looks like Luigi.
