more than anything, i appreciate this era of mario for being a weird middle-ground in which what mario WAS as a game was being established, but at the same time the identity of the series from an aesthetic point of view was very much up in the air. hell, mario madness/2 usa is one of my favorite entries in the series thanks in no small part to its oddball approach and surreal atmosphere which helped define something of a counter-standard in mario which a few titles - such as this game and its sequels - would find a family with.

here's the issue: super mario land is a slog to play, which given the length of the title, is a huge blow considering that's the entire point. much as i love the score, and sarasaland as a location, and the weird superball power-up in theory, an hour long platformer that plays with extreme jank and disconnect in control can't run off vibes like that alone. and the gameboy was capable of some really great platformers, too, so it's not system limitations coming into play - in fact, i'd call the sequels system highlights and strongly recommend them in place of this first entry.

today, super mario land is something of a historical bauble with influences touching the modern entries such as mario maker 2 and odyssey, but as a game itself... it's not much to write home about. if you're looking for a gameboy minimalist platformer you can beat in an hour or less, i'd be way more inclined to recommend you kirby's dreamland.