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

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