Super Mario Bros.
Reviewed by Joel Lehman
Super Mario was one of the original games for the now-obsolete NES
system. For it's time, it had good graphics, sound, and gameplay, and
still today, people play it because it is considered a classic game.
Graphics B-
Considering it is for the Nintendo, the graphics are fairly good, although
not as good as the other 2 Mario games. It was an early game for Nintendo,
and they obviously had not gotten their graphics techniques completely
mastered, because other games have better graphics. But they suffice,
and don't make the game unplayable.
Music and Sound B-
The songs are fairly catchy, but after a while, they can get repetitive.
The sound is good, but not phenomenal. Both are outclassed in the next
two Mario's, but this does not make the game bad. Some of the same songs
are still used in Mario 64 today, although remixed and some drums added
and stuff like that.
Game Challenge B
The game is challenging, especially since only a few lives are given,
and you have to continue at the beginning of the world. This gets annoying
when you make it to the later worlds, like 8, where it is difficult to get
through only one level without dying. In some points, it is too challenging,
but that is in my opinion, I am not an expert gamer.
Game Play-Fun B-
There is no doubt that this game was fun, but when you compare it to
later Nintendo games, it is not as fun as they are. Mario 2 & 3 are much
funnier, but this game is a classic, and is still fun. One of the limiting
features of this game is that it is only side-scrolling and can not scroll
vertically as well, like it's sequels.
Frustration
This game can get quite frustrating, especially in the later levels. There
is one castle, I believe in level 7, where you almost need a hint book to
find it through the maze, which is difficult to complete in the time they
give you. Other than that, the game is not too frustrating, and a skilled
gamer can complete it in a few days to weeks.
Replayability C
You can only play this game so many times before the levels get boring,
or you just have it completely mastered.
Game Value A+
You can probably pick up this game at Funcoland for a couple of dollars,
and it is well worth it. You can get hours of play out of this game, and
while it is not as advanced as recent N64 titles, it still is fun in
it's own way.
Overall A-
I think that if you have an NES and don't have this game, then you should go
to Funcoland and spend the few dollars that it costs to have this classic
video game. NES games are a real deal now, because you can get them
for hardly any money. Overall, this is a solid NES game, but not as
advanced as mario 2 or 3, because it is only a side scroller, and cannot
scroll up or down.