One of my personal favorite Mario games that I think any 2D Mario fan should experience. It has a bunch of unique ideas that have helped it stand the test of time, and I'm baffled that the only legitimate way to play it is on the cartridge. I hope for a rerelease or remaster!
There's so much to this game that I really love about it. I love how if you clear a level by ringing the bell you get to play one of several mini games that will grant you 1ups or powerups. I love how it's got a somewhat non-linear design where you can tackle any of the worlds (except the last) in any order. I love how you spend coins in a big ol slot machine and can get oodles of 1ups, and I love how after you've killed 100 enemies across the game it gives you a super star for a short period of time. My personal favorite thing might be the secret zones which can be found in their own little hiding spots in each of the 6 areas. There's so much to discover!
Levels are really well designed and are thematically tied to whatever world they exist in. I think they did a phenomenal job with each of them and they really tie each of the game's worlds together as their own cohesive pieces.
Movement might be a bit floaty for a Mario game, but I really enjoy it and think that it's easy to get used to. Powerups are extremely useful in taking out baddies, but they also serve the purpose of helping you possibly traverse to some of the secret zones.
The secret zones are super fascinating! You don't really get anything from finding them beyond being able to play more of the game, and I think that's an interesting decision from the devs. These days you might do such a thing for a 100% completion bonus, or achievements, but they're just here for fun. For those that really take the time to explore. I love that.
I can't say how many times I've beat this game on the original cartridge, but it's definitely influenced who I've become as a gamer as I've played it and replayed it over the years, exploring levels, and just enjoying my time in this wonderfully made small island world.
There's so much to this game that I really love about it. I love how if you clear a level by ringing the bell you get to play one of several mini games that will grant you 1ups or powerups. I love how it's got a somewhat non-linear design where you can tackle any of the worlds (except the last) in any order. I love how you spend coins in a big ol slot machine and can get oodles of 1ups, and I love how after you've killed 100 enemies across the game it gives you a super star for a short period of time. My personal favorite thing might be the secret zones which can be found in their own little hiding spots in each of the 6 areas. There's so much to discover!
Levels are really well designed and are thematically tied to whatever world they exist in. I think they did a phenomenal job with each of them and they really tie each of the game's worlds together as their own cohesive pieces.
Movement might be a bit floaty for a Mario game, but I really enjoy it and think that it's easy to get used to. Powerups are extremely useful in taking out baddies, but they also serve the purpose of helping you possibly traverse to some of the secret zones.
The secret zones are super fascinating! You don't really get anything from finding them beyond being able to play more of the game, and I think that's an interesting decision from the devs. These days you might do such a thing for a 100% completion bonus, or achievements, but they're just here for fun. For those that really take the time to explore. I love that.
I can't say how many times I've beat this game on the original cartridge, but it's definitely influenced who I've become as a gamer as I've played it and replayed it over the years, exploring levels, and just enjoying my time in this wonderfully made small island world.