Super Mario Galaxy

We all know that video games are pure fantasy, and that they should rarely be considered accurate representations of reality. Even so, it's fascinating to consider how popular franchises would fare if they were governed by the proper laws of the universe.

If you've ever wondered what games would be like if they had to abide by the science playbook then you've probably already discovered the excellent Game Theory series. This time, creator MatPat attempts to scientifically take apart the idea behind the Hookshot and its variations (the Longshot more specifically), an item from The Legend of Zelda series that allows Link to traverse across the nooks and crannies of Hyrule. Game Theory is also the series behind the idea of Link being dead in Majora's Mask, a popular theory that caused an uproar within the internet community upon its release.

The video below is extremely interesting, but without spoiling anything, it's gruesome too. MatPat ensures that every aspect of science and its laws are covered, and really identifies whether Link travelling abruptly from area to area with this item is a possible feat in real life.

In other news, students from the Department of Physics and Astronomy have calculated that the small planets Mario navigates in the Super Mario Galaxy games would likely explode in real life. This is because of the extreme imbalance of gravitational pressure they would be exposed to due to their minuscule size. The students observed that Mario's movement and jumping capabilities were the same on each planet (including Earth), and so the assumption of each planet having the same surface gravity of 9.81ms ² could be made.

They go on to explain that planets of this size (approximately 100m in diameter) would survive for only a brief moment before violently destroying themselves and their inhabitants. Long story short, these dwarf-like planets would not have enough mass to produce a stable body. If you care about the science in detail, have a read of the actual paper here.

Are you a fan of people breaking down video games in a scientific fashion like this, or does it ruin things for you? Let's hear your thoughts below!

[source youtube.com, via physics.le.ac.uk]