Given the ubiquity of mobile gaming, it’s almost hard to believe that, at one point, portable consoles were barely capable of running games. While gamers today have no shortage of options to get their gaming fix on the go, from smartphones to dedicated handhelds like Sony’s PlayStation Vita and Nintendo’s own 3DS, in the early days of the industry the most engrossing gaming experiences were tethered to the television (or, if you were fortunate enough to own one, the computer). Even with the advent of the original Game Boy back in 1989, handheld titles were largely inferior to their console brethren, until a few notable releases– such as this week’s selection– demonstrated just how viable handheld platforms could be.
Of all Game Boy’s earliest titles, it was Mario’s second portable adventure that proved a handheld game could rival the scale and quality of a console one. While later games such as The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening and Pokémon Red and Blue would better demonstrate just what the Game Boy hardware was capable of, Super Mario Land 2 remains one of the system’s finest achievements, a varied and imaginative title that’s as much a classic as the plumber’s NES and SNES outings.
This week’s musical selection is perhaps the most identifiable tune from the game. Part of the appeal of the two Super Mario Land titles stems from just how different they feel from Mario’s more traditional adventures, and this theme, which serves as the musical backdrop to many of the game’s levels, highlights just that. While the tune eschews the traditional Mario motif for an original, though no less sprightly melody, it nevertheless does a great job of capturing the spirit of the Mario series, making it at once distinct yet recognizable, just like the title in which it is featured.
What are some of your favorite Game Boy tunes? Share them with us in the comments!