One of the biggest content additions inStardew Valley’s recent 1.5 update is Ginger Island, a new location with several new NPCs, mini-games, puzzles, and collectibles. The tropical location has already become a favorite destination for players, but what many fans likely don’t know about the new island is that it was inspired bySuper Mario 64.
Stardew Valley’s 1.5 patchreleased on PC in December and added several new features to the game, including a new farm layout, quests, events, mechanics, and items. One of the biggest new additions is Ginger Island, where players are able build a tropical farm, hunt for collectible items, and fight their way through a volcano-themed dungeon. The new location also adds Golden Walnuts, which players can collect to unlock additional content, giving the island even more surprises to uncover.
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The Golden Walnuts, as well as the island itself, were apparently inspired bySuper Mario 64, accordingEric Barone, the sole creator ofStardew Valley. Barone, better known as ConcernedApe, discussed Ginger Island and the 1.5 update in a recent interview with TechRaptor. He saidSuper Mario 64’s “open ended-ness” and use of collectible items to unlock hidden stages was one of the main inspirations behind Ginger Island.
There was some open-endedness [in Super Mario 64] in how you’d collect things and then unlock things. It’s pretty classic, but I think it’s generally pretty fun."
The Golden Walnuts in particular seem to harken back toSuper Mario 64’s stars. Both items enable players to unlock new content after collected, and both are rare items that are rewarded to players for defeating enemies, solving a puzzle, or exploring a location.
WhileSuper Mario 64would not be categorized as an “open world” game today, many regard its willingness to allow players to solve challenges their own way as a major influence on the genre.Ginger Island’s Golden Walnutsare just another example of the universality of collectible items in video games andSuper Mario 64’s enduring relevance.
While PC players have had access toStardew Valley’s 1.5 update for a couple of months, the patch was just recently released on consoles. In addition to the new content, the update also enables split screen co-op on consoles, allowing players to explore locations such as Ginger Island with a friend sitting by their side.Barone recently confirmed that the update will arrive on mobile devices, though he did not specify when.
Barone also hinted that is not “officially closing the book” onStardew Valley, suggesting that more updates are on the way. Perhaps he will continue to take inspiration from classic Nintendo games for future expansions.
Stardew Valleyis available on mobile devices, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
