Mario or original? AHHHH!

[Joxon]

AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm torn!
I want to create a Mario game, but I also want to make an
original game!!!

Well? What would you guys do?

Mario:
Pros
-Easy
-fun and actiony
-colourful
-easy for sprites

Cons
-not original
-some sprites are needed editing

Original:
(concepts included)
Pros
-Completeley original
-bold and dramatic
-spriting practice
-possible hit game

Cons
-ALOT of spriting

[StarSock64]

Personally, I usually think about original games rather than fangames, because I lose interest in fangames very quickly or ask, "why am I not just making this original?" in the middle of it. However, I'm also capable of making decent sprites. Coming up with an original idea can be a great way to gain some spriting experience in a focused way and to learn things you might not have done otherwise (e.g. tiles, portraits, etc.), but if you're not used to producing sprites in large numbers, you shouldn't expect to finish. I'm usually okay with expecting not to finish.

If you're really set on making a game, don't have much spriting experience, and/or are able to keep interest in a fangame, you might want to try a fangame. If you are efficient at making acceptable sprites quickly, want to practice your creative skills, and/or don't mind whether or not you have a finished game at the end of it, you might want to stick with something original.

[puggsoy]

I would personally start with making a Mario game. Especially if it's your first game, it'll help you practice with the basics of making a game (coding, design, organisation) without having to worry about the aesthetics.

Once you've done that you'll have some experience under your belt, and can then move onto an original game. It'll be easier to code and bring the game together, and you can focus more of your time and attention to creating sprites, sounds, and so forth.

That's my opinion, anyway. In any case, making a game on your own is no small feat, so expect it to be a challenge either way.

[Neweegee]

Wa-wait a sec, am I reading that the only reason fan-games are created is because it's just a good way to learn how to develop games, rather than a fan tribute to a series and a fun way to try your own spin on a game you liked?
...

I guess you should go with the Mario Fan-Game then.

[StarSock64]

I find original projects to be more fulfilling than giving tribute as a fan, but if you're feeling inspired by an existing work, have good ideas or simply a strong urge to work on something related to it, then that's totally fine! Like puggsoy mentioned, fan games are much more manageable, so it just kind of depends on your experience level and which areas you want to improve the most. Otherwise, your choice can be based on whichever interests you the most, and whichever you think you will stay motivated to work on for the longest period of time. If you get overwhelmed or bored and quit really fast, you probably won't get much out of it.

If you don't have a whole lot of skill and experience in game-making, you should probably manage your expectations. I think it's best to have fun and invest in skill-building for the future*, rather than expecting some great product to come from it. There are a lot of fan games out there, so it can be hard to get attention unless you have some kind of hook and some competency. Likewise, your original game might not get any attention either. Of course, you can always share with some friends if you want to have fun that way. But until you're really skilled (and maybe not even then), you probably shouldn't even consider things like "it might be a hit game!" in your decision. I know it's fun to fantasize about, but that sort of thing is just going to throw off your priorities in a pro-con assessment.

*Skill-building doesn't mean you have to be super serious about what you're doing. Taking it too seriously is a great way to burn yourself out, believe me.

[puggsoy]

Wa-wait a sec, am I reading that the only reason fan-games are created is because it's just a good way to learn how to develop games, rather than a fan tribute to a series and a fun way to try your own spin on a game you liked?

Not necessarily, but that's one reason to choose making a fan game. Obviously, if you would rather make a fan game to put your own spin on things or as a tribute to the original, then that's a totally valid reason to make one as well.

Joxon's question seems to ask more about the technical reasons than the personal reasons though, and I answered it as such. The decision really depends on his end goal, and if that is "make a game", then a fan game would be easier and good practice. If it's "make a tribute to Mario", then a fan game would be the obvious choice.

(I also just realised that perhaps this should be moved to Gaming Discussion or Games Development.)