Backlog Game Reviews 19: Super Mario Bros. (NES/Famicom)

Hey there and welcome to Backlog Game Reviews.

Last time I said the next review would be over a Gameboy Advance game, but that had to be put on hold. Don't worry though, we'll be back on schedule next time.

   Today let's talk about Super Mario Bros on the NES. It first hit stores in Japan on September 13th, 1985. It came to North America sometime in 1985, nobody knows the exact month and day though. It finally made it's way to Europe on May 15th, 1987. It's the best selling game in the Mario series, and one of the best selling games of all time. Let's see just how well this game has aged over the years.

Super Mario Bros will take you on an adventure across the Mushroom Kingdom.

  The story takes place in the Mushroom Kingdom. The kingdom was enjoying peaceful days until a tribe of turtles called Koopas invaded. Bowser, the king of the Koopas used his black magic to turn the people of the Mushroom Kingdom into stones, bricks, and plants. The only one that can undo Bowser's spell is the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach. The only problem is that she's been kidnapped by Bowser.  

Mario vs Bowser

   The news of the Koopa invasion eventually reaches the ears of two brothers, Mario and Luigi. Unable to ignore the situation, Mario and Luigi set off on a quest to save the princess and the kingdom. 

  

Saving one of the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom.

   

   There's not much to say about the story. It's a classic save the princess story-line. This being the game that started the Super Mario series I have no problem with how simple the story is. I do have one nitpick though. It's that there's no in-game story other than the ending. The events leading up to the start of the game are all in the manual. Some kind of text scroll that explained the story would have been nice. But it's not that big of a problem, like I said it's nothing more than a small nitpick.

 

You'll travel on land and through the sea.

    

       Moving on to the gameplay, Super Mario Bros is a very easy to learn platformer. Your goal is to make it to the end of the level while fighting the Koopa army and jumping over obstacles. Mario's main method of attacking is jumping on enemies. During the adventure, Mario will come across various power-ups. There's the mushroom that'll increase Mario's size and will let him take two hits before dying. There's the Fire Flower that lets Mario throw fireballs. And Starmen that'll make Mario invincible for a short amount of time.   

When you find a mushroom it'll start moving to the right. Grab it quickly or it'll get away.

   

      That's all there is to the gameplay. It keeps things simple,  it's easy to pick up and play and its fun. It's straightforward gameplay is one reason why this game is so enjoyable even today.  

Fire Flowers can't move, so you don't have to worry about it running away.

    The game may be simple but it's no walk in the park. It starts out easy but it steadily ramps up in difficulty, and doesn't pull any punches once you hit world seven. If you want to beat the game you'll have practice and master the challenges it throws at you.  

There are serveral bonus areas hidden in the game. These areas are filled with coins, collect 100 coins to get an extra life.

   Super Mario Bros is a lot of fun. It might get a little frustrating because there are no continues, but it's the kind of game that you could play for hours and hours and never get tired of it. The gameplay holds up very well, and I would recommend it to anyone that has never played it before. It's a very simple but very enjoyable game. 

Starmen like mushrooms will move to the right. Starmen are a little harder to catch because they bounce around.

   

   Visually Super Mario Bros looks good. The graphics don't particularly stand out, but for how old this game is they're pretty nice. As for the soundtrack, every song in this game is a joy to listen to. But there are only four songs in the game so the music can get a little repetitive.
 

   That's all I have to say about this game. Super Mario Bros has held up really well, and is still a lot of fun to play. If you've never played it before give it a try sometime.

    Thank you for reading. Next time we'll take a look at that Gameboy Advance game. I hope to see you again at Backlog Game Reviews.

Gameplay Video