Super Mario Bros. Dimensions

About

Super Mario Bros. Dimensions is a PC platformer built around a clever dimension-switching mechanic. You control Mario and a green Boo named Polter, who can toggle between two distinct versions of each level, one colorful and classic, the other bleak and industrial. The shifting environments change hazards and pathways, forcing you to adapt mid-jump or mid-boss fight. Combat feels familiar but peppered with quirks like Boos that phase through walls or enemies that only exist in one dimension. The game leans into its premise with tight level design and a story that’s equal parts absurd and charming. Polter’s amnesia and Bowser’s alternate-dimension empire give it a loose, self-aware tone. While it lacks the polish of modern Mario titles, fans of creative platformer twists might find it intriguing. Released in 2015, it still pops up in retro fan discussions for its cheeky use of the dimension gimmick. The core idea is sound, just don’t expect a full kingdom’s worth of content.

Storyline

Taking place days after the events of Super Mario Bros. 3, Bowser is lost around the outskirts of the Mushroom Kingdom, where he finds a mysterious flashing ring. The ring can allow one to travel to an alternate dimension, one that is much less developed and a lot gloomier than the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser comes up with a plan to build an empire in this strange new dimension, where nobody, not even Mario, can stop him! After months of progress, Bowser's empire begins to get larger and larger, and he starts using the power of the ring to "upgrade" his minions. But during the process of mutation, a single Hyper Boo freaks out and escapes the castle and back to the Mushroom Kingdom. There it crashes into a wall, which causes amnesia onto itself. Soon after, Mario discovers the lone, green Boo. Luckily, all that it remembered was Bowser's plans. It ends up being rechristened as Polter, who has the ability to switch between the two dimensions at will, and joining Mario's side to stop Bowser's plans once again!