I won't say no to an out-of-the-blue update to this three-year-old, free, Mario-themed FPS demo

The phrase "Super Mario FPS" conjures up a certain image for me: a custom Counter-Strike: Source gun game map maybe, or a really edgy Doom WAD like the so-rad-they-took-it-down Bikini Bottom Massacre. Something in the spirit of, ahem, "tribal" tattoo Mario, basically. Developer Sean Noonan's Super 1-1, on the other hand, is more of a wholesome, good-hearted take on the concept.

We first reported on Noonan's concept back in 2019, and the developer gave it a full release early the next year. Nintendo's crack legal division seemed to give it a stay of execution, and that looked like the end of things until just this week. On March 11, Noonan published an update to Super 1-1 that adds new collectibles, back-end tweaks, and rendering updates. The full changes are listed here:

• Updated project from 4.26 to 4.27
• Significant project cleanup
• Added some new coin locations
• Updated all models, animations, textures, effects and materials
• Added foliage in the form of grass tufts, small rocks and other small details
• New and improved water (!)
• New and improved sky (!)
• Fixed numerous LOD's
• Fixed a bunch of shadow issues
• Fixed depth of field
• General performance improvements
• Improved character controls
• Additional game options
• Added mouse control to in-game menus
• Made trees "fun" :D [Editor's note: they have eyes that turn to follow the player as they pass now]

I remember being tickled by the concept three years ago, but I never actually loaded Super 1-1 and tried the game⁠—it's great! Mario's movements translate really well into first-person, and you're armed with a plunger-launching cannon that gets stronger as you collect mushrooms, an honestly pretty inspired bit of FPS weapon design that meshes perfectly with the Mushroom Kingdom. I also love seeing 3D platformer collectathon-style design hammered into an FPS⁠—it reminds me of the incredible Doom: The Golden Souls series of WADs.

For the sake of professional pride and journalistic integrity, I had to uncover its hidden level as well⁠—only I couldn't find out how anywhere. Alpha Beta Gamer's video on Super 1-1 shows them loading into it directly after 100%ing the base level, so I tried that, and then I tried it again in under five minutes all to no avail.

Shout out to xVioletRain on YouTube, who included the instructions how on their three-year-old speedrun video that I was only the 120th person to watch. You just put in the Konami Code on the start screen with your keyboard (up up down down left right left right B A). It's a cute, fully-linear sky level sort of deal, reminiscent of a lot of 3D Mario secret levels. I'm glad I saw it, and my great struggle to do so made it all the sweeter.

God willing, the demo's nearly four years online means that Nintendo's Terminator-like legal team will continue to abide its harmless existence. Super 1-1 is a fun and inventive project, and I recommend checking it out yourself on itch.io.