Retro Review: Super Mario Bros
A while back I came to the realization that I would always reference Super Mario Bros 3 as one of my favorite games of all time. Then I had two thoughts, first I could not remember the last time I played it, and second I think I only beat the game by using the warp whistles and never played all the worlds and levels. I went back and played it and it was definitely not as much fun as I remember. Because of that, I was very hesitant to do this, but I went back and played the original Super Mario Bros. n
Super Mario is my first gaming memory. It had to be in the ballpark of 1992. I remember having a Nintendo was an excuse for a family gathering. We all would huddle around a small TV and play. I remember loving the game as a kid but I don’t remember beating the game, ever. The earliest memory I have of beating a game was the original Contra with my mother. We of course cheated (Konami code) but that was my first memory of beating a game. n
I watched a video of Super Mario, including the final level and most of it did not look familiar. I knew I had to change this.
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I am happy to say this game has stood the test of time and is still a great game. It’s so hard to believe this game came out in the 80s and is as approachable today as it was then. n
Running and jumping feels just as good as any modern platformer out today. This is the OG and this is what’s still trying to be emulated in current games. You can see traces of this game in so many modern games all these years later.
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The only thing I could get nitpicky about are the castle levels. They are all virtually the same and very easy to beat. Minus the sequence you have to figure out to get to the final confrontation in the final castle, the ending is still the same. n
Verdict
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1992 Brian would be very pleased with 2022 Brian since I still love this classic. Super Mario remains a joy to play and it’s a fun game for newcomers and long-time gamers. Running through all of these levels is something everyone should do at least once in their lives.
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Final Score 9/10
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