Super Mario Bros. Deluxe

"Memories..."

Super Mario Bros. needs no introduction.

Graphics: 10/10
These graphics were top-notch for their time period. The levels were big and colorful without any of the childish elements you find in almost every Nintendo 64 game today. (Like cute animal characters) Trust me when I say it's a lot like looking into a cartoon. Best of all, no slowdown, flicker, or any other graphical problems.

Sound FX: 9/10
Okay, I'll admit that the SFX aren't anything special; they are mostly blips and bloops. But they suit the lighthearted feel of this game perfectly. There is no real need for crashes or explosions, because this game is a true adventure. It's amazing to see that these SFX are still used quite often in Mario games today.

Music: 9/10
Unbelievably catchy! This music is much better than the crap Nintendo puts in their games today. It's simple, yet effective in being very memorable, and truly gives you the feeling of adventure. Even though there are only about four tracks, they never get too repetitive.

By the way, has anyone ever heard Group X's song, ''Mario Twins''? It's a hilarious song about how one of the band members buys an NES with Super Mario Bros. for about $2. They then start playing it, and they make their own funny remixes throughout the whole thing. The only place I can find it is Napster, so I urge everyone to check it out.

Game Play: 10/10
This is an adventure game, through and through. Throughout all the levels, you run and jump through eight worlds, collecting items and smashing enemies. Some of the power-ups include the flower, which gave you the ability to throw fireballs, and the star, which gave you temporary invincibility.

I love how everything is so simple, yet so perfect. The control can be mastered in just a few minutes, since you only need the control pad and two buttons. The overall difficulty in right in the middle, where it should be. Absolutely nothing is too hard or too easy in this game! Although you cannot see as far in front of Mario as you could in the NES version, (due to the small Game Boy Color screen) nothing is taken from the overall fun. And above all else, the action is pretty addictive!

Buy/Rent?
Depends. Buy if you have never played this game before (?!) or if your NES is broken. If you already own this game in some way, shape, or form, don't bother.

Bottom Line
The bottom line is that this game is a must buy. There is no excuse not to have this game if you have access to it in some way. You can also find this game on:
Super Mario Bros. (NES)
Super Mario All-Stars (SNES)
Emulator/ROM (Computer)

Ahh nostalgia...

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 06/23/01, Updated 10/06/02