Mario Tower

Mario Tower was one of those Flash games you'd find buried on a fan site in the mid-2000s. It belonged to that era where developers would freely borrow characters, creating simple, single-screen experiences you played in a browser tab between other tasks. The specifics of its release or creator are hazy now, lost along with so many other Flash titles.

You control a lone defender, a Toad perhaps, stationed at the base of a tower. The goal is straightforward: stop Bowser's gang from climbing up and kidnapping the Princess. Each wave, enemies march in from the right side of the screen. You aim and shoot with your mouse, switching between a starting pistol and other tools like mines or turrets that you can purchase between rounds. The money for these upgrades comes directly from the enemies you defeat. The pacing is relentless; the difficulty creeps up as more varied foes appear, forcing you to manage your limited funds and placement of defenses carefully. It feels like a frantic, minimalist stand against an endless tide.