This game is so wonky and weird, it's hard not to be charmed by it. It sets out with the incredibly ambitious task of recreating the feeling of NES mario platformers on that lovable, revolutionary, iconic shitbox that is the original Gameboy.
Unfortunately (and predictably) the developers ran into a lot of issues with hardware limitations. Mario is tiny, the controls are dodgy, the power ups are weird and underwhelming, and the game is incredibly short.
That said, I admire how they tried to work around those issues and managed to give this game a distinct aesthetic. The music, albeit simple, is full of catchy tunes. The level themes are unique and fresh. The shmup sections come completely out of left field, but they are a charming change of pace.
Trying to look at it objectively, this game isn't much to write home about (hence the score I gave it). But you could do a lot worse on the Gameboy, especially this early in the console's lifecycle. It managed to be better than, like, 90% of that console's library and deserves some credit for it.
Unfortunately (and predictably) the developers ran into a lot of issues with hardware limitations. Mario is tiny, the controls are dodgy, the power ups are weird and underwhelming, and the game is incredibly short.
That said, I admire how they tried to work around those issues and managed to give this game a distinct aesthetic. The music, albeit simple, is full of catchy tunes. The level themes are unique and fresh. The shmup sections come completely out of left field, but they are a charming change of pace.
Trying to look at it objectively, this game isn't much to write home about (hence the score I gave it). But you could do a lot worse on the Gameboy, especially this early in the console's lifecycle. It managed to be better than, like, 90% of that console's library and deserves some credit for it.