Super Mario Bros. Review

Super Mario Bros.

Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System Players: 1-2 Release: 1985 Genre: 2D Platformer Rating: 7.6 \ 10.0: Satisfactory

Above is a scene from the iconic World 1-1

How can you not love (or at least like) the original Super Mario Bros.? It may not have been the first Mario game (the first game he ever appeared in was the 1981 arcade classic Donkey Kong, in which he was known as Jumpman, while his first name title was 1983's Mario Bros., the debut of Mario's overshadowed little brother Luigi), but it is easily the most important. It set the standard for 2D platformers, saved the collapsing video game industry, and it's the foundation of modern gaming. The 8-bit visuals still charm me, and there's no denying that the "Super Mario Bros. Ground Theme", the infectiously catchy tune which plays in nearly all above-ground stages in the game, is one of the greatest pieces of video game music of all time. I will admit that as great as the game's tunes are, they are extremely limited. The series' constant plot has worn a little thin over the years, but back in the day, it was imaginative, and incredibly fresh-- a pair of Italian brothers that live in Brooklyn find a magic drain pipe that warps them to the Mushroom Kingdom, where the villainous King Koopa (now known as Bowser) has captured the ruler, Princess Toadstool (AKA Princess Peach), and the bros engage on a quest to save her-- pure genius! But throwing in a twist here and there doesn't change anything-- it's still the same  darn plot! SMB's gameplay is fun and fluid as usual, and a friend can join in and compete for the highest score as Luigi. But the game lacks to creativity of other Mario titles that dulls the game a bit, and it's rather short at 32 stages long-- short stages. Even so, Super Mario Bros. is a timeless classic, and no one can call themselves a true fan of the series until they've played one of the most revolutionary and influential video games of all time.

Ups
Saved the video game industry
Very influential (you wouldn't believe how many rip-offs there are)
(At the time) fresh plot
Fun, fluid gameplay
Competitive two-player

Downs
Limited soundtrack

Very brief
Not as creative as usual

ESRB: E Content: ??? Price: $5.00 (Wii) (Download) / $4.99 (3DS) (Download)