Super Mario Land

"Welcome to a Mario where turtles explode, the princess is called Daisy, and the evil ones are aliens"

One thing caught my eye when I was setting the score to 5/10, and that is "Playable - nothing special about it". However, this game is special in that it feels distinct from other Marios. You roam the realm of Sarasaland through 12 levels in order to rescue Princess Daisy from the evil clutches of the alien Tatanga. Bolded are all the things that make this game special.

First of all, instead of the usual cast of Peace and Bowser, you have Daisy and Tatanga--that's nothing wrong at all, since something new and fresh is always nice. What's wrong however is that bolded 12 levels: instead of the plethora of levels you're used to in Mario titles, you get 12 short ones, two of which are vehicle based. In the vehicle based levels you ride in a submarine/plane respectively, shooting bolts at wacky enemies not seen before or after (at least I think) this game. The screen closes in on you, so you have to be careful not to get stuck behind a wall in these levels.

The gameplay is usual Mario fare. You side scroll from point A to point B jumping gaps and enemy heads in the process. Mario can still acquire mushrooms and flowers to grow larger and throw fireballs respectively; however, in this game the fireball moves a ta 45 degree angle and has the ability to collect coins.

The graphics, as with plenty of GB titles, are bland at best. Looking at little colors makes bland repetitive levels even moreso. So, the game's levels have little charisma and are very few in count and spectacles. End of level bosses feel like different avatars of the same boss. You can get rid of them with fireballs/vehicle shots, or you can press the famous switch that makes them explode--why would someone sit in front of a switch to have them explode is beyond me.

Towards the end of non-boss levels, you have the choice of two exits--the one on the top of the screen takes you to a bonus mini-game but is harder to reach. Besides that, that's pretty much the game: a wacky Mario title that's nothing like Mario in both norm and fun. If you have the money to spare, get it for the 30 minutes of enjoyment you'll get out of it.

Pros

+It's different
+The final boss is an alien named Tatanga

Cons

-Levels are repetitive
-The lack of color makes the game suffer even more
-The bosses are nothing special

Story - 3
Visuals - 2
Audio - 7

Gameplay -
-FUN Factor - 5
-Controls - C
-Difficulty - Normal

Lifespan - 2

Overall - 5

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 12/02/08

Game Release: Super Mario Land (US, August 1989)