Full Review

SUPER MARIO BROTHERS
(Nintendo, October 1985)

Look who's back.......... again. I love seeing the legends of the past back in action and Super Mario Bros. is easily one of the biggest games in this special Classic NES re-issue but the big question is it worth your time? That depends if you played this game to death already because there is virtually nothing new here!

For a little background on Super Mario Bros. back in 1981, Mario made his debut in Nintendo's run-a-way hit Donkey Kong! Unfortunately, the big ape Donkey Kong was the true star and even though Mario was technically the hero, he still felt like the secondary character. Mario and his brother Luigi did get their own game a few years ago in Mario Bros but it wasn't nearly as successful as Donkey Kong was. It wasn't till Mario starred in another game called Super Mario Brothers for the Nintendo Entertainment System when the Mario Brothers started to become a household name. It quickly became one of the most popular video games of all time!

The story in SMB is quite a simple one: you help one of two skilled plumbers (Mario or Luigi) on a mission to rescue the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom (Princess Peach) from the evil King of the Koopas (Bowser). King Bowser is actually a giant dragon/turtle creature that leads an army of evil mushrooms, turtles, fish, and more weirdoes. If you wish to ever see this Princess you'll have get through his minions and many obstacles in order to finally have a final showdown with Bowser himself. OK, the story is pretty far-fetched that's for sure. How Mario and Luigi got into this strange fantasy world is beyond me but when the game is this good, who cares?

What makes this title so different from the older Mario games he starred in before is that your hero isn't confined to just single screen now. The Mario Brothers now have to run across up 32 long levels filled with various enemies and pitfalls to reach the special flag at the of the sub stages. At the end of each world you have to go through one of Bowser's castles to see if the Princess is there. All this adds a cool adventure aspect to the game play but just remember that time is limited so you have to keep on moving too.

Although fighting through 32 levels can be a daunting task at first, this game comes with a cool new power up system to help makes things a little easier. Imagine going from being a puny little guy into a giant that twice your normal size thanks to the power of the Magic Mushroom. "They don't call this game Super Mario Bros. for nothing!" Becoming big is cool but if you can stay in your giant form for a bit then also have the chance to get the Power Flower, a interesting power up that lets you shoot fireballs! Another cool thing that SMB has a lot of secrets. The game is also filled with tons of cool Easter Eggs like warp zones and invisible blocks plus there are even special glitches that Nintendo didn't even know about like the turtle trick that can get you multiple lives and there is another that can take you to a hidden world that never ends (a.k.a. the Minus world).

Super Mario Bros. not only had this ground breaking game play but the game was a step forward for graphics too. The colourful graphics were much better then the other launch NES titles plus Mario and Luigi may look the same but they have good animations too. That was then and this is now, this version doesn't even have the sharp detail of the NES game and this is very noticable when playing it on the GameCube via Gameboy Player. Playing it on the GBA is a pain as well because the graphics look too tiny. The game also has several fun loving soundtracks and there are sound effects for almost anything. Even fireballs have their own sound, and there is cool little 'bop' when you squash a Goomba. The game may not look or sound like much today but in 1985 this was top of the line.

Alright, the game sounds pretty great so far but you also have to take into account that this game was released on a super old console and the game that sells for a buck on eBay. For those of you that don't have that old NES system or you never played the awesome Super Mario Bros. game before, this is a OK purchase but there have been so many upgrades and sequels to this game over the years that there is no reason to drop that important 20 bucks for a mere re-issue. The biggest problem is also this great remake that can be found on the Gameboy Color called Super Mario Brothers DX! That game features the same great game found on the NES plus it also has an all new two player game, new challenge missions, GB Camera options, and it even has a built in calendar.

Unfortunately not only is there nothing new in this Super Mario Bros. at all but the graphics look washed out compared to the original NES game. Sure you can get that nostalgic feeling all over again but I already played this great game to death and I have no real desire to do it again. I'm sure there are millions of other gamers who feel the same way too. The Gameboy Advance is a powerful 32-bit system and it could have easily added tons of cool bonus features like interviews, more levels, and other cool extras but this is just a basic port of a 1985 game. Bottomline you are better off getting the actual improved Super Mario Brothers DX instead because this translation is just a insult. Nintendo is just trying to milk more money out of you!

Super Mario Brothers (NES Classic series re-issue) overall Rating: 29/100

*Battery back up game

For 1 or 2 players
Rated (E) for Everyone
graphics: 3/10
sound: 5/10
gameplay: 6/10

-Starsoldier1 (Ryan Genno) 2004