This game is a masterpiece. The simplicity of the gameplay belies the complexity of the theme - Uber Mario must forever shine the shoes, even once they are already clean; not only does he feel compelled to do so by the lack of outside activity, but he is driven to continue shining even the soles of the customer's shoes by said customer's constant, condescending demands of him. The pride and fulfillment he takes in his job, represented by Eddie Kendricks' 1974 song "Shoeshine Boy", evaporates after a few minutes, replaced by the deafening silence of an uncaring world. Yet still, Uber Mario is driven to shine. In spite of his fate, he always stares intently at the gleaming wellies, searching for one last vestigial speck of grime to remove. Knowing full well that the little green number, meant to denote the worth of his work, truly means nothing, he soldiers on. It is entirely up to the audience to decide whether Uber Mario has found a paradise or a damnation in his fate, and the game promotes neither conclusion to the exclusion of the other.
I got a high score, here's a screenshot to prove it
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This game is a masterpiece. The simplicity of the gameplay belies the complexity of the theme - Uber Mario must forever shine the shoes, even once they are already clean; not only does he feel compelled to do so by the lack of outside activity, but he is driven to continue shining even the soles of the customer's shoes by said customer's constant, condescending demands of him. The pride and fulfillment he takes in his job, represented by Eddie Kendricks' 1974 song "Shoeshine Boy", evaporates after a few minutes, replaced by the deafening silence of an uncaring world. Yet still, Uber Mario is driven to shine. In spite of his fate, he always stares intently at the gleaming wellies, searching for one last vestigial speck of grime to remove. Knowing full well that the little green number, meant to denote the worth of his work, truly means nothing, he soldiers on. It is entirely up to the audience to decide whether Uber Mario has found a paradise or a damnation in his fate, and the game promotes neither conclusion to the exclusion of the other.
I got a high score, here's a screenshot to prove it