A short but fun portable Mario game.
Super Mario Land could have just been a port of the first game but instead, Nintendo created an original story with new gameplay mechanics that make it a worthwhile entry in the series. Certain additions like Princess Daisy would go on to be regular occurrences in the rest of the series. Overall this is a fun installment in the series; it isn't anything amazing but is certainly better than it should be and definitely worth playing.
A passable title, Super Mario Land is a mini Mario adventure. It concludes better than the original Super Mario Bros., but has its flaws here and there. The falling physics are atrocious in how fast and unforgiving they are. This affects the overall experience due to how deadly it can get. The game is fairly generous with regards to how many lives there are. The differences in the enemies is noticeable in how weird they can get. For example, Koopas like enemies explode like bombs. There are some shmup sections that are pretty neat. It culminates into a pretty neat climax.
It's a decent change of pace, but there are certainly better Mario games to play. I'd mainly just recommend this for people invested in the history of the Mario games. It's short and sweet, but nothing all too remarkable.
It's a decent change of pace, but there are certainly better Mario games to play. I'd mainly just recommend this for people invested in the history of the Mario games. It's short and sweet, but nothing all too remarkable.
its a me mario on the green little screen
GooeyScale: 60/100
GooeyScale: 60/100
Oh, Mario Land... you could have been so much more...
Okay, so, this game is just. It's jank as fuck. I understand being a Game Boy launch title, it didn't have the time, resources, or knowledge to be as good of a game as it could have been, but at the end of the day, the product still isn't great, no matter how many reasons it has to be that way. The controls are slippery and stiff at the same time, I can never count on being where I want to be in the same way I can with even SMB1. The screen crunch isn't awful, especially when taken against its older brother, but it still does pose an annoying and occasionally unfair layer of challenge on a game that already has that classic arcade difficulty, padding out its runtime by making sure you spend your sessions dying and replaying so you don't realize there's only twelve levels. Oh, and I dunno if this is a hot take, but I don't actually like the Superball powerup. Its path, while predictable under the right circumstances, just isn't actually great for hitting things, and especially in the too-common tight spaces, you can get stuck with no defense if you miss and you already have two balls out bouncing around, which is very common.
Some things I can praise this game for is the variety in the world design. While it basically amounts to swapping out background assets, having locations inspired by real-world places offers a sense of a worldwide adventure. As well, I really like the shmup sections in the Marine Pop and Sky Pop, honestly more than the main gameplay style. Finally, the music is really memorable and catchy, and it does partially make the game easier to... tolerate. Still, it's not great, so it gets a 2.
Okay, so, this game is just. It's jank as fuck. I understand being a Game Boy launch title, it didn't have the time, resources, or knowledge to be as good of a game as it could have been, but at the end of the day, the product still isn't great, no matter how many reasons it has to be that way. The controls are slippery and stiff at the same time, I can never count on being where I want to be in the same way I can with even SMB1. The screen crunch isn't awful, especially when taken against its older brother, but it still does pose an annoying and occasionally unfair layer of challenge on a game that already has that classic arcade difficulty, padding out its runtime by making sure you spend your sessions dying and replaying so you don't realize there's only twelve levels. Oh, and I dunno if this is a hot take, but I don't actually like the Superball powerup. Its path, while predictable under the right circumstances, just isn't actually great for hitting things, and especially in the too-common tight spaces, you can get stuck with no defense if you miss and you already have two balls out bouncing around, which is very common.
Some things I can praise this game for is the variety in the world design. While it basically amounts to swapping out background assets, having locations inspired by real-world places offers a sense of a worldwide adventure. As well, I really like the shmup sections in the Marine Pop and Sky Pop, honestly more than the main gameplay style. Finally, the music is really memorable and catchy, and it does partially make the game easier to... tolerate. Still, it's not great, so it gets a 2.
the sound effect of large enemies flying off screen might be my favorite death sound in any video game
Every review says weird because this game is so weird when placed against even the vaguest notion of Mario. Honestly would love if something this differently styled could happen again but with the Disney like corporate aesthetic of modern Mario, wonder will be the most different aesthetically we’ll get for a bit.
That all said, controls are STIFF and it’s short as hell.
That all said, controls are STIFF and it’s short as hell.
(Reviewed in 2016) Surprisingly weird for a Mario game and short
Stylistically this is right there with American Super Mario Bros 2 as one of the franchise's more oddball mainline entries. Biplane levels! Daisy turning into a disgusting fly monster! Weird looking enemies!
A significant piece of Mario history but a fairly boring platformer.
A significant piece of Mario history but a fairly boring platformer.
Super Mario Land is a very short and limited game. It feels akin to the original Super Mario Bros. which didn't feel good already, but this game somehow feels worse. Only 12 levels is laughably short, and the game is so easy I beat it in like 30 minutes. There really isn't anything all that memorable about this game other than the super ball and unique world themes, other than that its just a mediocre mario game. If you enjoy the first Mario game and the Lost Levels, you probably will enjoy this game, however if you are a fan of any of the other 2d mario platformers, you likely will not care for this game.
I played this a lot as a kid, and while I did despise the gray world, it was a still a fun platformer.
God, am I old now...
This is not, by any means, my first run through the game—I remember playing it on the console itself a few years after its release, and once again on a PC emulator—but after seeing the title available on Nintendo Switch Online, I decided to wear the nostalgia glasses once again and invest an hour into this little, rusty, clunky title.
Let's make it clear that, besides out of curiosity or nostalgia, "Super Mario Land" (SML) should not be played just for fun—you'd be better off playing its sequel, "Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins," which is superior in almost every aspect. However, if you're curious about how video games were 35 years ago and how the launch titles for the Game Boy looked, SML offers a glimpse into the early days of handheld gaming. It will take about an hour and a few minutes, and you might even have some fun.
Don't get me wrong, SML is not a bad game—it features a decent variety of enemies, worlds, and situations. It was a solid title in its time, used to showcase the raw power of the Game Boy. However, after numerous polished Mario games that followed, this one feels a bit clunky and dated. The controls are not terrible, but by modern standards, they are not okay either. Sometimes, you feel cheated by them, as they tend to throw you off cliffs or onto enemies unexpectedly. Nintendo and the video game industry have significantly improved controls since then.
The game's visuals are simplistic but charming, with a unique aesthetic that sets it apart from its NES counterparts. The music is catchy despite the hardware limitations.
SML is a piece of gaming history and it should be treated like that. For a more enjoyable experience, go play "Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins".
Favorite songs from this game:
- https://youtu.be/Tj7-st1KOW4?si=RRvFkVpDkpBpKGKu
- https://youtu.be/Ki0LGuZAelw?si=FIQl5hEb0yFLN205
This is not, by any means, my first run through the game—I remember playing it on the console itself a few years after its release, and once again on a PC emulator—but after seeing the title available on Nintendo Switch Online, I decided to wear the nostalgia glasses once again and invest an hour into this little, rusty, clunky title.
Let's make it clear that, besides out of curiosity or nostalgia, "Super Mario Land" (SML) should not be played just for fun—you'd be better off playing its sequel, "Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins," which is superior in almost every aspect. However, if you're curious about how video games were 35 years ago and how the launch titles for the Game Boy looked, SML offers a glimpse into the early days of handheld gaming. It will take about an hour and a few minutes, and you might even have some fun.
Don't get me wrong, SML is not a bad game—it features a decent variety of enemies, worlds, and situations. It was a solid title in its time, used to showcase the raw power of the Game Boy. However, after numerous polished Mario games that followed, this one feels a bit clunky and dated. The controls are not terrible, but by modern standards, they are not okay either. Sometimes, you feel cheated by them, as they tend to throw you off cliffs or onto enemies unexpectedly. Nintendo and the video game industry have significantly improved controls since then.
The game's visuals are simplistic but charming, with a unique aesthetic that sets it apart from its NES counterparts. The music is catchy despite the hardware limitations.
SML is a piece of gaming history and it should be treated like that. For a more enjoyable experience, go play "Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins".
Favorite songs from this game:
- https://youtu.be/Tj7-st1KOW4?si=RRvFkVpDkpBpKGKu
- https://youtu.be/Ki0LGuZAelw?si=FIQl5hEb0yFLN205
I feel like Game Boy Mario physics still got a leg up on like 70% of SNES and Genesis platformers.
My first video game that I played all the way through. The music is deep in my brain and will never leave.
This review contains spoilers
this is so characteristically late 80s game boy. it just oozes the times it came from. not only did the novel technology make this the most mechanically janky mario game ever: he falls like a rock, accelerates instantly, sprites are tiny - they were stil ironing out the series' identity as a whole. there are two prominent shmup stages (including one as the final boss), mario saves daisy, not peach (note the love heart) and its set in Saragossa land featuring weirdo enemies we will never see again and exploding koopas.
and also, this game is hard. I game overed 10 times, even with generous 1-ups. you need to lock in and be deliberate, and not be all willy nilly zoom around like you can in NSMB. learn the coin caches, the mushroom and star spots, the bonus game. its so easy to have one stupid death and tilt into 10 deaths in a row on one level. do not believe anyone who says "omg this game is so cute and tiny!! :3 there's only 12 levels, you can beat it in 30 minutes" no you cannot. I could've any%ed mario odyssey faster than this.
I would'nt quite call it NES-era "nintendo hard" but there are some egregious difficulty spikes and sections you can't possibly beat first try. but its such a fascinating time capsule that I can't fault it. it's also got some classic tracks that are instantly recognisable that I didn't know were from here. but... I can't really recommend you beat it beyond culturing yourself about mario's history.
and also, this game is hard. I game overed 10 times, even with generous 1-ups. you need to lock in and be deliberate, and not be all willy nilly zoom around like you can in NSMB. learn the coin caches, the mushroom and star spots, the bonus game. its so easy to have one stupid death and tilt into 10 deaths in a row on one level. do not believe anyone who says "omg this game is so cute and tiny!! :3 there's only 12 levels, you can beat it in 30 minutes" no you cannot. I could've any%ed mario odyssey faster than this.
I would'nt quite call it NES-era "nintendo hard" but there are some egregious difficulty spikes and sections you can't possibly beat first try. but its such a fascinating time capsule that I can't fault it. it's also got some classic tracks that are instantly recognisable that I didn't know were from here. but... I can't really recommend you beat it beyond culturing yourself about mario's history.
Entrou no Switch Online e joguei. eu achei as fases mt interessantes pra um jogo de gameboy, mas ele no geral é bastante curto. o gráfico (mesmo sendo de um console limitado) é bem fraquinho, isso comparado com Super Mario land 2, por exemplo, que consegue trazer sprites muito melhores. mas de qualquer forma, é um jogo ok.
e a física é péssima nossa senhora.
e a física é péssima nossa senhora.
Nintendo deveria agradecer a Deus todas as noites por mudarem de mario land pra tetris como jogo incluso .
First game I ever played!
- Played on NSO -
So the general opinion I heard on this game was that it was well-liked and people were really happy to see the first mario land make it over to NSO when we previously only had the second one. I kinda liked the chunky aesthetic of it so I gave it a go and it… is definitely a game. The controls are extremely stiff to the point where making a very simple jump can still lead to you falling down a pit, while also being kind of slippery where I slipped down a platform at light speed. Yeah, mario DROPS in this game as soon as there’s no solid ground, so slide an inch of that platform and he’ll be off to his death in a flash. The shooter segments were actually a nice change of pace in that regard, enjoyed them quite a bit more than the usual levels… and then it just abruptly ends. I expected a little more, especially because levels aren’t shy to re-use the exact same segments by copy pasting them within that same level.
Short, stiff, not really that fun to play, but at least I see why they call it quirky. The random bamboo forest levels had a nice aesthetic, but the rest didn’t leave much of an impression.
So the general opinion I heard on this game was that it was well-liked and people were really happy to see the first mario land make it over to NSO when we previously only had the second one. I kinda liked the chunky aesthetic of it so I gave it a go and it… is definitely a game. The controls are extremely stiff to the point where making a very simple jump can still lead to you falling down a pit, while also being kind of slippery where I slipped down a platform at light speed. Yeah, mario DROPS in this game as soon as there’s no solid ground, so slide an inch of that platform and he’ll be off to his death in a flash. The shooter segments were actually a nice change of pace in that regard, enjoyed them quite a bit more than the usual levels… and then it just abruptly ends. I expected a little more, especially because levels aren’t shy to re-use the exact same segments by copy pasting them within that same level.
Short, stiff, not really that fun to play, but at least I see why they call it quirky. The random bamboo forest levels had a nice aesthetic, but the rest didn’t leave much of an impression.
As rough as it is, hard to not respect a Mario game that does things like use the Can-Can and has enemy types like Moai Heads and Jiangshi.
✔ Recomendable y entretenido aún siendo tan viejo.
ⓘ Dista bastante del resto de la franquicia.
╳ Ciertos elementos resultan genéricos.
ⓘ Dista bastante del resto de la franquicia.
╳ Ciertos elementos resultan genéricos.
The controls are really bad but the game has a very unique charm, with memorable themed levels with unique enemies and the mini-puzzles for coins with the weird ball flower. If it just controlled a bit tighter it'd be significantly more fun to play. As it is, it's short enough that I don't mind playing it - with the Switch's rewind, because Mario will gladly kill himself with the slightest movement here, and the game resets you to the beginning if you run out of lives.
Not very interesting and fun, at least it's short.
Super Mario Land is a neat piece of history but unfortunately not much else. It’s definitely cool to see an attempt at replicating the Mario magic on a handheld in 1989. However, the novelty quickly wears off considering it’s now 2024 and you probably aren’t even playing this on a Game Boy. Whilst I very much admire the history behind it, Super Mario Land has aged as pretty much just another mediocre Game Boy platformer except this one was lucky enough to be remembered because it’s a Mario game.
There isn’t really much to say. It’s extremely short and simple, although lacking the tight and precise controls of other 2D Mario games which can sometimes be frustrating. That is without a doubt the biggest thing holding the game back. It just doesn’t feel good. That’s not to say the game has nothing worth remembering though. Despite the extremely limited visuals, Super Mario Land offers unique settings inspired by the real world as well as a large variety of distinct enemies. Vehicle levels were a pretty cool addition too. The soundtrack features some great tunes that have since become classics. Also, this was the game that introduced Daisy so that’s pretty neat. All that in mind, I can at least say that Super Mario Land’s very unique and charming identity is what prevents me from entirely writing it off. While I do consider it to be a poorly aged title who’s novelty holds little meaning all these years later, its charm and historical value at least gives it enough of a leg to stand on.
There isn’t really much to say. It’s extremely short and simple, although lacking the tight and precise controls of other 2D Mario games which can sometimes be frustrating. That is without a doubt the biggest thing holding the game back. It just doesn’t feel good. That’s not to say the game has nothing worth remembering though. Despite the extremely limited visuals, Super Mario Land offers unique settings inspired by the real world as well as a large variety of distinct enemies. Vehicle levels were a pretty cool addition too. The soundtrack features some great tunes that have since become classics. Also, this was the game that introduced Daisy so that’s pretty neat. All that in mind, I can at least say that Super Mario Land’s very unique and charming identity is what prevents me from entirely writing it off. While I do consider it to be a poorly aged title who’s novelty holds little meaning all these years later, its charm and historical value at least gives it enough of a leg to stand on.
These physics are absolutely diabolical, but I will give Super Mario Land one thing - it's charming and pretty dang imaginative. It feels like there's twice as many enemies as there are levels, which is super rare for any game, let alone a 2D platformer. Sarasaland is just a cool location in general, I would totally be down for it to be revisited in the future.
one of the most unique mario games ever.
lowkey if the physics in this game weren't dog ass this could be a legit classic. the idiosyncratic theming, the level design and the music (had no clue half of these songs even came from this game) are all sick asf and deserved better than being in a game where mario controls like this. still a surprisingly good game even with that pretty major flaw, totally worth a play if you have an hour and a bit to waste
Low-key banger, really idiosyncratic level themes and great music. On the whole just better, more varied level design than the nes mario bros also. The super ball is weird and fun, the plane and submarines are better than a standard mario water level. This game is odd but good.
It’s epic actually, these games are slept on. We need more Mario shmups, jk no we dont
This is such a cool, unique entry in the series. I felt the same way when I first played it, and I'm glad we finally have it on Nintendo Switch Online to be able to experience it again.