"Mario goes to his plumbing roots and brings along a friend...Luigi!"

While this isn't the first game featuring Mario, it is the first game with the Mario Bros. Yes Luigi makes his video game debut in this gem for the 2600. you must clean out baddies like crabs and turtles from the pipes, proving once again that Mario is a real plumber.

The gameplay is surprisingly a lot like the gameplay of other Mario games. While Mario doesn't jump on his enemies, he has a more ingenious way to defeat them. He goes a level below them and jumps up and hits the floor, knocking them upside down. Once they're upside down, a swift kick will send them packing. However, be careful, after a while an upside down enemy will flip back over, and he'll be much faster than before. Add to this a Pow box which, when hit, will turn over all the enemies on the screen, and you've got a keeper.

Mario faces a trove of enemies that make his life difficult. There are turtles which get turned over after one hit and aren't too difficult. There are also crabs that speed up after one hit, and won't get knocked over until you hit them twice. There are even giant bugs which jump, making them difficult to hit at all. And be careful, sometimes a fireball will come from the side, and if it touches you, you die.

The graphics seem blocky today, but they are surprisingly good for a 2600 game. Mario and Luigi look great as they bop baddies simotaneously. The enemies look like what they're supposed to, and this is all on the old 2600! The sound is average 2600 fare, mostly blips and bleeps, but it's only a 2600 game, what did you expect?

This game remains good today, and was one of the best 2600 games ever. The two player simotaneous play is fun, and can only truly be compared to Joust for two player fun on the 2600. This game made Mario a star, and if you have a 2600, you have to have this game. Nuff said.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 08/07/01