GA101 - Super Mario Bros.

From thecrankyhermit

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What can be said about this game that even non-gamers don't already know? This game is legendary. Shortly after the infamous video game crash of 1983 (it should be noted that the crash was of the North American home console market, and that arcades and computer games were still going strong), this game was developed by Nintendo EAD (Nintendo's largest development studio), with Shigeru Miyamoto as lead designer. Finished and released in 1985, it didn't just succeed in a wasteland-like environment. It single-handedly sold tens of millions of copies of Nintendo's NES console system, rejuvenated market interest, influenced the direction of home console games for years to come, gave a face to gaming, and may very well be the most widely played game of all time to this day.

This was not the first NES game - Nintendo R&D1 had previously released several NES ports of their 8-bit arcade games, including Mario's earlier titles Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., and Mario Bros. Other early NES titles included Clu Clu Land, Duck Hunt, Hogan's Alley, Urban Champion, and Nintendo EAD's own Devil World and Excitebike. These games were still designed around arcade sensibilities, with very basic controls, static level design, often consisting of a single "field" of play, and small amounts of hard content. Super Mario Bros., designed to show off what the system was capable of, went above and beyond these constraints, making every arcade style game before it seem downright primitive. The run and jump mechanics, once a simple matter of movement patterns, were now affected by momentum, friction, and gravity, adding dimensions of skill beyond basic timing. A variety of collectables, which were scattered across the worlds sporadically and gave you new powers and abilities, added layers of gameplay depth, and even strategy. A far greater variety of obstacles, such as moving platforms, spinning fire bars, and icy platforms, not only changed how the areas played, but continually rewarded persistent players with a sense of discovery and adventure that the earlier arcade games couldn't provide.

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The levels, which scrolled from left to right as you progressed through them, were far longer than the static screen stages of Donkey Kong, and filled with powerups, collectible coins, secret passages to hidden parts of the level, and all kinds of tricks, traps, and surreal enemies. And while Donkey Kong had four stages, Super Mario Bros. had 32 stages across eight worlds, each world progressively more difficult as more gimmicks, hazards, enemies, and even gameplay mechanics were introduced. The first world alone featured more variety than its comparable predecessors - it started with the iconic beginner's stage made up of mostly flat terrain, peppered with pipes, blocks, pitfalls, and simple enemies to impede your progress. After that, you'd go underground into a much more claustrophobic stage with a great emphasis on large patterns of brick wall to limit your mobility, and your first taste of moving platforms. Then came a stage high up in the air with giant mushrooms of varying heights to act as platforms, forcing you to jump from one surface to another to advance. And finally a castle filled with lava pits and deadly fire traps. Future levels would continue to introduce new concepts, such as underwater levels, a cloud-riding enemy called Lakitu who throws spiky enemies at you from above, a broken bridge over a body of water filled with flying fish who attack you nonstop, cannons that fire living mortar shells at you, and plenty more.

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Perhaps Super Mario Bros.' biggest contribution to console gaming was the transition to focus on completion-based gameplay and design. Computer adventure games and RPGs on had previously been designed to be completed, but the high price and complexity of computers at the time made them less accessible to the home console demographic, and none of these computer games had yet been ported to the NES. Some prior arcade games (such as Donkey Kong) had multiple stages to progress through and a clear "ending," but that aspect always felt secondary to the goal of attaining a high score, and many consisted simply of a single gameplay screen repeating forever. Super Mario Bros. made progressing through and eventually completing the game feel like the main purpose. The game marked your progress, telling you how far you had come with a simple level number. Worlds got progressively more difficult, each one ending with a fight against a boss enemy, and a congratulatory message before moving on to the next world. The continuous introduction of new enemies, tricks, and traps became a reward in itself for progress. This sense of progress, rewards, and variety made the game feel like a journey with a well defined beginning, middle, and end. It was at this point that console developers came to understand that even simple action games are more enjoyable if they make the players feel like they are accomplishing something, and as such, nearly all console action games afterwards, to this day, were designed to be finished.

The influence of Super Mario Bros. is difficult to overstate, and seldom questioned or understated. The vast majority of noteworthy NES games that are not arcade or computer game ports can be described as "like Super Mario Bros. but....", and this trend continued well into the 16-bit era. But the game is more than just revolutionary and genre-defining. It's incredibly well made and designed. The mechanics are brilliant, with responsive and fluid controls that follow an intuitive physics system, the level design is varied and challenging and still feels unique after decades of copycats, the technically primitive graphics are colorful and memorable, and the equally technically primitive music is iconic.

On the off chance that anyone reading this hasn't already played this game to death, I recommend playing the original NES version via emulation, which can be done on the Nintendo Wii through Virtual Console.

Beginner tips:

  • The B button doesn't just increase your running speed - it affects your momentum as well, even while airborne. Mastering the art of your airborne momentum is key to nailing those tricky jumps.
  • Piranha plants will not emerge if you are touching their pipe.
  • In the underground worlds, if you can find a way on top of the "ceiling" and stay there, you will find a Warp Zone.
  • As Super Mario, if you take a running start and crouch, your momentum will carry you forward a few inches. Use this to access crawlspaces that you normally wouldn't fit in.
  • Fire Mario makes underwater levels much, much easier.
  • The castles in worlds 4-4, 7-4, and 8-4 will go on forever until you solve their puzzles.


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