Super Mario Bros. (1985 Video Game) User Reviews

Great game, but...

[ajnrules · 10/10 · 17 August 2000]

it's extremely DIFFICULT. I have been playing this game since it was like 2 years old, and I still haven't been able to beat it! That proves how wimpy modern N64 platform games have become, since I am able to easily defeat its 1996 counterpart.

But the graphics for this game and its sometimes-cartridge-partner, Duck Hunt, seem quite advanced for 1985 and 1984 (respectively). At least compared to games like Excitebike (1984) and The Legend of Zelda (1986). The music is nice (although the dungeon and the castle music gets repetitive) and sound effects are cool. Once you've beaten this game, there's no need to play it anymore, but if you haven't, like me, you'll be wanting to keep playing until you beat it, and frustrated if you fail.

But this game is the same age as me, and I still play it at my friends house if they're hogging the Super Smash Bros. (I haven't beaten it yet.)

I beat it.

[eatmypantseatmyshorts · 10/10 · 26 June 2020]

I was playing on the Nintendo Switch Online NES thingy, using the warp zones, and also Tutorials.

It was victory.

The most classic video game

[Edragonz · 10/10 · 11 October 2000]

This game deserves a ten for it's ground-breaking game play. Nintendo surprised the world by giving the stage to its biggest future stars. This is an unforgettable classic that will hopefully be preserved for future generations of game players.

A classic

[Op_Prime · 19 July 1999]

Super Mario Bros. is still one of the best games ever. The game has a strange concept and the graphics aren't nearly as good as anything today, but it's a classic. It's a challenging game, with famous Mario and his brother Luigi, that will never be forgotten.

What makes this game a classic

[Jiiimbooh · 10/10 · 11 July 2005]

I'm sure most people my age remember one or more situations like this: some guy your parents knew was celebrating his birthday and you went with your parents to the party. A lot of the other people also brought their kids and after a while you were all gathered in one room. You didn't really know each other that well, so what were you going to do? Well, the kid who's room it was had a Nintendo (or later Super Nintendo) or one of those pirated machines that played Nintendo games. The answer was: you played Super Mario! Everybody agreed that it was a fun game and everybody knew how to play it. It's simply the game of my generation.

But what made this particular game so important and well liked? First of all, at the time it arrived it was revolutionary – the first side-scrolling platform game ever and it was the game that made both video games and Nintendo popular. The story was good even if it was simple: You are Mario the plumber in the Mushroom Kingdom and you are on a mission to save the princess that have been kidnapped by Bowser. At the time this game was released they usually didn't bother to come up with interesting stories for games, so it's not like today when a lot of games have complicated story lines. It wasn't hard to figure out how to play, jump and land on an enemy's head and you will kill him, but it still wasn't that easy to beat. (Of course it's easier know that I'm soon to be 21 and have played it as many times as I have.) Last but not least, the music suited the game perfectly.

Something that to me is a sign that this is a good game is that it's still fun to play now when I'm almost 21, even though it was a game that was meant for kids (like all games that were released at that time) and the graphics are very out-dated. This is a game that a lot of people still play, it's been re-released both to Gameboy Color and Gameboy Advance. Of course a lot of people download it and play it on emulators – even though Nintendo doesn't like that.

For someone of my generation playing this game today is like re-living only the happy times of your childhood. When I played it as a kid I wasn't someone sitting in front of the TV playing a video game – I was Mario and I was on a very important mission to save the princess!

10/10

Perhaps The Only Perfect Video Game Ever Created

[zkonedog · 10/10 · 12 March 2017]

After receiving my first Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991, I instantly became hooked on one game in particular: Super Mario Brothers. It's relatively new style of play (side-scrolling) in combination with an original story and the perfect difficulty arc (anyone can beat the beginning levels, but it takes a true pro to complete the game) made it the game that I played over and over again. Whether it was screaming in frustration due to the Hammer Brothers, hearing in disbelief that the Princess "was in another castle", or the sheer joy of beating that next castle, I played the game over and over again. Of course, being such a young child, I was never quite talented enough to complete the complicated jump moves or decipher the complex mazes (towards the end) well enough to actually beat the game. Yet, I still had a heck of a time trying!

Flash forward (LOST-style) 10-12 years later: Having been introduced to the NES at such a young age, I continued by brand loyalty to Nintendo by playing the Super Nintendo, Nintendo '64, Gamecube, and Wii. I had a lot of good times with those machines, but one day I got the urge to fire up the old NES again, for old times sake. Within moments (well, not exactly moments, as it took some blowing on the connectors and jiggling the game up and down) I was instantly transformed back into that excited six year old kid who couldn't wait to come home from school and play Mario. This time around, with a little practice, I was able to conquer even the final Bowser.

While playing the game at that older age, though, I was amazed at the purity of it. It was original (which can't be said about most SNES games), it was straight-forward (not like Donkey Kong '64, for example), it's difficulty arc progresses in a logical fashion (not like GCN, where in many games you have to be a master gamer to step right in), and the game's internal bugs are cute and looked forward too, not annoying and troublesome as is sometimes the case on the Wii.

Thus, taking all those things into consideration, Super Mario Brothers for the NES is, at least in my opinion, perhaps the closest thing to a "perfect video game" as has ever been created. Not only did it practically save the entire gaming industry, but it also gave hours of entertainment to people across the world. To me, only The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (for the '64) can challenge Mario Bros. in terms of overall game quality.

So, if you are a nostalgic video gamer (like myself) who is a bit frazzled by the current obsessions and skill levels, I would highly recommend dusting of the old NES box and popping in Super Mario Brothers (it often comes on the same cartridge as Duck Hunt). After a few moments of dickering, a few tries to re-master the old skill-sets, you will NOT be disappointed.

There's nothing like a classic.

[PunkJedi · 10/10 · 23 December 1999]

This game was my first video game. It was fun, needless to say, and it also improved my eye-hand coordination (tell your parents this, kids. They'll let you play all day!). But, video games have moved on into the realm of 3-d, and the classic side-scroller has been laid to rest. There's something I've noticed, though. In a lot of these "lush, 3-d environment" games, it seems that fun and challenge have been sacrificed to the great god of graphics. I suggest that the game makers of today do some researching of the past.

What a classic!

[Nic0981323 · 8/10 · 15 February 2021]

This game changed video games forever. It standardizes who Mario is today, and it saved the video game industry. Not only that, but it's a good game. I only rated this 8/10 because you can't go back, and you turn into Small Mario when you get hit as Fire Mario. Still a great game.

If you haven't played this, you've been living under a rock.

[NeglectfulKiller · 10/10 · 6 May 2002]

This is THE classic, the penultimate video game. The quintessence of nostalgia for us 80's romantics, and the introduction to unparalleled gameplay for those unfamiliar, having been brainwashed by modern hype. This immortal masterpiece embodies the word fun, and is the most simple and sublime experience that can be achieved through a television screen and a system. Enjoy. Now.

Classic, folks...

[Analog_Devotee · 9/10 · 3 August 2021]

What can be said about this game that hasn't already been said? It's a classic that not only spawned a genre but catapulted it into the mainstream via living rooms around THE WORLD!

I don't need to tell people to play this game, but I will say this to all the parents out there: Make your kids play this game! It's the equivalent of taking them to a museum -- they need to see how these things were back in the days before everything was RPG-lite with a battle royal mode and a gaggle of microtransactions and lootboxes.

The game that defined "classic"

[Ivan Ravenous · 9/10 · 11 October 2000]

Man, this is the ultimate classic video game. Everyone in the world has played it, and I've never heard of anyone even mildly disliking it. It's not as hard as I remembered it being (which is strange, because I usually remember them being easier than they really are) but it's still very challenging. Modern video games would benefit greatly from re-acquainting themselves with the old-school video game rule: There's No Guarantee You Will Win.

The best video game ever?

[skiop · 10/10 · 11 January 2010]

I'm inclined to think so. The objective is quite simple (and by now a cliché), you have to rescue the princess from the evil villain (in this case, Bowser, king of the koopas). It consists of 8 worlds, with 4 levels per world; the last level is always a castle, often requiring a special sequence to get to the end.

You stomp on goombas, koopas, bullet bills and other enemies along the way, collecting points. Each consecutive stomp earns you more points than the last and 1000 points will start giving you extra lives. Skilled players can get up to the maximum allowed lives by repeatedly stomping and kicking koopa shells. 100 coins will also earn you extra lives, and many are available in certain pipes, by going into the clouds, and hitting certain blocks. There are also many hidden blocks along the way.

It's great fun and after you get the hang of it, you can defeat it in under an hour. The consensus seems to be that Super Mario Bros. 3 is the best of the series, yet I don't think any game will ever beat this one, at least not to me.

It hasn't aged the best, but it's still fun.

[maddoxacox · 7/10 · 27 May 2022]

Several game mechanics are clunky by today's standards, but the game is still as addicting as ever. The goal of the game is simple, rescue Peach from Bowser.

Super Mario Bros.

[bombersflyup · 5/10 · 4 February 2022]

The one that started it all, well it came with the system. It's gameplay's dare I say it, limited. Not exactly enthralling, but points for nostalgia and being a stepping stone.

"Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!" - Toad

[davimaia-76303 · 9/10 · 22 December 2022]

Incredible. The concept of a nice plumber (albeit an Italian stereotype) saving the princess instead of a gentleman or prince is quite original and good. Sort of the graphics were nice back then and are still excellent to this day. Generated three iconic power-ups from across the "Mario" series. Super Mushroom, Fire Flower and Starman. Great music too. Top theme is very well known even if you have never played this game. Thank Nintendo for this amazing game. Flaws: Unlike "Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)" you cannot rewind. The game doesn't even have a continue unlike Sonic, if you lose your lives you HAVE TO START ALL OVER AGAIN! At least there's a cheat that makes you pick up where you left off in the world.

Fun fact: If you've lost all your lives, press and hold the "A" button on the NES until the title screen, and while holding, press Start on the NES. So, instead of world 1-1, you will start in the world where you took a Game Over.

The best game I have ever played!

[spiderguy_07 · 10/10 · 21 November 2006]

The first time I saw this game, I was 4 years old, and my dad was playing it on his new Nintendo (A 35 year old man, playing a Nintendo lol), and I asked him, "Dad, how are you so good at that?", and he answered, "Practice, lots of practice." I am now 17 and have been playing this game off and on for years. I consider myself the master of this game.

There are 8 worlds with 4 parts. You must go through each of them to get to Bowser. The mini enemies are Bullets, Koopa Troopas, Gumba's, Buzzy Beetle's, and Pipe Flowers.

If you are a beginner, you will probably finish this game in an hour and a half. But if you are the master at it, you will finish it in 30 minutes.

This game will continue to be the greatest game of all time!

CLASSIC OF ALL CLASSICS

[maciekstepien · 10/10 · 20 March 2020]

MOST INFLUENTIAL GAME EVER MADE WICH NOT ONLY BECAME REVOLUTIONARY IN TERMS OF MAKING GAMES, IT SAVED THE INDUSTRY!

The greatest video game of the 80's.

[gangstahippie · 10/10 · 16 July 2006]

Rated E(Contains Mild Violence).

Super Mario Bros was not the first game to feature Mario.The first Mario game was actually Donkey Kong which was released in 1981.This game featured Mario(Jumpman in the Donkey Kong game) trying to save the princess from a big ape(Donkey Kong) by jumping over barrels and other obstacles.Not only was this the first game to feature Mario but the first video game to feature Princess and Donkey Kong.Mario's second appearance came in the sequel to Donkey Kong which was Donkey Kong JR.In that game Mario was the antagonist.You are Donkey Kong's son in that game and you have to save your father from Mario.The third game that Mario was featured in was Mario bros.This one was released in 1982.I have never played that one so I don't know the plot.But the video game that made Mario a video game icon and a super-star was Super Mario Bros.This game was a revolution for 1980's video gaming.I have played this game before and I must say this game is excellent even by today's standards(even though the graphics may seem a bit dated).The game is about two plumbers named Mario and Luigi who end up in the Mushroom Kingdom and must save the princess from the evil Bowser.Super Mario Bros spawned many sequels and spin-off's.If you can find this game(or variations of the game).Get it! You wont be disappointed.

10/10

Super Platform Hero

[hellraiser7 · 10/10 · 16 September 2019]

This is another one of my favorite video games of all time, this game is a timeless classic that has not just revolutionized platform action genre of video games but changed our perspective in how video games were made and played forever.

Believe it or not this is the very first video game I played, I was about 5 or 6 years old; every time we went to the video arcade, I played this game every chance I could get. I just absolute fell in love with this because it was nothing I've ever seen before and had just about everything I could ever want in a game.

And once I got the NES console of my own, I played the heck out of the game, it really made the experience all the more awesome because I had the video game at my home and can play it any time I wanted and as much as I wanted; let alone getting that console and game with it truly changed my life forever as it really set my on the road to being a gamer as well as game collecting. Even today as an adult I still play this game, which shows how timeless it truly is.

There is so much to love about this game. The graphical presentation was great for it's time and still looks good today. I feel this game is one of the prime examples in using graphic presentation the right way and for the right reasons. I really love the amount of detail from the presentation, from how well designed the characters are down to the background which presented an entire world. But also made it feel like you were playing a cartoon show, which makes sense as 80's cartoon shows were one of the big things of that decade.

Music is just excellent and timeless as you can probably get them as your ringtone or even hear numerous remixes. From that theme song which always makes me think about Mario every time I hear it, the underground, under water, and the final castles which always had music that really made you feel a sense of dread and danger and for good reason.

But of course, what really sold this is he gameplay is just excellent, there were plenty of platform action games before like the arcade games, "Donkey Kong". But the thing about that game and others where they were contained action as they all took place in one arena.

This game was much different as it was more than just going from point A to B in one area but a whole piece of land and more and more after it, which made this game feel like you really were on an adventure. Each of the levels and stages are always different which all contain a different challenge, you truly never really what to expect.

And to me that was just part of the joy of the game to have different experiences and play through them. Like the underwater level, which was really cool, I always love underwater where your always trying to avoid those squids or bird like fish. Then there are the castle levels which are the trickiest, I'll admit as a kid made me nervous because by their nature their death traps designed to kill you.

The game's difficulty isn't too hard but it's not that easy, I really like the difficulty in this game where it's actually balanced where at first it's not so hard but as you progress the game gets a little more challenging and tricky, which really tests your actions, reactions, and wits. It's true there are no continues but that's because by it's nature the game is actually not too long, you can zip by each of the levels once you get them all down, the ability to acquire extra lives, or if you know the secrets you can win the game really fast.

I really love how each of the levels also contain secrets from those question blocks even hidden ones which always contain points or even power up. Like the mushroom that can make you grow bigger, which is just a device to give you another life in the game. The star which gives you temporary invincibility. But my absolute favorite is the Fire Flower, which is awesome as your almost unstoppable, you can wield and throw fireballs at about any opponent including the end boss on each of the worlds.

There is a very good variety of enemies which always change the more you progress and get more dangerous. Like the Gombas whom are evil walking mushrooms. Thought two I've always was the most concerned about was this turtle that was flying on a cloud and kept dropping red turtles that were armed with nasty spikes, those things made me nervous because they were really hard to kill, except if you have a fire flower or even if possible a turtle shell. And of course, Koopa himself which was Bowser's name at the time (I still don't understand the need to change the name), him always shooting out fireballs. The only ways to beat him are with the fire flower or to somehow find a way past him to get to the axe to chop the bridge down which gets tricky further on.

And of course, Mario himself whom is pretty much whom Mickey Mouse is to the Disney Company. He was one of the very first video game protagonists ever and he's still endeared even today. This video game protagonist was truly special because this is not a protagonist with muscle, but one that was from the blue-collar end of things as he's wearing that plumping uniform. This made him relatable because he was the average joe that was chosen to save both the princess and the fantasy realm, it really shows how anyone can be a hero.

This vintage classic just like Mario himself is timeless fun.

Rating: 4 stars

Childhood Classic Mario

[Terryfan · 10/10 · 13 April 2015]

Super Mario Bros is one of the first video games I remember playing as a kid on the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Some copies of this game came pack with Duck Hunt as two games in one which is the main one I remember.

Super Mario Bros is one of the most famous video games ever created and reminds a famous character to this day spanning many video games, cartoon shows book you name it he done it.

It was the first video game to introduce the side scrolling style of games which would happen for other games later on down the line.

The game feature simple controls but they were just right and got you to master your gaming skills from the start.

Also we were introduce to the infamous Super Mario Bros Theme song and it reminds a classic today even more. Classic Sound effects in the game that we all know and love.

Graphics were pretty cool as well plus looking at it now gives you the love for what Video Games were suppose to be.

As for the Game Play Yes the game play is challenging but it is a classic and gives you the chance to proof your gaming skills.

The story as we all know is that Mario and Luigi must save Princess Toadstool from the evil King Koopa.

Super Mario Bros is just one of the games that only get better with age.

I give Super Mario Bros an 10 out of 10

Forever influential and forever fun

[MegaWatOfficial · 10/10 · 8 December 2022]

At this point, I'm sure most of us are aware of just how dire the video game market was back in the old days. While the Atari 2600 was a very important and legendary console that's rightfully looked back fondly, the games only sometimes followed suit; and unlike the Nintendo Wii and DS, this was something the 2600 could NOT afford. This was all evident with the video game crash of 1982. Some blame games like the disastrous port of "Pac-Man" or the poor movie tie-in which was the infamous "ET: Extra Terrestrial" for Atari 2600 (which, despite it being poor, really isn't as bad as people say it was, in my opinion), but the real blame came from 2 things.

One being hardware limitations, as the 2600, despite it being awesome, was undoubtedly very simple compared to anything afterwards. This made any and all games naturally constrained from really being anything all too special, which was fine in the late '70s, but when there's virtually no improvements to future games afterwards, it got stale quick. This transitions to the second thing, which was the overbearing quantity. To put it simply, there were way too many games for the console, and not enough of them were any good. Mix that with the fact that the 2600 was the first ever mainstream video game console to take itself seriously, and it's no wonder people thought it was all a passing fad at the end of the day.

But in 1985, that all changed. Nintendo, formerly a card/toy company, not only threw their hat in the ring, but did a perfect job at it, as the Nintendo Entertainment System (or the NES) took everything Atari failed at, and made one of the best video game consoles of all time; all while geniusly marketing it as an entertainment system to help consumers trust that video games are awesome after all. Of course, that would only mean so much if the showcase game wasn't great.

And great it was. "Super Mario Bros" is, without a doubt, the most important video game of all time, as it not only showcased how great a game could be with properly great vision, but also how great it could be when it's properly using the hardware it's running on. Putting aside the hardware logistics that helped this game even more, the game itself is an absolute joy. With excellent and iconic level design, responsive and fun gameplay, visuals that, while not the best we would see on the console, are much more full of life than any video game beforehand, and the iconic and forever memorable music, this game ticks every box, and would act as an essential pillar for video games as a whole for the rest of time; as evident by the fact that it's still infinitely fun and charming to this day-a moniker no other video game beforehand could use.

Really, there's not much to complain about here. Some could make the argument that this game has aged, and is not as amazing as the famous plumber's future installments, but considering how this not only saved the industry, but also perfects the notion of enjoying expansive games that keeps the player hooked from start to finish even to this day, this game deserves nothing less than all of the credit. If you haven't played this yet (for some reason), I implore you to do so. Even for how slightly basic it is compared to later games, it's an important part of video game culture, and a still incredibly fun reminder on how amazing games can get once the guys behind really know what they're doing.

One of the best Nintendo games I've ever played

[Catherine_Grace_Zeh · 9/10 · 19 July 2007]

SUPER MARIO BROTHERS, in my opinion, is one of the best Nintendo games I have ever played. Even though I've never owned a Nintendo system or games, I've played this game many times before. To be honest, I enjoy it very much. In addition, even though I've never made it to the last level, I still enjoy the game very much. When and if you can get a Nintendo Wii, this game should definitely be on your list of downloads. Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say that the people at Nintendo know how to keep video game fanatics entertained. Now, in conclusion, if you're a video game fanatic, this is definitely one you'll want to play and own.

Ok, but not great

[Some-asshole · 7/10 · 5 May 2020]

The mechanics are clunky, levels are literally copied into later levels, the castle levels and boss fights are repetive and boring, there's a huge lack of power ups (they couldn't add another power up and let us be able to use anything other than the fire flower?), and this game just doesn't satisfy me.

I don't care what it influenced, though I know what it created and what it created is awesome, it's not a great game to me. Just because it started everything, that doesn't make it a fantastic game.

I don't care how influental it was, I hate it.

[jorkan · 1/10 · 23 December 2016]

Super Mario Bros. Centers around an Italian guy (Who is worse than Mussolini, by the way) who begins his noble journey of saving a princess from a mutant turtle named "Bowser". Along the way, he encounters evil mushrooms and dinosaurs, whom he must kill. I don't get why it's so successful. Either way, the "Damsel in distress" plot is used again and again in this long, boring collection of binary codes and music thrown together by one man in a warehouse in Kyoto. To all you people who call Animal crossing boring (I've never actually played a animal crossing game), then you've never played Mario, which I fell asleep attempting to play.