From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other uses of the term "Super Mario Bros.", see Super Mario Bros. (disambiguation).
| Super Mario Bros. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Nintendo |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Distributor(s) | |
| Designer(s) | Shigeru Miyamoto |
| Engine | |
| Latest version | |
| Release date(s) |  September 13, 1985
 October 1, 1985
 1987 |
| Genre(s) | Platform game |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ESRB:  Everyone (2004 NES Classics re-release) |
| Platform(s) | Famicom/NES |
| Media | 320-kilobit cartridge |
| System requirements | |
| Input | |
Super Mario Bros. is a video game produced by Nintendo in 1985. Universally considered a classic of the medium, Super Mario Bros. was one of the first side-scrolling platform games of its kind, introducing players to huge, bright, expansive worlds that changed the way video games were created.
Super Mario Bros. is considered by The Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling video game of all time[1], and was largely responsible for the initial success of the Famicom and Nintendo Entertainment System. It has inspired countless imitators (eventually founding an entire genre) and was one of Shigeru Miyamoto's most influential early successes. The game gave Mario (known as Jumpman in the classic arcade game Donkey Kong), a starring role. Mario, who became Nintendo's mascot, was at one time more recognizable among American children than Mickey Mouse.
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Gameplay
Shigeru Miyamoto described his initial idea for Super Mario Bros. as "a character that bounces around. And the background should be a clear, blue sky."[2]
The player takes the role of Mario, or in the case of a second player, Mario's brother Luigi. The ultimate object is to race through the Mushroom Kingdom, evade or eliminate King Koopa/King Bowser's forces, and save the Princess Peach/Princess Toadstool.
Mario's primary attack is simply jumping on top of his enemies, which kills the mushroom traitors, known as Kuribou/Goombas, and sends the turtle soldiers known as Nokonoko/Koopa Troopas into their shells. Mario can then kick these shells into other enemies, which will conveniently dispatch them; but conversely, kicked shells can bounce back off of walls or other vertical obstructions and hit him. Jumping on enough enemies in succession, or kicking a shell into enough enemies in succession (combos), results in double points earned with each enemy killed, eventually earning Mario a 1-up, an extra life and another chance to pass the level.
Aiding him in his quest are several power-ups, including the Super Mushroom, which turns Mario into Super Mario, doubling his size; the Fire Flower, which turns Super Mario into Fiery Mario, allowing him to throw fireballs; Starman, which gives him temporary invincibility; and the 1-up Mushroom.
Mario can be hurt if he touches an enemy. If he takes a hit from an enemy as Super Mario or Fiery Mario, he simply reverts back to regular Mario and the game continues. However, if he takes a hit as regular Mario, falls down a pit (regardless of status), or if the time clock runs out, he loses a life, and starts again. The point where Mario continues depends on how far he ran through the level before dying; either from the very beginning, or at an invisible "checkpoint" halfway through the level. There are no checkpoints in castles (#-4) or in world 8 (8-#).
The game consists of eight worlds with four levels in each. Though each world is substantially different, there are basic similarities: typically the first sub-world is a generic above-ground (overworld) level, the second is in an underground dungeon or underwater (or in the overworld with a unique challenge), the third is a series of platforms suspended high in the sky, and the fourth is a fortress or castle. At the end of each castle level, Mario fights "Bowser" (who, until the final level, is actually a lesser enemy disguised as Bowser) across a bridge over a pool of lava. In the later worlds, Bowser throws hammers as well as occasional fire breaths. Bowser may be defeated in one of two ways; either by touching the axe at the edge of the bridge (thereby dropping Bowser into the lava), or, as Fiery Mario, throwing fireballs at him to defeat him directly.
The third and sixth worlds take place at night, and all other worlds take place during the day.
After beating the game, the player is given the option to start the game again in "'Hard' Mode," where all Goombas are replaced by Buzzy Beetles (Koopa Troopa-like enemies who cannot be killed by fireballs), and all enemies walk faster. In addition, some of the elevator-style lifts are about 60% their original size.
Popularity
The game sold approximately 40 million copies worldwide, which still stands as a Guinness World Record. It has been estimated that this game, next to Tetris, is the bestselling game of all time.[3] Although the game was popular enough on its own, mass distribution is attributable to the popularity of the NES itself. Super Mario Bros. was most often packaged with the console (usually in a dual cartridge with the shooting game Duck Hunt), just as Tetris was packaged with the Game Boy. Super Mario Bros. 3 is often cited as the best selling non-packaged game of all time.
Super Mario Bros. is often cited as the inspiration for many game designers; an example is the inspiration for the designers at id Software when they developed Commander Keen. (Indeed, Commander Keen began life as a PC port of Super Mario Bros.) It has also been critically acclaimed in retrospect; IGN named it #1 on their top 100 video games list twice (both in 2003 [4] and 2005 [5]), and it is one of only two games (along with Elite) to receive a 10/10 score in their "retro reviews" retrospective series.
In February 2006, Electronic Gaming Monthly named Super Mario Bros. number one on its list of the 200 Greatest Games of Their Time.
Sequels and spin-offs
The success of Super Mario Bros. led Nintendo to choose Mario to be its mascot and eventually resulted in several TV series and a movie. Mario himself became more recognizable among American children than Mickey Mouse[6].
The game's popularity eventually led to dozens of sequels and spinoffs. There are three direct sequels to this game on the NES platform:
- Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels — originally released for the Famicom in Japan as Super Mario Bros. 2. This game would later be released worldwide as The Lost Levels on the Super NES cartridge Super Mario All-Stars
- Super Mario Bros. 2 — an adaptation of Doki Doki Panic, a Japanese game unrelated to Mario, released in the U.S. instead of The Lost Levels and later released in Japan as Super Mario USA
- Super Mario Bros. 3
Soundtrack
The soundtrack, composed by long-time Nintendo composer Koji Kondo, is often sampled. While many bands have sampled the Super Mario Bros. soundtrack or otherwise recorded songs inspired by the game and its soundtrack, a Super Mario Bros.-inspired single by Japanese band The Tongari Kids, titled "B-Dash", reached as high as sixth place on the Japanese music charts.[7]
Alternate versions
As one of Nintendo's most popular games, Super Mario Bros. has been rereleased and remade numerous times, ranging from an arcade version released at approximately the same time as the original NES release, to its inclusion as an unlockable game in in the GameCube game Animal Crossing.
Vs. Super Mario Bros.
The first of these alternate versions, Vs. Super Mario Bros., is nearly a separate game in its own right. This game, one of several games made for Nintendo's NES-based arcade cabinet, the Nintendo Vs. Unisystem (and its variant, the Nintendo Vs. Dualsystem), is based loosely on Super Mario Bros., and has identical gameplay. The stages are different, however; the first stages are subtly different, with small differences like the omission of 1-up mushrooms or other hidden items, but later stages are changed entirely. (Many of these later, changed stages later appeared in the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2.) These changes have a net effect of making Vs. Super Mario Bros. much more difficult than the original Super Mario Bros.
As with many older arcade games, it isn't clear exactly when this game was released; while the arcade boards themselves are stamped "1985,"[8] the Killer List of Video Games and the MAME game listing list the game as having been released in 1986.[9][10]
All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros.
All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros. is a version of Super Mario Bros. with graphics based upon a radio show, called 'All Night Nippon', that was very popular in Japan in 1986. It was released for the Famicom Disk System.
The game, which was only released in Japan, was a special promotional version that was given away by the Japanese radio station 'All Night Nippon' in raffles in 1986. The game borrows levels from Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japanese version), and Vs. Super Mario Bros. The enemies and the mushroom retainers at the end of Bowser's forts are replaced with Japanese music idols, famous recording artists, and DJs, as well as other people related to 'All Night Nippon.' It was published by Fuji TV, the same company that published Doki Doki Panic (which was later remade into Super Mario USA, a.k.a. Super Mario Bros. 2).
Multicart versions
While Super Mario Bros. is the best-selling video game of all time, one of the most common versions of the game is actually an alternate version, a multicart including both Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt. This version, first released in North America in November 1988, was only available packed in with the "NES Action Set," a bundle including the NES, two controllers, the Zapper lightgun, and the Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt double cartridge.
Later, in December of that year, Nintendo also released a three-game multicart, including Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, and World Class Track Meet. This three-game multicart was only included in the "NES Power Set," a bundle including everything in the "Action Set" above, but with the Power Pad and the triple-game cartridge in place of the double-game cartridge.
Super Mario All-Stars
- Main article: Super Mario All-Stars
In 1993, Nintendo released an enhanced SNES compilation, titled Super Mario All-Stars, of all of the Super Mario games released for the NES and Famicom. The version of Super Mario Bros. included in the compilation had improved graphics, redrawn to match the SNES's greater graphical capabilities and a save game feature. Several glitches from the original NES release were also fixed.
This compilation also includes later Super Mario games, including Super Mario Bros. 3, the North American/European Super Mario Bros. 2 (known as Super Mario USA in Japan), and the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 (known as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels in North America and Europe). A later version of this compilation, sold only as a bundle with the SNES, also includes Super Mario World.
Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
- Main article: Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
In 1999, Super Mario Bros. was released on the Game Boy Color, under the title Super Mario Bros. Deluxe. It featured simultaneous multiplayer, a Challenge mode and also included the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 (which was released on Super Mario All-Stars as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels) as an unlockable. It also was compatible with the Game Boy Printer. However, the game did not feature any upgraded visuals.
Classic NES rerelease
- Main article: Classic NES Series
In early 2004, Nintendo rereleased the game on the Game Boy Advance in Japan as part of their Famicom Minis collection and in the U.S. as part of the Classic NES Series. Unlike previous re-releases, these versions contain no graphical updates; indeed, they are running in emulation. Super Mario Bros. was one of the best-selling of these rereleases; according to the NPD Group (which tracks game sales in North America), this rereleased version of Super Mario Bros. was the best-selling Game Boy Advance game in June 2004, and sixth-best-selling game overall.[11]
Differences between this and the original are that the screen images appear a bit squashed, due to the smaller GBA screen, and the high score is saved to the cartridge. In 2005, Nintendo released this game again for the GBA as part of its 20th Anniversary with a special edition, selling approximately 876,000 units.[12]
Other versions
Super Mario Bros. is one of the NES games featured in the Gamecube game Animal Crossing. Nintendo released an official way of unlocking it in 2004. Currently the only known way to unlock the game is either by use of a game modification ("cheating") device, such as an Action Replay, or by the use of a special Super Mario Bros. Animal Crossing-e card and the e-reader device. Players could connect the e-reader to a Game Boy Advance, connect this to a Gamecube with a Game Boy Advance to Nintendo Gamecube Cable, go to the E-reader machine at the post office, and swipe the card, allowing the player to recieve the coveted NES game item in the mail. However, the card's rarity has made using an Action Replay or other device much easier to obtain this item, causing a large jump in the popularity of such devices.
Minus World
- Main article: Minus world
Minus World is an infinite water level (with a layout similar to that of Levels 2-2 and 7-2). Most likely the result of a glitch rather than intentionally created, this level is sometimes claimed to be a myth. It does exist, although it can be difficult to reach. It is only accessible by performing a certain jumping trick in Level 1-2 at the pipe that leads to the end of the level. This trick allows Mario to move through the wall to where the level's warp zone is located. There, the first pipe leads to the Minus World, but only if the game doesn't scroll to show all the pipes; in which case, the pipes revert to their default locations. (Incidently, the second pipe leads to World 5 if reached in time.)
Once Minus World is reached, it is impossible to escape, and Mario is destined to die by running out of time (assuming he survives the standard water-level obstacles as well). The reason for this is because the pipe at the end of the level leads to the very beginning, instead of dry land, and therefore, the level loops, or repeats itself. The name was created by a glitch, and since it is not a normal level, the name is literally (nothing)-1, creating the effect of -1. Technically speaking, the Minus World is world 36.
World 36 in the Japanese Famicom Disk System version of the game is considerably different and has three levels, after which the player is returned to the title screen as though he or she completed the game. This glitch has been fixed in the Super Mario All-Stars remake as well as in Super Mario Bros. Deluxe.
Cheat Code
A very simple and well-known secret code in Super Mario Bros. is often recognized as one of the very first "cheat codes", or "easter eggs", in videogames. If a player advanced to a higher world, but then received a Game Over, the player could hold A when pressing Start to select the "1 Player Game" option at the main menu, which would allow for them to return to whatever world they left off at instead of starting the game on the very first level.
Current world record
The current world record time for this game has been set by Trevor Seguin, Andrew Gardikis, and Carlos Krueger with times of 5 minutes and 9 seconds. These claims have been confirmed by Twin Galaxies, and a video is available at the Speed Demos Archive [13]. These are both only a few seconds slower than the fastest known tool-assisted speedrun, which currently measures at just under 5 minutes.
- Further reading: Speedrun
Trivia
- The so-called "growing Mario" sound was used in a Colecovision game Wallbreaker.
- Topped the list of "The Greatest 200 Games of Our Time" feature in Electronic Gaming Monthly's February 2006 issue, as part of a 200-issue celebration. It beat many other Mario titles, including Super Mario Bros. 3 (14), Super Mario 64 (6), Super Mario World (88) and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (83).
- With the exception of the "firesticks" seen in the castles, every enemy in the game went on to reappear in Super Mario Bros. 3.
References
- ^ - O'Connell, Patricia. "Meet Mario's Papa", BusinessWeek online, November 7, 2005, retrieved November 26, 2005.
- ^ - Best-Selling Video Games, Guinness World Records, 1999, retrieved November 21, 2005.
- ^ - IGN's Top 100 Games, IGN.com, May 9, 2003, retrieved November 26, 2005.
- ^ - IGN's Top 100 Games, IGN.com, retrieved November 26, 2005.
- ^ - Sheff, David. Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children, Random House, 1991.
- ^ - Nllzumi, Hirohiko. "Mario music bounces up the charts," Gamespot, June 7, 2005, retrieved November 26, 2005.
- ^ - passport. Vs. Super Mario Bros., Everything2, December 29, 2001, retrieved November 21, 2005.
- ^ - Vs. Super Mario Bros., Killer List of Video Games, retrieved November 22, 2005.
- ^ - Screenshots V, Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator website, retrieved November 22, 2005.
- ^ - Thorsen, Tor. "ChartSpot: June 2004", Gamespot, August 2, 2004, retrieved November 26, 2005.
- ^ - Jenkins, David. "Japanese Sales Charts, Week Ending October 2", Gamasutra, October 7, 2005, retrieved November 22, 2005.
See also
- List of Mario games
- List of Famicom games
- List of NES games
- List of Mario series characters
- Great Giana Sisters, an Amiga and Commodore 64 game that was withdrawn due to its similarity to Super Mario Bros.
External links
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