2-in-1 Super Mario Bros./ Duck Hunt
Reviewed by Barry
Luigi and his brother Mario are the world's most famous plumbers, yet
somehow, the brother duo find themselves combating evil and rescuing
Princess Peach more often than unclogging sink drains. The Mario Bros.
first became famous in their video game "Super Mario Bros." and since
them, have starred in a wide variety of games, and made some cameo
appearances in others. These are the brothers that can shoot fire balls,
fly with a raccoon tail, turn into frogs, navigate pipes, and defeat the
horrible Bowser, and it doesn't hurt that they're good race car drivers,
too! And this is he game that started it all....
Graphics: 9 out of 10
The graphics are great for a NES game, but the characters are a little
block like. The enemies have more curves than Mario and Luigi! Other than
that, graphics are exceptional. Many of the shapes you see in the game
have flat sides, such as the pipes, so it would have been hard to mess
them up anyway.
The fire balls that the Mario brothers can shoot to take out their enemies
are especially eye catching. As they spin, you will notice little flames
coming right off. It is a little weird that the fire bounces, but hey, you
don't have to understand it, just enjoy it!
Bowser is another piece of eye candy. His shell is covered in little spikes.
He looks almost as unbelievable in Super Mario Bros. as he does today on
the N64!
I took of a point, however, because I was unimpressed by the graphics for
Duck Hunt. The background is always exactly the same, and you see the
same couple of frames over and over again. The duck flies to the right
or left, falls when you shoot it, and the dog jumps into the tall grass.
The game is rather shallow. It isn't hard to figure out, doesn't require
much skill, and is just flat out redundant.
Music and Sound: 10 out of 10
Classic Mario Brothers music! It is sill around in their more current
video games, is easily recognizable, and unlike many video games, the
music isn't annoying.
The sound effects transport you into another world. From bopping a bad
guy on the head, to traveling down a pipe, the sound effects interact
with gameplay very smoothly!
Again, however, the Duck Hunt sounds and music are redundant. You can
hear a dog barking, a gun firing, and a squeaky, high pitched sound as a duck
falls to the ground. Blah! Boring. I put the sound on mute when I play Duck
Hunt, which, due to a number f factors, is not to often.
Game Challenge: 8 out of 10
The game (Mario Bros.) isn't too challenging- the first time around! After
beating the game, you get to go through it again, but this time, you will
run into a lot of very tough enemies, including some that are almost
invincible. However, the game loses some points because it is possible
to skip to level eight without fighting any bosses. It's nice that you can
skip SOME of the harder and more tedious levels, but a little lame that you
can skip all the bosses (except for the last Bowser). It is tough to make
some of the longer jumps, and dodge some of the better villains, like the
cloud dude, who will drop little spiky people on you. However, overall,
Nintendo decides to make this game a little easy, so that it would appeal
to a larger audience. Not to say that it can't be a challenge- if you want
one, you can get it. Just don't skip levels, and try the second mission!
But then, there is Duck Hunt. This is far too easy. I can stand twenty feet
away and still take out plenty of ducks. Granted, the game gets progressively
harder, but by the time it provides a decent challenge, the game has gotten
boring and you will probably turn it off. It might be a more bearable game
if it wasn't for horrible sound effect and that annoying dog, not to mention,
a change in gameplay. I can't think of any way to change this- the game
just doesn't have much potential.
Game Play-Fun: 10 out of 10
Although the game doesn't require much tactic, this is a small sacrifice
for the fun it provides. It may give you a few game overs, but it isn't
very hard, so there is absolutely no frustration. The levels with the
flying fish are great fun! I love trying to position myself just right so
that as they come up from beneath me, they hit my feet and die. Blast
your enemies away with fireballs or pound them into the ground with a
well positioned jump.
Duck Hunt, as I've already said, is boring. Gameplay goes on over and
over again, and I don't think there is an ending to it, although if there
is, I wouldn't play it long enough to see it.
Frustration
The only frustrating thing about this game, is that they would but duck
hunt on the same cartridge. It is frustrating that Duck Hun is so boring,
and has such annoying sound. You may not beat Mario Bros. on your first
run through it, but it shouldn't become frustrating.
Replayability: 10 out of 10
This game is very replay able. Mario Brothers should generate hours of
fun for anyone, no matter their age. Don't forget, if you die, you can cheat
start from the same level that you died from! (To see how, look around
http://www.world-of-nintendo.com it's a great place for tips like that).
Even if you just beat it yesterday, you should have no quirks with starting a
new game!
Game Value: 10 out of 10
Totally worth its weight in gold! Mario Bros. isn't hard to find, even though
it is an old game. It is a classic! Even though I wouldn't normally let anyone
give me Duck Hunt, even if it were free, it is okay if you think of it as a
necessary part of the Mario Bros. game.
Overall: 10 out of 10
Mario Brothers is fantastic, but Duck Hunt seems to be its polar opposite. It
still can't take away from the enjoyment of this instant classic! Not only
is this game great for obvious reasons, it's also great because if it wasn't
for this game, we wouldn't have had any other great Mario games!