GENRE
	Platformer
	DEVELOPER
	Nintendo
	PUBLISHER
	Nintendo
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1
	CONNECTIVITY
	No
	BUY NOW AT

Although not designed by gaming legend, Shigeru Miyamoto, Super Mario Land remains a blast from the past. Drawing comparisons to Super Mario Bros. the task at hand requires the rescuing of princess Daisy. Mind the fact that it says Daisy, not Toadstool, a difficult concept for many to grasp.

New to this Mario adventure are two unique vehicles, one being a plane and the other a submarine. Although there is no apparent reason for their presence, it is a very cool addition.

There are a total of four worlds, each with several sub-levels. At the end of each area waits a fairly simple mini-game where you may earn up to three extra lives.

visuals

Very similar to the original Mario brothers. It seems that the Mario sprites are almost identical to its predecessor. The level design is quite different however, which is a bonus.

For a game over a decade old, the graphics aren’t half-bad. The screen scrolls smoothly and the characters are decently animated. A few concerns are made apparent however after several minutes of play. For instance, the enemies are rather tiny making them quite hard to see at times. The bee type enemies are especially annoying, as they are the smallest of the bunch, which leads me to my next gripe, the backgrounds. They hide the enemies almost too well. As mentioned above, the enemies size mixed with their blending into the backgrounds may make your eyes strain. Seriously, you may have to squint occasionally to see weather the enemy is actually a foe or just a coin. This is only a minor complaint however.

audio

No real complaints here. The audio experience is well rounded and pleasant to the ears. The first level’s music is especially catchy, you’ll find yourself humming right along with it.

The sound FX while not quite up to par, sound well placed when mixed with the music. Typical noises of the Mario era are present, even that annoying “Boing” noise whenever you make a leap.

gameplay

Mario always has been the king of 2-dimensional platformers and probably always will be. Super Mario Land continues this excellent cycle. Although unoriginal it remains a classic.

The diverse levels create an interesting and original; experience. At the conclusion of each world resides a boss, a particularly nasty one at that. You’ll find yourself trying again and again to just beat that damn sea horse creature. Controls also remain top-notch, so no blaming the game if you happen to jump off a cliff (which you will encounter quite often).

multiplayer

N/A

overall

Fans of the NES classic are sure to be happy with this choice. It is a fun, challenging and addictive title. I recommend a purchase if you already don’t own this game.

9.0/10