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Ya know, sometimes I do like to think about what things will be like in the future, when a current hero's time is over, and one fun thing is the notion of "Who will step up to take their place?" This is pretty much the concept of TAY, which I imagine is something of a nod to Final Fantasy 4's sequel, in which we play a young boy named Mute. Can Mute truly fill the shoes that Mario so famously jumped in?

WORLD: So I've mentioned on other reviews I've made that I really love when someone crafts a brand new world in a series. Granted, TAY uses mostly assets from Super Mario World, but it does use assets from other games as well, depending on the location. However, unlike Super Mario World, the world building is all that much more buffed by one other game aspect: its story! Mario only gave us story after each palace beaten, but TAY here gives "cutscenes" (or more like exposition screens since it's a blank screen with story on it) VERY frequently, and it sets the tone for what's going on in the world. This was an amazing decision, and it makes the world feel more poignant and important since it comes up even during the levels, sometimes even giving us a reason for why what we're playing through is even important. This was an awesome design choice, and if I had a hat, I'd say "hats off to you, EvilGuy" for your brilliant method of presenting the world and the story.

GAMEPLAY: This much hasn't changed a lot. TECHNICALLY Mute is just a palette swap of Mario, though admittedly Mute is actually kinda cute, being a kid who is finding he has the same power and strength that Mario himself once had. Personally, I really like his animations; it's a minor thing, but something new to see for what we're playing, and I enjoyed that. You are given an HP count, but you basically can take 5 hits before dying, unless you fall into a pit or something. Most power-ups remain the same, though the mushroom is simply for giving more HP back, and the feather is exceptionally rare and is only for gliding and melee attacks with since Mute can't fly. Yoshi also only appears in maybe...one or two levels, but this is part of the storyline, so it's hardly an "unfair" thing. Overall, this game has PLENTY of challenge, and it can be pretty hard in a number of places. It takes a lot of work to get to all the secrets, but if you're thorough, then you can find them; remember, this IS a Mario game.

FUN: Honestly, this is loads of fun. The story, the world, the gameplay, it all mixes together and feels like a legit journey, though maybe more like one akin to an RPG as opposed to the standard Mario game. The game carries a heavy theme of bravery and hero worship and how that changes who we are, which is significant since Mario really never had any themes aside from jumping on people's heads. I will say though, that one negative point for me is actually some of the story. Some of the cutscenes, especially those prior to boss fights, feel like something out of a Saturday morning cartoon, so the plot can seem extremely silly from time to time. Yeah, still a Mario game, but it's significant when the story is actually kinda dark, as Mute is the only hero available trying to save the Mushroom Kingdom from being totally overrun by Nova's troops, and they've been losing up to this point. It feels like a bit of mood whiplash when we're dealing with Mute's lack of confidence, the Princess's hopes to finally save her broken home, and then suddenly....we're almost in slapstick comedy territory. It's not bad, just noticeable. Other than that, I love about everything with it. I especially love when the story shows Mute's determination to save his friends and then the level suddenly gives us awesome music to back up the intensity of that.

MY RATING: 9.2/10 It's kinda odd that for a Mario game, I actually find I like Mute a heck of a lot more. This isn't JUST a game, it's an EXPERIENCE. Yeah, the Hero's Journey has been done to death in media and games, but it's still fun to come back to, especially when the character is dealing with their own insecurity over whether they can be ANYWHERE near like their hero and prove they're their own person either way. Admittedly, the story gets a bit cheesy, and one of the plot twists just seems...really out of left field since it's only brought up in the final levels and doesn't feel like it fits too well with the plot. It's a bit distracting, and it does almost make you wanna laugh at how silly it all is in comparison to the rest. But beyond that, there's plenty here. Classic Mario with an all new way of experiencing it, so get it now!

The hack is very, very well done. It features: A new and revamped soundtrack, new graphics, new levels, it adds more health so you can get more hits before dying (5 hits more and less), a new and well done history line, with chapters and cutscenes dialogs, New Bosses, New enemies, mixing all that in a fun and fair gameplay.

You must try it out!

This is a great hack, the plot is like a sequel from the original mario, the soundtrack is very good, sometimes is just a little remix from another nintendo games, but still nice.

Very good sprites and monsters added, every new enemie have a new ability not just sprite replacement, the gameplay is very good.

Pros: Long levels, very nice maps e scenario art, health bar & the sprite of mute is the best.

Cons: very difficult, some secret on the game is almost impossible to reach, yoshi barely appears & levels that you can fly is rare

ps: Sorry about my english, still learning