Classic cliche childhood fairytale turned into an odd and magical classic that forever changed the industry, and lives.
Mario and Luigi set forth to overcome a number of obsticles and a variety of different enemies of odd types, including ill-mannered walking mushrooms known as Goombas, the turtle-like Koopas whom come in green and red, some of which that even fly, and maneating plants which reside in pipes. On their quest to rescue Princess Toadstool from the fire-breathing Koopa King, Bowser, Mario and Luigi must travel though fields, underground tunnels, the clouds, underwater and within castles.
While there is, of course, a single player mode, there is also an option for a second player to join in at the title menu. The first player is Mario, second being Luigi. One player will continue playing, regardless of finishing a level. Turns swap once the current player dies in-game.
Items are scattered throughout the Mushroom Kingdom to be used to the brothers' advantage: mushrooms which make them grow in size, a flower which will allow projectile fireballs to be thrown at foes, and a star that grants temporary invincibility. Death-traps lie in wait for the unsuspecting yet weary brothers including pits in the ground that they can fall into if caution is not taken.
People may say this game is what started it all, and they're right. It changed the lives of many children and even adults back in 1985, becoming an instant hit. The result is a worldwide Mario craze, a major success in many, many ways. The Brothers have, ever since, charmed us all with their simplistic magic that touched almost everybody for decades, and many more decades to pass.
Good: Amazing and creative world introduced for the first time * A great experience whether playing alone or with a friend * Alternate paths available to complete some levels * Hidden warp zones allow quick access between worlds * Contains a special magic of its own * Perfect platforming action
Bad: Sometimes can be frustrating * Waiting for the other player to die for your turn is annoying * A little glitchy at parts
Graphics: The leap from the Atari 2600 to something brand new was astonishing. Super Mario Bros. was a brand new experience to be seen and amazed so many people by the visuals. Imagine, for years, the best graphics you had known were those in Asteroids, Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and the rest of the major arcade classics, and then sitting down to play Super Mario Bros. for the first time.
Sound/Music: Very basic sounds: jumping, impact with objects, thrown projectiles, and other simplistic audio. The music is more of the interesting part with the audio portion of this game. Super Mario Bros. had been the first time the famous Mario theme was ever heard, along with the underwater/underground tunes and various other themes we all know and love in the Mario world. Was it good even for a game this early? It was fantastic and still is. Anyone who grew up with this game will tell you that the music brings back fond memories.
Difficulty: As nearly any game, it starts out easy and progresses to a harder level. Some of the later fortresses include a maze in which, if you don't progress through certain areas a specific pattern, you'll go in a loop and continue to do so until you get the sequence right. Most of the difficulty is obsticles, you may have to make a really long jump from a very small platform over a wide hole. It's a fair challenge which may irritate players, especially if it's the first time around.
Gameplay: Introducing a new kind of platformer, some would argue that this game invented the true platform genre, I may have to agree. It was certainly one-of-a-kind and nothing like it existed. Classic running, jumping, dodging and more jumping has been used for many years, but all of it comes back to this very game. It's hard to compare this to other games out at the time, there just wasn't anything like it. It's classic platforming at its best, it's.. Just good old Super Mario Bros.
Controls: Jumping up from the joystick with one button, this introduces two buttons and a D-pad, using one button to run and throw fireballs, the other to jump. Crouching was also used and comes in handy for many situations. The control concept is an easy one and very comfortable, anybody can do it.
Overall: Wow.. I think I just said everything that's been said about this game before, maybe even more. But regardless of such, if you have not experienced this wonderful piece of work, I urge you- no. I beg you to try it, there are many ports and reincarnations of this immortal classic. You will enjoy every minute of it.