Super Mario Land

"Perhaps too simple in this age, but do I care?"

When I first played this graphically basic 2d platformer, I was unimpressed to say the least. I was young and foolish and I had already played Super Mario World and Donkey kong Country. 'Where's the colour? and the impressiveness?' I asked, 'Ah, that stuff is on the inside young boy' my teacher said, eavesdropping on my conversation as she so often did (mysterious woman, I think she's in prison now). I didn't believe her though and decided to see if she was right myself. One demolished gameboy with no impressiveness on the 'inside' later I rediscovered Super Mario Land and fell in love (I didn't really break my gameboy open, but I did drop it in a pool to 'see if it could play underwater'. But still, anything to make the story better).

Even the gameboy at it's best wasn't very graphically impressive to a 9 year old with a SNES, but the game was made even less noticeable by the fact that it was one of the gameboy's first. Once I grew older though, I started to realise that substance rules over style, and since it was Mario I'd give it another go (Perhaps not underwater this time). And I didn't stop for years. I was a considerably less skilled gamer back in the day so it took me about a YEAR to be able to defeat the final boss.

But even when I did, I'd play it again, just so I could access the level select. Well that's the reason I told myself, the REAL reason was so that I could play it all again and again and AGAIN. I knew exactly where the secret 1up block on level 2 was, I knew both the secret elevators in level 3 and I knew the trick to every boss and pipe room. I probably could have played the game with my hands tied behind my back. And I loved it so.

The plot is moving, dramatic, witty and has twists at every turn. or an evil alien kidnaps the princess (Not Peach though, it's some foul old sprite called Daisy) and Mario is called along to save her by powers unknown (Perhaps he senses trouble like the lady in Jaws 4). You guess which. After defeating bosses you'll face the princess only to find out that it was really an enemy in disguise! (bar the last boss of course). Nasty business.

It's very simple to pick up and play, probably more so than any Mario game. It's a simple case of running along platforms (Including -Yes!- moving ones!) killing enemies and getting as many coins as you can. As you'd expect (nay, demand) from a Mario game the level design is just so. It is NEVER unfair, always compelling and made so simple it's immense fun to play. It's less accomplished than the other Mario Land games, but it hasn't lost it's touch. I still find myself wasting an hour or two getting as many coins as I can and defeating all the bosses (Only to be faced with an imposter princess. Blast!).

It has the same power up system as all the other games. Start off small (one hit will kill you) then get a mushroom to grow (An often laughed about (and incidental) drug reference which Nintendo have refused to discard, bless 'em). Once grown you have two hits before death, and also the flower will start turning up, this will give you fireball shooting abilities. Most of the enemies are ones that have never appeared again. The goombas are still there, as are the turtles (Whose shells turn into times explosives once you've jumped on them. This makes for some split second escaping). Otherwise we've got some enemies that seem fine to me, but have been chucked on the scrap heap along with BC Kid and the others. I especially like the running rock enemies, who quite worried me as a child.

Instead of mere obstacles it's the enemies that present the challenges this time. There is a lot of precision jumping, yes (On some of the smallest platforms I've EVER seen) but it's the enemies that add difficulty to the game. Want to wait for a moving platform to be near enough to reach? Try doing it with some incredibly irritating leaping Japanese folk who cannot die (Unless you cunningly lead them to a pit). It requires much less thought than other Mario platformers, but is more about quick reflexes and lots of enemy combat. There's much more enemies than seen before, and killing them all brutally (with a small 'plink' sound effect) is truly satisfying. A directors cut for the GBA with enemies pleading for their lives and bleeding fatally perhaps Nintendo?

There are also breaks of variety in the gameplay. One level puts you in a submarine where you can shoot octopuses and collect masses of coins (Hearing the long lasting jingly noise as you scoop up all of the coins that spell Mario is tremendously satisfying, let me tell you). And the last levels has you in an Airoplane shooting some cunning birds. The AI is perhaps a little basic, but it's a gameboy game for gods sake! AND an early one. Another of my favourite features is how, at the end of a level, there will be a normal exit door and a higher one that will be much harder to reach. But do so and you will be given a mini-game that will reward you with up to three lives.

However, as fun as it was, it's really too simple in the light of the superior NES and SNES sequels (Where it slotted in time-wise with the other games I'm not sure, but I think it was after Super Mario Bros and before the rest). It's still fun, and it's still engaging, but, to new gamers especially, it will seem past it's due date now.

Graphically, well, there's not much to say about it. Although I did think that the level details were excellent in the Egyptian pyramid levels, flickering torches and sketches on the walls and so on. The character animation for most is very non-descript, and understandably so. Some of the bosses do display a certain amount of anger in their faces though, especially the sea horse (who is accompanied, bizarrely, by a randomly floating blob).

Nintendo never fail to impress me with their mastery of Gameboy sound. The music, while not as high in quality, is just as atmospheric and downright catchy as all of the home console games'. Mario fans such as me would scream bloody murder if the sound effects weren't 'marioised' but luckily, we've got nothing to worry about. Oh, and I can't have a review of a Mario game without mentioning the 'you've just died!' jingle, catchy as ever. Thoroughly impressive in this area.

This next bit is where the game slips up though. It can be completed in little over an hour. Even less if you're body and the game become one, such as it did with me. You'll want to play it twice just to get the level select though (There's something inexplicably desirable about the phrase 'level select'). And it hasn't lost it's replay value is still going strong after 6 years. In fact, it's brevity makes it the perfect wholly satisfying gaming experience when you've only got an hour to spare.

Don't ignore Super Mario Land because it's so simple and short. Love it for those reasons. Perhaps those who don't harbor nostalgic feelings for it like I do will find it less appealing. But for those who liked past Mario games and want to get this one, I have very little doubt you'll enjoy it. It isn't worth a higher score because it doesn't go far enough. But since I doubt you'll find it in any other condition than unboxed and used, it's definitely worth the price. Mario-tastic.

Land of the Living
+ As compelling as all the other Mario platformers
+ So simple to pick up and play
+ Always fair
+ Rewards explorers
+ Precision jumping as it was meant to be
+ Fast paced
+ Lots of enemies to destroy
+ Lots of hidden rooms to uncover
+ Comedic enemies
+ Typically superb music
+ Mario sound effects

Crash Landing
- A little dated now
- TOO simple
- Too short
- Basic looking (hardly it's own fault though)
- Not as good as the other Mario games
- No save feature
- I don't like the fact that an invisible wall follows you, preventing you from backtracking.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/22/01, Updated 09/22/01