This is how Super Mario Bros. would have play in the real world

Super Mario Bros has been used, abused, and repurposed for so many things, it's not really a surprise to hear about it being used in an augmented reality setting. In fact, we're more surprised it took this long for someone to do it. At least 28 year old developer Abhishek Singh can enjoy that fame for a while as news of his adventures spread far and wide. Yes, this is a somewhat modified version of the first level of Super Mario Bros if it had been something that happened in our real, 3D world.

It actually sounds cooler than it looks, which is not to say it's not cool. But it might not be exactly what you hoped or expected a Super Mario AR game to be. Being able to overlay interactive virtual game elements over the real world is a commendable accomplishment. Turning into an experience that really feels like a Mario game is a whole different challenge.

Singh developed the AR demo using Unity and the Microsoft HoloLens, the latter the only widely available AR device and platform, at least for now. He was able to recreate many of the iconic elements of the original game, from bricks to mushrooms to enemies. But one can only go so far really. After all, you can't fall into a bottomless pit or jump over green pipes.

A Super Mario Bros. game in the real world would really only play out as a somewhat faster paced runner, but without the consequences of falling into pits or the adventure in climbing into pipes, the game loses a bi part of its appeal. Maybe someday, technology, and insanity, would reach a point where an AR game like the above would play in a parkour-like environment like this:

VIA: UploadVR