Gamescom 2019 was a treasure trove of information about Sony’s upcoming exclusive title, Death Stranding. While the game’s concept may still seem somewhat confusing, fans got another good look at the world Hideo Kojima and his team have created with cinematic trailers for characters such as Mama and Deadman. Additionally, a short gameplay clip featuring Norman Reedus urinating and delivering packages to hologram Geoff Keighley was shown. That gameplay footage inspired one YouTube channel to explore what it would be like with classic Mario sound effects.
While it sounds odd on paper, the Death Stranding gameplay mixes extremely well with sound effects and music ripped from Super Mario 64. As Norman Reedus’s character, Sam Bridges, opens the gameplay napping, the idle sounds from Mario are dubbed over with the castle music slowly getting louder. Other subtle Mario sound effects are used to great effect, including Mario straining when Sam gets up, the pause sound effect when the player goes into the Death Stranding menu system, and the camera sound effect whenever the view adjusts or shifts.
The classic Bob-omb Battlefield tune plays while Sam explores the area, with Mario greeting quips being used as the player approaches the Ludens Fan location. Once Geoff Keighley is discovered in-game, the NPC essentially recites Peach’s speech to Mario from the end of Super Mario 64. As Sam tumbles down the cliff following the exchange, the video cleverly shifts to the effect of Mario falling a long distance and then shows the lives meter fully depleted. Before the video ends, the Slide soundtrack kicks on as Sam begins running down a hill.
As people in the comments have pointed out, not every sound effect used in the video is specifically from Super Mario 64. Nintendo fans may recognize a few things from other Nintendo games, such as Super Mario Sunshine, Mario vs Donkey Kong, and Luigi’s Mansion. However, for the most part, the video is nearly all done with Super Mario 64 sounds.
While some of the gameplay featured in this video may be a bit confusing, it is not the only aspect of Death Stranding that may be leaving fans scratching their heads. Earlier this month, reports surfaced that Death Stranding was no longer listed as a PS4 exclusive on Sony Australia’s official page. Naturally, this set off a firestorm of community speculation, with many believing that it was moving to launch with the PlayStation 5. That said, the recent footage from Gamescom, and a huge banner with the PS4 logo clearly on it, suggests that Death Stranding is once again set up as a PS4 exclusive.
Death Stranding launches on November 8, 2019 for the PlayStation 4.
