9. Mario Paint
Though this series only ever saw one release in the west due to the inability of the 64DD attachment to leave Japan, that single entry still holds a special place in the hearts of many. It’s definitely a better coloring game than Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up, but alas, it lacks the sheer thrill of seeing Luigi live out his dream of someday being a store clerk.
It’s fairly self-explanatory, but your goal in Mario Paint is to scrawl as much nonsense upon the canvas as your little heart could possibly desire. There are a range of different tools at your disposal, and a selection of templates to start you off with if you’re feeling creatively bankrupt. There is no end-game, no final judgment made upon your skills as an artist unless you mandate your own house rules wherein your disapproving parents fling pottery at you if your efforts fail to impress them. Just a suggestion.
There’s also a music maker, and even a rudimentary animation feature that allows you to drag an object haphazardly across the screen like a drunkard trying to find the toilet. If it’s all a bit to calm for you, you can challenge the lord of the flies to a showdown to the death in the flyswatting mini-game. It’s actually pretty intense, and you may soon find yourself fleeing back to the safety of illustration if you’re not prepared.
