Super Mario Bros.
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2007) |
| Super Mario Bros. | |
|---|---|
As was typical of NES games in America at the time, the cover shows a scene from gameplay in 1985. | |
| Developer(s) | Nintendo |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Director(s) | |
| Designer(s) | Shigeru Miyamoto |
| Composer(s) | |
| Series | Super Mario |
| Platform(s) | Famicom/NES, Famicom Disk System, Game Boy Color, Virtual Console |
| Release | NES  September 13, 1985 October 18, 1985 May 15, 1987 1987Famicom Disk System February 21, 1986Game Boy Advance February 14, 2004 June 2, 2004 July 9, 2004Virtual Console December 2, 2006 December 25, 2006 January 5, 2007 January 5, 2007 |
| Genre(s) | Platform game |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
Super Mario Bros. (スーパーマリオブラザーズ, Sūpā Mario Burazāzu, sometimes referred to as Mario, Super Mario or SMB) is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo in late 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It made a huge impact on home entertainment when it was released, and is now considered the classic of the medium. Super Mario Bros. featured bright, expansive worlds that changed the way video games were created. Although often wrongly credited as the first scrolling platform game (there are at least a half dozen earlier), it is the first console original in this genre to feature smooth-scrolling levels, which made it a landmark in home video-gaming.
Super Mario Bros. is the best selling video game of all time,[1] and was largely responsible for the initial success of the Nintendo Entertainment System, as well as ending the two year slump of video game sales in the United States after the video game crash of 1983. It has inspired countless imitators and was one of Shigeru Miyamoto's most influential early successes. The game starred the Italian plumber Mario and his brother Luigi. Mario went on to become Nintendo's most well known mascot. The theme music, by Koji Kondo, is recognized worldwide, even by those who have not played the game.
The game was succeeded by a direct sequel in Japan (later retitled Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels outside Japan), and by Super Mario Bros. 2, a slight revision of Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic with playable Mario characters, elsewhere in the world. There is also another sequel called Super Mario Bros. Special released around the same time as the original sequel, but it was released only in Japan by Hudson Soft, so it was relatively obscure.
Gameplay
The player takes the role of Mario, or in the case of a second player, Mario's brother Luigi. The object is to race through the Mushroom Kingdom, evade or eliminate Bowser's forces, and save Princess Peach (also called Princess Toadstool). The Mario Brothers' primary attack is simply jumping on top of ("Stomping") their enemies, which kills the mushroom traitors (which in Japan are actually chestnuts and not mushrooms), known as Goombas, and sends the turtle soldiers known as Koopa Troopas into their shells. Mario and Luigi can then kick these shells into other enemies, which will conveniently dispatch them; but conversely, kicked shells can bounce back off walls or other vertical obstructions and hit them. If Mario or Luigi gets a fire flower, he will have the ability to throw fireballs. Some enemies cannot be killed by stomping them, which will hurt the Mario Bros. These enemies can only be killed by turtle shell or fireball. 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 or Luigi a 1-up (an extra life). Mario and Luigi can also obtain 1-ups through finding 1-up mushrooms and by collecting 100 coins.
Aiding them in their quest are several powers. Mario or Luigi can be hurt if either touches an enemy. If he takes a hit from an enemy as Super Mario/Luigi or Fire Mario/Luigi, he simply reverts to regular Mario/Luigi 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" partway through the level. There are no checkpoints in castles or in world 8, the final world. Mario can also collect a Starman and become invincible for a limited amount of time. Invincible Mario is impervious to the touch of enemy characters and most obstacles, and he can simply run into enemies to kill them. However, he will still die if he falls in a pit, falls into lava, or if time runs out.
The game consists of eight worlds with four levels in each world. Though each world is different, there are basic similarities: typically the first sub-world is a generic above-ground (overworld) level, the second is in an underground dungeon on Worlds 1 and 4 or underwater on Worlds 2 and 7 (or in the overworld with a unique challenge), the third is almost always a series of platforms suspended high in the sky, and the fourth is always a fortress or castle. The third and sixth worlds take place at night, and all other worlds take place during the day. At the end of each castle level, Mario fights "King Koopa" (who, until the final level, is actually a lesser enemy disguised as King Koopa) across a bridge over a pool of lava. In the later worlds (worlds 6 to 8), King Koopa throws hammers as well as occasional jets of fire breath. King Koopa may be defeated in one of two ways: either by touching the axe at the edge of the bridge (thereby dropping King Koopa into the lava) or, as Fire Mario, throwing fireballs at him to defeat him directly, revealing what enemy is in disguise; this is the only method one can use to receive points for Koopa's defeat. At the end of each world save the last, Mario is greeted with the words, "Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!", spoken by a Mushroom Retainer, which became a popular quotation among gamers.
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, the elevator-style lifts are about 60% their original size throughout. There are also some hazards in the earlier worlds that only appear in "Hard Mode". For example, in World 1-3 random Bullet Bills fly across the screen, a danger that normally only appears in certain later levels.
Players may get to the beginning of any world with a relatively small amount of effort by using hidden warp zones in a number of levels. One is in level 1-2 and is reached by walking on the blocks at the top of the level passing the exit pipe. This zone allows jumping to worlds 2, 3 and 4. The other two are in 4-2; one is reached in the same manner as the one in 1-2 but this only allows access to world 5. The other is reached through a beanstalk that grows from a hidden block and takes the player into a surface area that leads to worlds 6, 7, and 8.
Bugs and glitches
Minus World
By passing through a solid wall near the World 1-2 exit due to a glitch, it is possible to travel to "World -1",[2] also known as the "Minus World" or "World Negative One" and considered by the game to be "World 36". This stage is identical to Worlds 2-2 and 7-2, but upon entering the warp pipe at the end, the player is taken back to the start of the level. Exploiting the same glitch in the Japanese Famicom Disk System 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. The glitch remains in the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console version and in the Animal Crossing version. In Super Mario All-Stars, a player attempting to get to the Minus World will find that the pipes lead to Worlds 2, 3, or 4 as if the Warp Zone was accessed in the usual manner. In vs. Super Mario Bros. (the arcade cabinet version of Super Mario Bros.), the Minus World cannot be reached as the two bricks that allow the player to access the Minus World have been removed.
Small Fiery Mario
Also accessed through a glitch, it is possible for Mario to obtain his Fire powers while in a small state.[3] If Super or Fiery Mario touches Bowser at the exact same time as the axe, Mario will flash as if he was hit (but still remain big) while the bridge is destroyed. Mario will then glide towards the Toad retainer as opposed to running towards him.
At this point, the glitch will have reversed what is considered "Small Mario" and "Super Mario". At the beginning of the next stage, Mario will start out as Super size, but one hit will make him lose a life (returning him to small size upon death). Obtaining a Super Mushroom power-up will cause Mario to shrink down to his small size, and getting hit will cause him to grow back to his Super size. Obtaining a Fire Flower power-up will allow Mario to throw fireballs (and have his red/white color scheme), but still remain small and not able to break regular blocks. Also, the act of throwing a fireball will allow Mario to grow to Super size for only a split second before returning to normal size (most likely because a "Small Fire Mario throwing fireball" sprite was never created). The next time Mario loses a life, the glitch is "fixed" and the power-ups return to normal. As with the Minus World, this glitch has been fixed in the Super Mario All-Stars remake as well as in Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, but remains in the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console version and in the Animal Crossing version.
Performing the same trick as small Mario will result in another type of glitch. Mario will appear to die, and angle towards the Mushroom Retainer and off the bottom of the screen. The Mushroom Retainer thanks Mario as usual, and the game moves on to the next level.
Jumping the Flagpole
Dating from the time of the original Super Mario Bros. release, urban legend claimed that in levels 3-3 and 7-2 it is possible to jump over the flagpole at the end of the level. The claim was for the most part unsubstantiated until 1999 when a NESticle movie demonstrating the capability was publicly released.[4] When the engine was redone for the SNES game Super Mario All-Stars, this ability was retained while found less difficult to perform. Jumping the flagpole is not very useful though, as the level is completely empty after the flagpole and all that can be done is to wait for the time to run out. There are also levels in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels in which jumping over the flag is possible.
Music
Super Mario Bros. was scored by Koji Kondo, and its themes are easily the most widely recognized of any video game score to date. There are four main themes used in the original game:
- Overworld - The primary theme.
- Underworld - A simple, repeating staccato theme consisting of delayed sets of six rapid notes, followed by a short descending melody.
- Underwater - A slow, graceful waltz played in 3/4 time.
- Fortress - A fast-moving, double-layered theme consisting of a fast treble melody in 4/4 time overlaid by a slow bass melody in 5/4 time.
These themes would later be updated in the SNES compilation Super Mario All-Stars. The most drastic change was the addition of an upbeat percussion background to the Underworld theme, which previously contained large sections of silence. This was based on the arrangement first featured in Super Mario Bros. 3, and shared in All-Stars by both SMB and SMB3.
Alternate versions
As one of Nintendo's most popular games, Super Mario Bros. has been re-released and remade numerous times, ranging from an arcade version released soon before the original NES release to the game being available for download on the Wii's Virtual Console.
Game and Watch
A side-scrolling platform game entitled Super Mario Bros. was released for the Game & Watch range of handheld LCD game systems by Nintendo. The Game & Watch Super Mario Bros. is an entirely new game, featuring none of the stages from the NES original.
Famicom Disk System
In Japan, Super Mario Bros. was also released for the Famicom Disk System, Nintendo's proprietary floppy disk drive for the Famicom. This version was largely identical to the cartridge version, but was much cheaper because of the cheaper media.[citation needed] This version also had multiple Minus World levels.
Vs. Super Mario Bros.
One alternate version, 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 on Super Mario Bros., and has identical gameplay. The stages are different, however; the early 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 reappeared 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 is not clear exactly when this game was released; while the arcade boards themselves are stamped "1985,"[5] the Killer List of Video Games and the MAME game listing list the game as having been released in 1986.[6][7]
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 released only 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 Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic (which was later remade into Super Mario USA, a.k.a. Super Mario Bros. 2).
Super Mario All-Stars
In 1993, Nintendo released an enhanced SNES compilation titled Super Mario All-Stars. It includes all of the Super Mario Bros. games released for the NES/Famicom. The version of Super Mario Bros. included in the compilation had improved graphics and sound to match the SNES's 16-bit gameplay capabilities, as well as minor alterations in some collision mechanics. The new version also included a save game feature. Several glitches from the original NES release were also fixed.
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 extra. It also was compatible with the Game Boy Printer. However, the game did not feature any upgraded visuals (aside from some graphics such as water and lava now being animated rather than static), and since the screen resolution of the Game Boy Color was smaller than the NES, the view distance of the player is reduced. To compensate, players can press up and down to see above and below the player. Pressing select during the game also places the player in the middle or off to the left of the screen so that player can see well. Players can alternate between Mario and Luigi by pressing select on the map screen.
Hacked Versions
There are a number of Hacked Versions of the game, some graphical, others with different levels, some of which are exceptionally difficult, such as the levels of the Super Mario Forever mod, demonstrated in the Google Video film Super Mario Frustration. There are a number of glitches in the game logic (such as in the collision detection), allowing for certain tricks, which are often exploited in tool-assisted speedruns.[citation needed]
Reception
Super Mario Bros. popularized the side scrolling series of video games and led to many sequels in the series that built upon the same basic premise. The Mario tune also originated from this game. This game is still played on the NES, and the tunes and style of this game are still used and still very popular around the world. The game also holds the top spot on EGM's greatest 200 games of their time list[8] and IGN's top 100 games of all time list.[9] All together, this game sold 40.23 million copies, making it the best selling video game of all time.
Rereleases
Classic NES series
In early 2004, Nintendo re-released 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 and all of the original glitches remain. 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 re-released version of Super Mario Bros. was the best-selling Game Boy Advance game in June 2004, and as of June 2004 the GBA's sixth-best-selling game overall.[10] In 2005, Nintendo released this game again for the GBA as part of its 20th Anniversary with a special edition, which sold approximately 876,000 units.[11]
Virtual Console
Super Mario Bros. was released on December 25, 2006 in Japan and North America and on January 5th in Europe and Australia for Wii's Virtual Console at a cost of 500 Wii points, the equivalent of $5 US. The minus world glitch remains.
Animal Crossing
Super Mario Bros. is one of the NES games included in the Nintendo GameCube game Animal Crossing. The only known way to unlock Super Mario Bros. is by use of a game modification device, like the Game Shark or Action Replay. The game is fully emulated (is the original ROM), so it includes the famous minus world glitch.
Development staff
- Directed by: Shigeru Miyamoto
- Executive Producer: Hiroshi Yamauchi
- Assistant Director: Takashi Tezuka
- Original Music by: Koji Kondo
- NOA Producer: Leslie Swan
Notes and references
- ^ "Best-Selling Video Games". Guinness World Records. 1999. Archived from the original on 2006-02-20. Retrieved 2005-11-21.
- ^ "Super Mario Brothers bugs and glitches". themushroomkingdom.net. Retrieved 2007-01-27.
- ^ "Super Mario Brothers bugs and glitches". themushroomkingdom.net. Retrieved 2007-04-07.
- ^ http://www.princeton.edu/~jdonald/emulation/flagpole.html
- ^ passport (December 29, 2001). Vs. Super Mario Bros.. Everything2. URL accessed 2005-11-21.
- ^ "Vs. Super Mario Bros". Killer List of Video Games. Retrieved 2005-11-22.
- ^ "Screenshots V". mame.net. Retrieved 2005-11-21.
- ^ "The Greatest 200 Videogames of Their Time". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Retrieved 2007-08-09.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "IGN's Top 100 Games". IGN. 2005. Retrieved 2007-08-09.
- ^ Thorsen, Tor (November 21, 2005). "ChartSpot: June 2004". gamespot.com. Retrieved 2005-11-26.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Jenkins, David (October 7, 2005). "Japanese Sales Charts, Week Ending October 2". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2005-11-22.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
See also
- List of best selling computer and video games
- List of Mario games
- List of Famicom games
- List of NES games
- List of Mario series characters
- Super Mario Bros. (series)
- Super Mario Bros. (film)
External links
- Super Mario Bros. at egamia
- Super Mario Brothers, Mario Mayhem
- Level maps
- Tricks and glitches
- 'Bizarro World', story and video featuring Andrew Gardikis, Super Mario Bros. speed run world champion, by The Boston Globe Magazine, August 2007
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