Al has a history of computer programming as well as game design. Alex loves 2D style video games.

It is interesting to me how Super Mario Bros. was so often sold in cartridges that also had other games included.

Super Mario Bros. is one of the most well-known video games of all time. Many aspects of the game (like the pipes, fireballs, and tortoises) were based on its forerunner Mario Bros.

It should further be noted that sentient fireballs with eyes (these characters and similar items continued to be a part of the Mario Universe) were also included in the very first Mario game Donkey Kong.

This new action platformer was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Nintendo's Family Computer (Famicom). Consoles were sold with a copy of the game included.

This tradition was continued with the Super Nintendo Entertainment Systems (SNES) including a copy of Super Mario World. The Mario franchise has exploded, and this mass growth is arguably largely due to the reception of the game which is the center of this my review.

Packaging Details

I won't cover this area all too much, as many people (perhaps myself included) would find it trivial. Still, it is interesting to me how Super Mario Bros. was so often sold in cartridges that also had other games included.

This phenomenon is most notable in the cartridges that included the Super Mario Bros. and the Duck Hunt combo. This trend seems to have quickly died in a sense. In another sense, it didn't. Super Mario Bros. 3 and the Super Mario Advance series were included additional games on the cartridges as well. The All-Stars game included four Mario games and a latter All-Stars update included five.

The graphics in the original are in the possession of a certain kind of charm that hasn't been replicated since.

Graphics

As a younger person, I was more familiar with the graphics that were included in the version of Super Mario Bros. enclosed in the SNES cartridge Super Mario All-Stars.

The All-Stars version, along with changed game physics, included sprites for the character Mario which were much more heavily based on the sprites for Mario in Super Mario Bros. 3 than in the original Super Mario Bros.

The graphics in the original are in the possession of a certain kind of charm that hasn't been replicated since. No remake of the game has made much effort to update the first graphic designs with a foundational base on the original sprites. All said and done, the graphics are incredibly basic in other ways.

There is so much that could be improved upon with the assistance of the technology of newer gaming systems. I am thus not blaming the graphic designers, but the limitations of the NES and console gaming tech of the time.

Super Mario Bros. is one of the most well-known video games of all time. Many aspects of the game (like the pipes, fireballs, and tortoises) were based on its forerunner Mario Bros.

Game Play

As I have already more than alluded to, the overall physics are in some ways superior in the original version of the game.

The All-Stars version seems to be too choppy. Regardless, the initial game has fantastic gameplay. Where there may seem to be an issue, I see charm.

There are real bugs in the game. However, these bugs don't bother me too much considering how complicated the programming is. Moreover, future programmers could solve such errors with the potential releases of updated versions.

Some individuals do not enjoy that the player cannot scroll across the screen in the reverse. I feel that this was likely put in place to solve the problem of objects not needing to be reset nor reappear regularly. However, I cannot be sure and only speculate as to the reasons behind game decisions.

I could nit pick for hours, but I need to establish that I love this game! The game play is only enhanced by the bizarre yet incredibly fun ideas that went into the design of how the video game is supposed to function. Mushrooms and bricks, and flying tortoises and castles; it's just fantastically fantastic!

The only reason I place any hate or distaste at all on this game is that I admire it so much! Millions of people are still obsessed with this game. That is a testament to how amazingly good it is! It is so fun to play, and the replay value is awesome. This is especially true for an NES game. How fun and enjoyable this game is after finishing it, again and again, is a reason why it is so very memorable.

Conclusion

I easily give this game five stars. It was revolutionary in the gaming industry. The fun rules, the insane atmosphere, the crazy complicated game physics; all of these items, and more have made this one of the most known, respected, and beloved video games in the entire world.

© 2018 Alexander James Guckenberger

Alexander James Guckenberger (author) from Maryland, United States of America on August 26, 2019:

Kevin Mann,

It is! What other games do you think the same of?

Kevin Mann from Canada on August 25, 2019:

The original Mario game aged so well and is still fun to play today.