Nintendo’s lineage of Super Mario games and FromSoftware’s collection of soulsborne titles are about as different as two series can possibly be. One is a bright, colorful cornerstone of early console gaming heralded for its approachability, while the other consists of brutal dark fantasy adventures that demand players overcome steep learning curves. However, one creative Reddit user put their artistic talents to the test, showcasing that, despite the apparent disparity, Super Mario and Elden Ring, FromSoftware’s latest effort, share more similarities than one might assume.
Submitted to the Elden Ring subreddit on May 10, user heck_lord69 displayed a stunning piece of artistry that draws some pretty compelling comparisons between Elden Ring and the beloved SNES title Super Mario World. Likening the many segments of the latter game’s overworld to the many regions of the former’s Lands Between, heck_lord69 certainly seems to be on to something. It may be some time before a Mario title takes a Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild-esque open-world approach, but Super Mario World set the stage for more expansive titles to follow in its wake, and it deserves credit for helping to establish such a trend.
Weirdly enough, Super Mario World’s Donut Plains bear a striking resemblance to Elden Ring’s Liurnia of the Lakes, and the arid Chocolate Island does smack of the Scarlet Rot-infected Caelid. Beyond that, Vanilla Dome could definitely be compared to Nokron, Eternal City, and the notoriously tricky Star World seems similar to Elden Ring’s legacy dungeon Farum Azula. The comparisons could even be taken a step further, though they don’t make as much sense geographically. The Forest of Illusion could be Elden Ring’s Mistwood, and the Twin Bridges call to mind a similar set of bridges found in Caelid's northmost region.
But there’s even more to it than that. as best put by Reddit commenter themisterfixit, “Torrent is Yoshi confirmed.” Silly as it seems, Mario’s trusty sidekick and the Tarnished's noble steed are in some ways similar. Both allow for increased mobility, both run away or disappear after taking a hit, and both can double jump. Unfortunately, while Yoshi earned a starring role in many Nintendo games, Torrent probably won’t be getting his own souls-inspired spin-off any time soon.
Oddly enough, this isn’t the first time a Reddit user has melded the harsh universe of Elden Ring with Nintendo’s happy-go-lucky mascots. In April, Reddit user heybinsu submitted a lovely rendering of Kirby dressed as various Elden Ring characters, perhaps the most adorable of which was Starscourge Radahn.