Realised one day that I'd somehow never actually sat down and beat this iconic cornerstone that would define 2D platformers as we knew and continue to know them, so beat it I did.
Man, we've come a long way.
Super Mario Bros is a game I feel like I'm being a little harsh on, I was considering a 3* and done, but I feel like I do have to give a little leeway: this game meant a lot for the industry back then, and the fact a game that's approaching 40 years old is still as playable as it is to this day is surely a testament to its quality. However, under a modern lens it doesn't entirely withstand the test of time - to be expected, of course, but I do have to be somewhat impartial, at least.
The graphics are of course, violently simplistic. This was as early as early days got for NES (though it technically came out around 2 years into the Famicom's lifespan, so not so much there). The sprites are very basic and lack pretty much anything in the way of detail, all the more apparent when compared to its sequels such as Super Mario Bros 3. That said, the important thing is that the visuals still convey exactly what they're trying to, and it's rare you'll ever be led astray or confused by the graphics (and if you are, it's probably on purpose).
The level design is also very simple, but the developers were still able to work in a pretty decent amount of setpieces, such as the Lakitu, the Cheep-Cheeps soaring into the air, and the genuinely impressive labyrinth of the game's finale, Stage 8-4. Enemies are well varied and have easy to memorise patterns...except those damn Hammer Bros, where it feels like a gamble just getting around them, god forbid actually engaging them and their random streams of hammers. How many do they even have inside those TARDIS-ass shells of theirs?
The power ups are...well, bare-bones, a mushroom allows you to survive an extra hit while the fire flower gives you incredibly powerful projectiles as long as you can avoid damage - both make Mario a larger target and that can be absolutely lethal, but more on that in a bit. The other powerup is the Starman, which makes you invincible, and I have to say: thank you Nintendo, for having a clear indicator of when it's about to run out. It's a peeve of mine when invincibility can just suddenly end right as you run into danger, which is embarassing given that Nintendo wrote the book on that as far back as 85. No excuse, guys.
Where I have to seriously dock a point or two are the controls, though. I know, old game, but while the other factors don't pull this game down so much today, I think the controls do. Mario handles like a block of ice and makes manoeuvring, particularly in the air (which is where you'll be most of the time) awkward and inconsistent, and given a game over sends you right back to 1-1, it can make things very frustrating.
All in all, this is one of those games everyone with an interest in gaming history or even a general 2D platformer fan should play, but this is by no means a perfect game, and (almost) everything after it is quite rightly an improvement. You NEVER want to peak with your first installment.
Man, we've come a long way.
Super Mario Bros is a game I feel like I'm being a little harsh on, I was considering a 3* and done, but I feel like I do have to give a little leeway: this game meant a lot for the industry back then, and the fact a game that's approaching 40 years old is still as playable as it is to this day is surely a testament to its quality. However, under a modern lens it doesn't entirely withstand the test of time - to be expected, of course, but I do have to be somewhat impartial, at least.
The graphics are of course, violently simplistic. This was as early as early days got for NES (though it technically came out around 2 years into the Famicom's lifespan, so not so much there). The sprites are very basic and lack pretty much anything in the way of detail, all the more apparent when compared to its sequels such as Super Mario Bros 3. That said, the important thing is that the visuals still convey exactly what they're trying to, and it's rare you'll ever be led astray or confused by the graphics (and if you are, it's probably on purpose).
The level design is also very simple, but the developers were still able to work in a pretty decent amount of setpieces, such as the Lakitu, the Cheep-Cheeps soaring into the air, and the genuinely impressive labyrinth of the game's finale, Stage 8-4. Enemies are well varied and have easy to memorise patterns...except those damn Hammer Bros, where it feels like a gamble just getting around them, god forbid actually engaging them and their random streams of hammers. How many do they even have inside those TARDIS-ass shells of theirs?
The power ups are...well, bare-bones, a mushroom allows you to survive an extra hit while the fire flower gives you incredibly powerful projectiles as long as you can avoid damage - both make Mario a larger target and that can be absolutely lethal, but more on that in a bit. The other powerup is the Starman, which makes you invincible, and I have to say: thank you Nintendo, for having a clear indicator of when it's about to run out. It's a peeve of mine when invincibility can just suddenly end right as you run into danger, which is embarassing given that Nintendo wrote the book on that as far back as 85. No excuse, guys.
Where I have to seriously dock a point or two are the controls, though. I know, old game, but while the other factors don't pull this game down so much today, I think the controls do. Mario handles like a block of ice and makes manoeuvring, particularly in the air (which is where you'll be most of the time) awkward and inconsistent, and given a game over sends you right back to 1-1, it can make things very frustrating.
All in all, this is one of those games everyone with an interest in gaming history or even a general 2D platformer fan should play, but this is by no means a perfect game, and (almost) everything after it is quite rightly an improvement. You NEVER want to peak with your first installment.