Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World Developers and publishers: The Big N A mere couple of days or so after my last review, my placation was running thin and I had once again withdrawn to my room casting furtive eyes as to which of my favourites to review next. My handhelds were downstairs, and my consoles were in another room. I had almost lost the somewhat narcotic-esque desire to write when I saw the lonely, dusty old girl that was my unplugged, now seldom used (thanks a whole arsenal of homebrew that I enjoy) SNES. My SNES can be described succinctly as a plastic stereotype. Not only does it possess the face of a now well-known moustachioed Eyetalian, but it was bought under stereotypical conditions, in a stereotypical bundle at the stereotypical whinges of my older siblings. If we were to flash back to the 1993-94 period, SNESes like mine were as bountiful as the hackneyed slang of Generation Xers. While it is totally rad to think that I am now coherent enough to write about what some may call the pinnacle of gaming, I can attest this mostly to the psychological process of imprinting. It is of course quite common that a game released while said gamer is still drinking milk like nobody's business would hold a special place in their heart. But this vehement loyalty is increased a hundredfold if Anonymous Gamer only had the one game. If you haven't guessed, I'm referring to myself (shocker) and the bundle that was so epic it single-handedly was believed to be the causative agent of Nintendo-itis and a prolonged immunity to a certain furry, who is now probably regretting giving Mario a 1UP with his pole-vault in their last cross-over as we speak. Super Mario All-Stars was to the SNES as Tetris was to the GBC. While drifting off to articulate my somewhat vulgar thoughts, I asked myself the gamers version of the "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" - What would happen if you put together enhanced remakes of Mario games, some of which hadn't been seen for 8 years and put them together along with an already high-selling game of the franchise to sell the most polished console at the time? Chuck Norris was the only person who I thought could answer this question, but Mr. Norris was too busy dividing things by 0 to comment. Yes, because bosses need to discuss how they'll get their asses kicked in some sort of 1940s bathroom. Moving on... SMBAS+SMW sold. It sold big. Coincidentally, (why are there no sarcasm tags on this site?) the SNES sold big too. But why? It was only a remake, and a reboxing of an existing game. Heck, some people could even say that it pertains to the definition of shovelware being 5 games in one and all. (Such people would incur the wrath of Sonic and I if we were ever to meet them.) Well, this is where I come in, as I know these games like the back of my hand (where did that mole come from?) and can therefore break them down in much detail. I have to go do something really fast...*goes to play SMB1* The first game-in-a-game in the title is a remake of the original platformer that revolutionised 40.2 million households - Super Mario Bros (1). No changes are made to the gameplay, which means that Nintendo was definitely sober when making this game and lived strictly by the mantra of "Don't fix what ain't broken." Everything is the same, from Princess Peach's fugly old "Toadstool" alias to Bowser's equally fugly "Koopa" misnomer. The play control is however much smoother than the title's predecessor, and while Mario and Luigi's hats are still defying the laws of Physics (hey, it's a game where you get Wonderland instead of sewerage, what more do you expect?) the animation is much less finger puppet-like than the non-turning turtle shells (seriously, is there oil on the floor of every stage in the original SMB or what?) of the NES version. Dinosaurs? On my All-Stars? Its more likely than you think...free PC check. The graphics are of course much more reinvented, and while this is an oxymoron, the 2D graphics of the SNES version are much more realistic and seem to jump at you like a 3D image. The world is always colourful and bright (even when it's supposed to be night-time; I can't believe Mario isn't tempted to break out a telescope and leave Koopa Bowser Koopa), which can be irksome for those of us who are scientifically minded (there is no way a cave could even be that bright and colourful, especially with no sunlight!) Keeping to its fervent emulation of the 3rd generation era, the game's most famous musical number is a remixed version of the much loved original, which should probably be referred to as the Voldemort of video game music. The Tune That Must Not Be Named For Its Sheer Awesomeness is now accompanied by a much better background bass (did the NES even have bass?) and it would be a crime not to play this portion of All-Stars with sound. In this reviewer's humble opinion, the famous Super Mario Brothers tune deserves to be in the hallowed ranks of "SNES tunes to play with headphones." SMB1s other songs must also not be forgotten, however. To use another oxymoron, these remixes reminded me of the original even more than the original did, because they served to create the narrative in a game which, save for its wafer thin story and mushroom-head dialogue, had none. (While on the subject of SMB1s story, I find it is a kick in the teeth that franchises which attempt a much more fleshed-out story still don't enjoy the mass-production and worldwide recognition that the so-called "kiddy" Mario titles did and still do.) By my count, there are only two new tracks that were non-existent in the original; the bonus music which sounds like Mario is collecting coins in a Japanese game show and the Bowser confrontation music, which makes the reptile look like he's auditioning for The Exorcist. I love them both, however, because they really did fill a gaping hole and showed that the SNES was capable of tracks with style and (more importantly) substance. To reiterate the original title's storyline would be an insult to every hardcore gamers' integrity, but for the sake of proper English I shall; the Princess of her Mushroom Kingdom is kidnapped by the baddest Testudine around and it's up to Mario Mario and Weegee Mario to save her and get the PG13 kiss that was all we had to go on until Super Metroid's secret ending. Simple, no? While wondering what PG13 horrors Bowser Koopa has in store for his victim, we are forced to traverse through 8 worlds (Or two warp zones, amirite?) that get nastier and nastier. Most glitches are now fixed so that the funky World -1 does not exist in this updated version and the only completely new mechanic I was able to find from my 12 years of playing this game was the *World system, where you were rewarded with a slightly differently worded ending for traversing through the same 8 worlds but with those beetle dudes instead of goombas (originality ftw!) Other than that, this remake is dripping of reinventiveness (I know that's not a word) but classicality (I lost my dictionary, ok?) and is like listening to Mozart on an Ipod, same deal, much loved, but on a shinier new toy. Continuing on to SMB1's "sequel", which, after minutes of staring at the word I had to wrap quotation marks around to maintain my sanity. SMB2, which is called SMB USA in Japan (evidently, the country agrees with me about the so-called "sequel" thing.) To put things bluntly, it a rip-off which proves Mario's potential for totalitarianism. You see, Super Mario Brothers 2 is a "remake" the same way this is a remake of SMB1. Enter a game called Doki Doki Panic. Look familiar? It should. Either Mario decided to dress up as a Tahitian prince for New Years or they are in essence the same game but with different sprites. To put things bluntly, Nintendo thought that everyone but Japan were retarded so they decided to put more coal in the gravy train by repackaging Mario under this seemingly LSD inspired title and thus killing two birds with one stone by helping its mediocre sales. Several years later, they remind us players of this painful fact and expect us to play this monstrosity. Putting my indignation and carelessly thrown insults aisde, I quite like this game, and would have played it even if all player sprites were of Rosie O'Donnell. 'SMB2' has always been admired as the dark horse title of the series; due to its "new" and "inventive" game mechanics, "unique" art style and "different" enemies. Touching an enemy is no longer completely lethal, and said enemies can be picked up and hurled at other enemies. All enemies can be defeated in this way, and this serves as one of the staples of the title. Others include the health bar (to those who didn't realise this wasn't a true Mario game, I can now with dignity say DUH!) which is reliant on collecting mushrooms while someone inexplicably turns off the lights, the bonus round that has turned millions of children into gamblers (I wonder if that holds up in court?) And the very neat and organised structure: 3 stages, at the end of which is a feminine Barney, with a hallucinogen boss to see you through to the next world (FYI, The very last boss is my favourite, Nintendo trying to pull a funny by making the bad guy a good guy stereotype.) If those few who had played the REAL Super Mario Bros 2 (more on that later) were impressed with that particular title's varying play control, they will probably shoop da whoop when they see the character select screen of SMBUSA and realise that each character is completely different, with different attributes to suit the player's needs. Peach can glide like Mary Poppins, Toad is lightning fast for a fat midget but at least jumps like one, Luigi is slow but can jump higher than the Harlem Globe Trotters and for once, Mario is actually synonymous with mediocrity (what a nightmare for...oh, wait...) This definitely adds to the game's lasting appeal, as for bragging rights (which were everything back then) players could try their hands at making French cuisine out of Wart in 4 different ways. It would be very nice if we could have gotten separate endings for each character ala Generic Fighting Game, but no, we got the greatest insult of the 90s (excluding Alf) for an ending. This leads me to SMB2's story. It is definitely an improvement of SMB1, perhaps too much so. It's a little too deep, until we get to the ending. The moment I saw a story flashing across the game's UI I knew this wasn't classic Mario. The story details Mario and his crew going through a mysterious door in the dead of night to wake up in a strange world (yes, I see the irony, calling SMB2's world strange when they were just in a world full of giant mushrooms and clouds you can walk on) While making themselves comfy in what I imagine is a stifling hot climate, the crew sees a peaceful but fruity society locked away because of their pretentious hats and decide to meddle even though the guy behind it all is slimier than Mario himself. The game's music is pretty mediocre and wasn't bothered to be changed along with the sprites. I didn't like it, too simple and had hardly any tracks that matched the cutesy, colourful theme that we come to associate with Eyetalian plumbers. In fact, I honestly believe some songs only had a lasting appeal for their sheer weirdness and easy conversion into a Capella and saloon music. Thankfully Nintendo keep two classics, the original SMB1 tune and the star music, seemingly to ensure players that the game was Mario (as you can see from my rants, they succeeded.) The only aspect of the game's sound that stuck with me was the hilarious sound effects. If you weren't killing walking trains, I could swear the enemies defecate when you throw things at them. They also used the same sound effect for dying bosses and materialising doors (because the two are exactly the same srsly.) The sound was definitely the Adam's apple on the transvestite; they gave the game away as unauthentic. Though there are no koopas or goombas in sight, the animation can't be faulted, as Nintendo at least tried to emulate the series' predecessor, where enemies had looping animations that matched them perfectly (how they figured out how a walking train would move I'll never know.) All player characters move with familiarity, which is this title's only concrete stab at continuity aside from its player sprites. SMB2 will always be the ugly chick that you bring home from the party; it was great while it lasted, but looking back, you only remember certain feelings and your main mantra is "What was I thinking?" What were Nintendo thinking giving us the uggo who had a nice personality over the supermodel who wouldn't commit in a relationship? Shame on them, don't they know all nerds want is a game that smells and plays like Heidi Klume? Picture yourself in a boat on a river...with tangerine trees and a frog in a cape... As far as pure gems go, Super Mario Brothers: The Lost Levels (The REAL SMB2), is Super Mario all-Stars' shiniest. Consider it a playable apology from Nintendo. This was the title we were supposed to get, and apparently Ninty thinks we can handle it now. However, they made one significant tweak so as not to implode our tiny brains; saves can be made at each level instead of each world, allowing you to get 10 game overs in a row in 5 minutes (that music is like a gamers' Vietnam flashback.) Aside from this, the music is the same, the animation is the same, the story is kidnap 2.0 , and the difficulty is insurmountable. The only differences between SMBLL and SMB1 are the level layout, and the bonus levels that come after you beat Koopa, Nintendo's version of an infomercial esque "but wait, there's more!" These new levels seem to taking a leaf out of SMBUSA's book, and are whacky rather than difficult. Also, Koopa is a lot more resilient in this title, somehow being in two places at once in the last level (fanboys are still explaining that one; it's right up there with Mario's origins.) If anything, SMBLL is less fun than the original Super Mario Brothers due to its cartridge smashing difficulty, but remains a favourite of mine because of its status as forbidden fruit to Westerners until now. It remains the only game I want to play immediately after I beat Super Mario Bros 1 because I simply want moar. Moving onto a proper sequel, any argument against Super Mario Bros 3 can be ended with the simple phrase: "highest selling single game." It was a prolific title that featured many things that the NES games at the time didn't: veteran gameplay, wonderful sound, detailed maps and stages, and a decent story. It even had an inventory, something which even RPGs couldn't boast about too easily at the time. So fleshed out was SMB3 that it had many hidden easter eggs, most of which were trivial; such as the creators' very insistent and subliminal reminder that they got all the way up to SMB3 (did anyone doubt them?) But the most expansive of these secrets included the games hidden three flutes (that were apparently so hard to that their finders are now hallowed in some sort of Nintendo Book of World Records - and no I am not making a lame joke) which would take you to magical land where you could stop tearing your hair about having your sprite eaten alive in world 7, for the flutes could take you to world 8 in a heartbeat, and with SMBAS this meant instant access to all other worlds in the title also. Other significant easter eggs included a hook that I only once found out the purpose for and have long since forgotten. I'm such an attentive reviewer, aren't I? This hook brings me to discuss SMB3's rigid gameplay mechanics, which I enjoyed. Each world would have a castle, and that castle somehow took you to an airship where you battled an illegitimate child of Koopa's (he's still waiting for the results of the DNA tests while a certain Princess is trying to make herself impossibly clean by scrubbing and scrubbing) and then moved onto the next world. It was also charming to see that each world had its own theme which meant that players could pick a favourite (world 4) and choose it when they had a nostalgia attack. Finding out each world's name at the end credits was also a treat. Fun little mini-games and Mushoom houses gave the player a refill on their inventory and a break from handing Piranha plants' fireballs to them. It is mind-boggling to think that the original had no saves as the title is incredibly long and expansive without tooting on any whistles (no pun intended.) Each world had a halfway or third-way point of sorts in the form of a mini-castle, which was convenient as the mini-castles were sometimes as hard as the airships. Beating a castle would unlock shortcuts on the map and the player was also rewarded with a particularly rare item for beating the world, which would come in handy later (namely stages 1 and 2 of world 8 of which were repeatedly subjected to condensed water by me.) In short, SMB3 heralded many gameplay mechanics that caused to title to mesh together very finely, instilling a very long and rewarding experience for a platformer. The game's level layout could not have been different from SMBLL and SMB1 in that it contained much more interactivity (try ducking on a white block for about 8 seconds, thank me later) and depth. Each level has its own charm and uniqueness that fits or doesn't fit on purpose to the world's overall theme. Enemies pertain almost strictly to the predecessors, with variations that stretch the difficulty and gameplay, such as the different types of hammer brothers. It was very charming to see that enemies held true to their world's theme, thus everything was organised. Animation was fluid, crisp but still copied SMB1 and SMBLL and didn't bring anything new to the table (Super Mario World says hello thar), although you could actually fly as opposed to the gliding of SMB2, which I suppose could count as something. Also, it was very nice to see a Mario game that truly gets harder and harder towards the end so much so that you actually have to use the game's expansive inventory; if you asked me to review world 8 exclusively I would only reply with a coy "Cirrus, Stratus and cumulus." The game's BGM and sound effects are wonderful and distinctly underappreciated. They are catchy to say the least, and prove that a game can still be Mario no matter what it sounds like (except if it's called SMB2). This title's sound was truly the turning point of the series, and the deviation of the traditional three tracks of the originals. The only bone I have to pick with the BGM is that it does not fit the worlds at times (some of World 2 stages were iffy) but at others it fits them perfectly (World 3 and 5 say hi.) The sound effects on the other hand are wonderful and fit everything perfectly. A boomerang swooshes, a hammer breaks cliffs with an almighty shattering, and when Mario flies 30 feet, Nintendo at least gives him the courtesy of a BOOIOING sound. Maybe not a game to play with headphones, but one to annoy your family with by playing on full-blast at 2 am, as long as it can't be traced back to me (my sister's a lawyer, so you won't stand a chance anyway.) SMB3's true innovation is its much appreciated inventory. Items help in both stages and the wonderful world map, and serve many purposes. You can tell Nintendo truly put thought into them, and you will use every single on them at least once in the story (except for that weird-ass hook.) My only criticism is that they are much too rare and hard to loose, and while this complements the difficulty greatly, also makes for a stressful gaming experience. A much more pleasant adventure could have been achieved by add a gauge to certain items, but then that would not have been Mario, and SMB3 would have the honoured title of being based on a rip-off of a rip-off. Finally, SMB3's story is a breath of fresh air while staying to the stale but much loved Mario vibe. Koopa has forced (in a non child abuse kind of way...this is a PG13 game DISREGARD THAT, ITS GOOFY TIME) his seven questionable children to go all Harry Potter on the king of each world and cause unproductive havoc the way only children can. We find out however that there is a spoiler which is much better than SMB2. I can only suggest that you play to find out, while not sounding like a worker for Nintendo. What Italian stereotype? The final title in this anthology of platforming is Super Mario World, which was (at the time) recently released on its own, then added to SMBAS. This title nearly beat SMB3 to become the highest selling Mario game, and it's not surprising; seeing as it borrowed many gameplay mechanics from its predecessor while adding some new ones that will be fondly remembered too. This game introduced new character Yoshi, which is almost as admired as the Eyetalians that ride on his back. The game takes place in yet another part of the Mushroom Kingdom (seems this place is bigger than Nintendo's earnings) this time in the dinosaur's homeland. Presumably because of his altruistic nature and jealousy that he managed to say alive for 300 million years like Bowser (yay, he gets a proper name in this game!) Yoshi is kidnapped in this game as well as the damsel in distress that we all know, love and hate for being such a wuss until SPP. In a "here we go again" theme, Mario is forced to chase his favourite fire-breathing turtle/reptile through 7 worlds to rescue her, with the help of his new pal Yoshi who is rescued early on from an egg. This title is pretty solid, even if you don't play with Yoshi, as while it returns to its old-fashioned Mario roots, it adds and polishes new ones too. Mario can now pwn by doing a ballerina's twirl and fly much more comfortably than being a furry in SMB3. He can also shoot fire-balls like always and huff mushrooms and stars (anyone seen that youtube video? It's a must-see.) Yoshi also has many charming mechanics too, as he can do many things once his pals (which cutely copy the buttons of the SNES) are freed; fly, cause earthquakes and breathe fire. Each enemy turns into a coin when eaten by the Sauropod or incinerated, which makes this game much easier than the others, and a much more pleasant and condensed experience. The game's level design is very vibrant, and complements the wonderful world map, which was a much more realistic version of SMB3. Each level is wonderfully colourful, and not in any sickening way. The levels focus much more on innovativeness rather than difficulty, and they are very fun to traverse through, with or without Yoshi. Don't get me wrong, there are egg-breaking levels like Tubular, which serve to wake you up from all the cutesy easy levels, which is in some ways crueller than all-round hardness. The game really excels in its animation, which complies much more with all scientific (flourishing capes, falling hats) standards and shows exactly what the SNES is capable of. They are the most fluid and crispest yet, and are so charming that they can be used for convincing slapstick, such as the charging Sport Guys and Bouncing Cape Mario. My only criticism is that there is no distinction between Mario and Luigi while playing, but as this game was clearly intended for multiplayer, this is not much of a disappointmentas it is an attempt at even footing. Enemies are quite expansive and (like in SMB2) we learn of their names after completing the game. Most are quite charming and cute, such as Bullet Bill and Iggy, and nearly every world is named after a food, which is not good for today's fat nations, but still proves that Nintendo had a lot of fun making this title. You always know a game will be good if the developers had immense enjoyment while creating it, for they are gamers at heart also. The game's sound is also a wonderful aspect of its charm and story-telling. Each BGM fits the stage perfectly, and it was lovely to see that they change and add different aspects of the titles when Mario decides to give Yoshi further spine damage, which again shows what the SNES is capable of. Each sound effect doesn't make sense, but this is an a somehow fittingly amusing way (I wish I made sounds like that when I changed into a cape.) What really disappointed me about SMBW was the how every visual aspect of the game went down the tube when the game is beaten; to be replaced by a gimmicky art style. I am very, very glad that they changed this along with the aforementioned Weegee issue in the GBA version. But all in all, the title brought something new to the table while maintaining the much loved and recognised mechanics of its older brothers. The 5 original titles in all their glory. My last words before I give my scores are simply to remind you that I am going by how well SMBAS+SMW was remade (and in the case of SMW, re-released), and that these games inspired more remakes, ports, merchandise and even a movie than you could poke a Square Enix representative at. They revolutionised the genre, and hold a special place in my heart as my first game, and I wish I could write a whole thesis on them. My (hopefully unbiased) scores: Graphics: Everything is so shiny, new and colourful it's like crack for the eyeballs: good at first, but it gets just a teensy bit annoying later. Everything mimics the originals more fluidly and smoothly, which was wonderful to see and makes SMBAS+SMW a true remake rather than a port. (9.5/10) Gameplay: Saving makes gameplay flawless, with little to no glitches (my SNES is old so that may be the reason for the glitches) It's Mario, what more can I say? (10/10) Sound: Sounds copy the originals very nicely, and while there are gems, there are also very annoying titles and sound effects. Pretty much the only area that needs to be slightly more consistent. (8/10) Lasting Appeal: You'll way to play everything again and again and again. The titles are such a great mixture of the aforementioned components and contain 'quick romp' games and deep experiences so that you hardly get tired of anything. Like chocolate without the stomach aches. (10/10) Final score: 60/50. I mean 47.5/50. I’m sorry for the biased score, I tried to be as unbiased as possible, but its just so hard. This is my childhood favourite we’re talking about! If anyone wishes me to review any other titles, please see my signature. Thank you for taking the time to read my immense monologue.
Had a friend over a few weeks ago and he got my old snes out and completed super mario world from scratch in a day (95 out of 96 levels)
Thank you, it had to be weighty, we're talking about five games, lol. Do you happen to know which world you missed out Loonylion? I'm betting it was Soda Lake, I only recently discovered that one...kinda supports my point about expansiveness in SMW doesn't it? Gosh I sound like I'm promoting myself.
no it wasnt soda lake, it was one of the special world ones. He couldnt be bothered work out which exit in which level he'd missed.
I have both of these games in their original cartridges(Apparently SMW wasn't in the same cartridge as SMAS at the time) and I still find myself playing them from time to time even though I've gotten to the point that I can do some of the levels with my eyes closed. I usually only bothered with the Special World so I could get the overworld colors to change and get those weird looking enemies to appear instead. I always thought it looked neat like that anyways.
Thanks, grimsim. I've always hated beating Special World because of that, Reider. Guess I'm a conservative Mario player.
you're writing a review of 5 games in one post, this proves that you can make something meaningful in one post. nice it's shame they don't sell these anymore
Great review DomeFossil!! I like both this and the FireEmblem review... This was one of the greatest games for the SNES
Danke, and yep it was, right up there with the Fire Emblems, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana and anything that says Megaman (except Megaman's Soccer.)
haha wat a great reiw and a clasdsic game i grow up wityh super maio but could never finish super mario 2 that was probly the worst out of them but great game i reckonmend it for every 1 it at least try
