Just right off the bat, I think this is the best that Mario has ever looked or sounded. You could say that the graphics are simplistic compared to stuff that would come later in the 16-bit era, but it's unique to the series as it's the only Mario game that feels like it's influenced by cartoon animation specifically (I love non-mushroomed small Mario's little Ren & Stimpy character-lookin ass) and the color and vibrancy of this world is just unbelievable - so gorgeous. Playing this on hardware on a Trinitron with S-Video is like seeing the face of God. Also the music and sound effects are absolutely untouchable.

The debate has been raging since the '90s, and I know there are a lot of well-intentioned however confused people out there, but I'm sorry, this game is a lot better than SUPER MARIO BROS. 3. It has less 'stuff' in it, but trades the scattershot, throw-everything-in approach for a careful, deliberate structure and virtuoso level design. Not to mention it wisely doubles back to correct all of 3's odder missteps, and tightens the already industry-best mechanics even further, to the point where if you play this game for like, an hour, you can basically control Mario by thought and make pixel perfect jumps no problem.

It's so good, I forgive it for Ghost Houses.