Backlog Game Reviews 32: Super Mario World (SNES)

 

 

       Hey there, and welcome to Backlog Game Reviews.

 

    For today's review let's talk about Super Mario World on the SNES. It was first released in Japan on November 21^st, 1990, and then on August 23^rd, 1991 it came to North America, and finally, it was released in Europe on April 11^th, 1992. It became one of the bestselling games on the SNES, selling 20 million copies. It also received heavy praise from critics and is considered to be one of the best 2D platformers ever made. Well, let's take a look and see what made this game so popular.

 

There's a very short cutscene at the start of the game explaining that the Princess has been kidnapped again.

   Super Mario World takes place after Super Mario Bros 3, after defeating Bowser, Mario and Luigi decide that it’s time for a vacation. After some thinking, the brothers choose the mysterious Dinosaur Land as their vacation spot and take Princess Peach with them. While relaxing on the island Mario and Luigi notice that the princess is missing so they go looking for her. While searching for the princess they find a strange egg. After inspecting it, a green dinosaur hatches from the egg, the dinosaur begins to speak and says his name is Yoshi.

 

Saving Yoshi for the first time.

Yoshi goes on to explain that he and his friends were trapped in eggs like that one by strange turtle-like creatures. Mario and Luigi quickly put two and two together and realize that Bowser kidnapped the princess, and trapped Yoshi's friends in eggs. And so, Mario and Luigi set off on another adventure to not only save the princess but also Yoshi's friends.

 

The first section of Dinosaur Land, Yoshi's Island.

   The story is just as good as any other Mario game, the princess has been kidnapped by Bower again and it's up to the Mario brothers to save her. While the story is nothing we haven't seen before I do have to give it credit for introducing us to not only a new setting but also a new character. But other than that, it's the same story, different game.

 

An underwater level.

   The story is the same as ever but the same can't be said about the gameplay. A lot of changes have been made, so let's start with the most apparent one, Yoshi. Throughout various stages in the game you'll come across Yoshi, after finding him you can jump on his back and ride him around. He has a pretty wide range of abilities; he can eat pretty much anything making combat much easier.

Eating a colored Koopa shell will give Yoshi a temporary ability. He'll get a different power depending on the color of the shell. Red shells let him spit fire one time.

 

He's able to walk on surfaces that would otherwise hurt Mario and Luigi. If you don't mind abandoning him you can get extra height on your jump by jumping off of him mid-jump. He can also take damage for you, if you get hit while riding a Yoshi you won't take any damage but Yoshi will run away.

 

Yoshi running away after getting hit.

 

 There are some things he can't do like climb ladders or enter castles and ghost houses. But his strengths greatly outweigh his weaknesses.

 

You'll have to explore castles without Yoshi's help.

   Another addition to the game are the before mentioned ghost houses. Dinosaur Land is full of ghost houses that you'll have to venture into. The only enemies you'll find here are Boos, that without a star can't be defeated, so you'll have to dodge them all. What makes ghost houses different from other stages is that they're built like mazes. In most levels, all you have to do is go from left to right to beat the stage, but if you try to do that in a ghost house, you'll just end up going in circles. You'll have to take your time and explore the house if you want to make it out.

 

Entering a ghost house.

 

   The ghost houses are a nice change of pace from the regular levels and trying to find the exit always felt like trying to solve a puzzle. They aren't super hard to figure out but they aren't all that easy either. They offer just the right amount of difficulty without being frustrating.

 

Ghost houses are as you would expect, filled with ghost.

   Unlike Mario games, before it, Super Mario World has a heavy emphasis on exploration. A large number of stages have multiple exits. There's the normal exit that you can get to from just running through the level, and then there are the hidden exits. Finding a hidden exit will unlock secret levels and short cuts to other parts of Dinosaur Land. 

 

Levels that are marked with a red dot have more then one exit. Stages that are marked with a yellow dot only have one exit.

 

        It’s fun exploring the stages and looking for secrets instead of just trying to make it to the end of the level. It also helps to extend the length of the game and gives completionists something to do. And the hidden levels can get pretty difficult giving the game some added challenge.

 

Some hidden exits come in the form of a keyhole. In order to use the exit you have to find the key and bring it to the keyhole.

   So far Super Mario World has done a great job at expanding upon and improving the gameplay but it has seen some downgrades regarding the power-ups. Super Mario Bros 3 was jam-packed with different kinds of power-ups that were not only useful but just fun to use. Super Mario World on the other hand only has four power-ups. The mushroom, the fire flower, the star, and the cape. Besides the cape, all the other power-ups are from past Mario games. The cape is a great power-up, it can be used to fly, attack enemies, and if you're skilled enough you can use it to glide and pretty much bypass whole levels with it. I just wish there were more power-ups, especially after how many we had in the last game.

 

Flying with the cape.

   That small nitpick aside Super Mario world is a lot of fun. There is a huge amount of variety in level types keeping the gameplay fresh. The game is lacking in power-ups but the cape and Yoshi are great additions. It's full of secrets so there are things to do even after you beat the final boss. All in all, it's a great game and I can easily see why some people consider it to be one of the best 2D platformers out there.

 

The Koopalings return as bosses.

 

   And what about the presentation you ask? Well, the graphics are the best they've ever been. All the environments look great, outdoor areas are bright and colorful, while caves, ghost houses, and castles are more on the dark and intimidating side. Character sprites are expressive and very well detailed.

 

After defeating the boss Mario destroys the castle in some way.

 

   The music is a treat to listen to. Most stages use a different variation of the same song, but it never gets old. The castle theme gives off a very intimidating atmosphere making them feel all the more dangerous. One cool detail about the music is that when you're riding Yoshi drums are added to whatever song is playing, it almost makes it sound like a new song altogether.

 

That's all I have to say about Super Mario World. From the gameplay to the graphics to the music it's all great. It's an awesome 2D platformer that you definitely should try out sometime.

  

Thank you for reading! Next time let’s take a look at another SNES game. I hope to see you again here at Backlog Game Reviews.