Mario Bros.

"A humble beginning becomes a pivotal influence, an entertaining action romp, an intro to Luigi, a mini-game, a pack-in, an anecdote, a faded memory"

In the revered halls of gaming stand two pivotal characters, Mario and Luigi. Mario, the original brother, became a very important character in gaming history and development, as his exploits involving the rescue of a princess from the clutches of a megalomaniacal ape reached for the hearts and the quarters of millions. Development of the Mario franchise between Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros is a rather rocky and ambiguous path. Several games between this period helped to shape and evolve Mario as a character, and Mario Bros. is one of them.

In Mario Bros., Mario abandoned his carpenter roots in favor of a plumbing expertise, and his faithful brother Luigi tags along as well. I believe this is the first games that refers to Mario by name, and this is also the first title with Mario and his plumbing situations.

Gameplay is consistent, and, dare I say, stagnant; the object of each stage is to rid the screen of wicked enemies which emerge from two pipes at the top of the screen. Plumbers and enemies can move one side of the screen to the other, and enemies, once they reach the bottom of the screen, can use pipes located along each side at the bottom to go back to the top of the screen. Shellcreepers, Sidesteppers, and Fighterflies are the main antagonists, and Mario's main method of attack is to step on the ground below the enemies, flipping them over. Once an enemy is flipped on its back, Mario can then approach it and punt it off the screen. Once all enemies are gone, the "Phase" is complete, and Mario can move on.

Another method of attack beside jumping on the ground directly below badniks is available in the form of a handy POW block. All ground-bound enemies are hit once when Mario jumps to this icon, and all enemies will squirm in vain while on their backs as Mario comes and kicks them away.

Other smaller elements are of note. When all but one enemy is cleared, the lone enemy can become super, so to speak. A lone enemy who roams from one top of the screen to the bottom and comes back out through a top pipe turns a mysterious color and can move several times faster. Mario and Luigi must be on further alert in attacking this last enemy. Also, as time goes on, fireballs come in from both sides of the screen, and can singe the brothers in one hit. In this game, one hit kills are the order of the day. Coins flow out of these pipes as well, which can either be ran into or jumped on from below. These garner additional points to the brothers, and collecting a high score can earn praise and esteem.

Bonus stages come every few phases, during which the plumbers must collect as many coins on the screen as possible within a brief time limit. These coins are simply scattered about and do not come from the pipes. Collecting all ten coins can garner a special bonus.

Screen after screen, the platforms and pipes stay the same. Enemies meander to and fro, and patterns are easily noticeable and breakable. There is a certain amount of strategy, however. Making stark priorities based on how quickly each enemy moves, which ones are coming to the bottom first, and whether the risk of nabbing a coin is worth it are all part of an underlying strategy. However, learning and perhaps even mastering the game's concepts can be relatively simple, as its consistency is its own enemy.

Graphics are fairly rudimentary and are not much different from its arcade counterpart. Of course, everything is recognizable, and creatures move fairly well and briskly. Mario and his bro move smoothly. As is standard on the NES, bleeps and bloops accomodate the running, jumping, and kicking. Some of the diddies are even interesting references to classical music. Audio is nothing particularly of note.

Chances are, casual or even seasoned gamers might not be aware of this game's influence. Not only did this give our favorite plumbers names and jobs, but also introduced us to what might be the most-used Mario enemy, the Koopa. Here, they are called Shellcreepers and walk like actual turtles, but the origin can clearly be seen. Pipes, coins, and POW blocks are liberally used, as well.

What has happened to Mario Bros.? Why does this seem so eerily familiar? As a small feature in the monumental Super Mario Bros. 3, two players can participate in a competitive version of this classic. Mario Clash, a title released for the ill-fated Virtual Boy, played almost like a 3D version of this game, with Mario throwing shells toward enemies on opposite platforms. Also, much to the dismay of GBA owners, every title of Super Mario Advance is packed with an updated version of this, rife with flashier graphics and digitized speech. This game is not a bad update, and the general feeling of the original is here, but its sheer overuse in the SMA series and Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga and shallow substitutes for gameplay depth could lead gamers to become tired of this trite remake.

However, a game such as Mario Bros fits well on its original platform, and is certainly the best of the wave of ports released based on the arcade original. It can serve as an interesting distraction for NES owners, but for most, it is an unsung hero of sorts. Perhaps the series of Mario games did not pick up steam until Super Mario Bros., but games such as this, Wrecking Crew, and others have gone to obscurity. It's unfortunate, to be certain.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 01/23/06