Mario is ready for action

Next Level Games has a long and proud history with Nintendo, having worked on a wide range of titles including Super Mario Strikers, Punch Out!! and Luigi's Mansion 2. However, not all of the projects pitched by this developer have seen the light of day, and Unseen64 has posted an updated video explaining what happened to the proposed Mario volleyball game the company was working on.

Originally entitled Mario Volleyball, it would morph into a hybrid of volleyball and wrestling, showcasing surprisingly violent attack moves which see characters stomping on one another from great heights. The game was eventually given the name Super Mario Spikers and was pitched as a Wii release.

Next Level got as far as rendering various animations and mocking-up potential stage ideas - which included a wrestling arena - but the title was never given the green light by Nintendo of Japan. According to new information unearthed by Unseen64, a prototype of the title actually exists and it was the content of this demo which apparently resulted in the plug being pulled.

The Japanese felt the level of violence on display was too extreme, and apparently had issues with the idea of attacking prone opponents - it was viewed as "dishonorable" to do so in the context of a sports title.

Give the updated video a watch and let us know if you'd have paid good money for this unique sports title.