Super Mario Bros.

"Remember When Mario and Luigi Were Carbon Copies Of Each Other?"

Ah, the world famous Italian plumber in his first official game of his own. Little did Nintendo know that with this little gem of a video game, they would not only save the video game industry for years to come, but they would also gain a famous mascot that would remain in the position for the next two decades.

If you have never heard of Super Mario Bros., then you've honestly have missed quite a bit. ((Where have you been for the past twenty years?)) Super Mario Bros. is often credited as saving the failing video game industry back in the mid-80s. Much like myself, some gamers believe that if not for this game, video games would be a thing of the past. Of course we couldn't have that, now could we?

As a nearly twenty-year long gamer myself, I believe that this game deserves to be played and beaten at least once in your gaming lifetime, even if out of sheer respect. I've actually owned this game for about 17 years now, so I figured I'd pay honor to it by reviewing it.

Being it's been a long time since my last review and my review power might be a bit rusty, shall we begin?

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Review:
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Story: The standard 'save the princess' story. Basically, Bowser and the Koopa clan have invaded the Mushroom Kingdom. After their invasion, Bowser kidnapped one Princess Peach Toadstool. As Mario and Luigi, it's up to you to save the kingdom's one and only princess from him. Despite being a princess and apparently the only royal family member ((am I the only one who ever wondered where her father has been since this game?)), you are for one reason or another out to rescue Princess Toadstool from Bowser's clutches alone.

Graphics: For 1985, the graphics in this game are quite good. And when you compare it to other NES titles that came out over the next six years, this game actually surpassed several other NES titles in the graphics department. Yes, the graphics are pretty simple, but compared to some other games of the era, they seem to be crisp. They are nothing compared to Mario game standards today, but at the time, they were great.

Gameplay: Super Mario Brothers is the game that created the platformer genre. You basically start out at the beginning of the four levels in each of the eight worlds and make your way to the castle at the end of each level. Along the way, you obviously must fight through countless number of Bowser's lackies. You're main form of attack is the legendary (in Mario's world) jump ability. Most enemies can be pounced on and defeated. Very few though can not be harmed by it. Two different enemies actually harm you should you jump on them.

Length/Levels: The length of the game varies. Located in several levels of the game are pipes known as 'warp pipes'. These warps re labeled with a number on top indicating that if you take it, you warp ahead several levels. You can warp ahead to any of the 7 worlds using these pipes. In each world, lies four levels. It's the fourth level that houses the big chief, Bowser. While a fun game, this game probably will not take over an hour and a half to beat. For each level, you have roughly around five minutes to complete a level. There are a few levels that give even experienced Mario players a run for your money, such as world 8-3. Not too long ago, I lost a total of 8 lives within minutes on that one level alone, just to give you a comparison.

Boss Fights: Unlike most Mario games nowadays, you fight Bowser for every boss fight in the last level of each world. No giant plants, no chase sequences, nothing. It is only Bowser in a straight forward battle over the course of eight worlds. As the game progresses, Bowser's castles become a bit more complex and Bowser himself gains different abilities to stop you from reaching the golden axe to chop the bridge underneath him sending him to the lava pit below.

Power-Ups: In Super Mario Bros., you have a total of three power-ups to help you in your journey through the eight worlds. These three powerups are: the mushroom, the fire plant, and the star, all of which can be found at various spots throughout the levels in the "?" boxes or brick squares. The mushroom turns you into Super Mario.

This is the most basic powerup. This allows you to be hit twice before you die. If you get hit once, you revert back to regular Mario. The fire plant turns you bright red with white overalls. You now can shoot fireballs out of your hand and hurt most enemies. Unfortunately, as regular Mario, it only turns you into Super Mario.

If you get hit, you revert back to regular size. Finally, the star is definitely something you want to get if you find it. When you grab it, it makes you invincible for a short amount of time. This is a definite plus in some spots. Throughout the levels, you will also get the chance to gain extra lives if you should happen to get killed. There's the green 1-up mushroom that instantly gives you an extra life. Or, the much longer route, you can collect 100 coins scattered throughout the levels for the same result.

Abilities: There are only two main abilities at your disposal for fighting enemies in this Mario game. The standard Mario jump and the fire plant. You can beat the game with nothing more than regular Mario and the jump move, but getting the fireplant makes life so much easier on you throughout the game. The fire ability is gained by finding and grabbing the fire plant, which can be found by hitting blocks.

Difficulty: Super Mario Brothers is not all that difficult, especially when compared to some other NES titles I will not mention (*cough*Adventures of Bayou Billy*cough*), but it is not a game youwill fly through in fifteen minutes either. It's definitely a game you could play through given enough time on a boring afternoon. Like many NES games, there's no save or password feature, so obviously it has be able to be beaten within one sitting.

Music: Music is basic. Of course we are all very familiar with the Mario theme, but do not expect any orchrestral hits with this game though. The game has four main themes: Mario theme, underground, underwater, and the castle theme. These may sound simple enough, but soon enough you will find the themes stuck in your head and quite possibly find yourself humming them to yourself when you least suspect it.

Rent or Buy: If you know a place you can still rent games like this, let me know. I do miss these games. Nevertheless, I would highly recommend this game to bought and placed in your NES collection. Even if you are not a big Mario fan, as I said above, this game deserves to be played and beaten at least once. For a game that is often accredited to saving the video game industry, it deserves at least that much I think.

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End Review
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And that's my review for one of the most famous video games ever. If you don't own this game, then I highly suggest you get it. I believe this is a must-have for all NES collections. This game started the now extremely famous Mario series that spawned countless sequels, cartoons, and one little talked about movie starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/20/07