Simple to pick up. Very hard to put down. I’m probably the only freak on the planet who prefers Mario Bros to Donkey Kong.

What struck me about this game is how the gimmicks are introduced with the same process that future Mario games would use. The game slowly drip feeds you more obstacles and enemies but teaches you how they work without telling you straight up (at least in the NES version, on arcade cabinets the game has little movies introducing the enemies).

I wish the game had a tad bit more in the way of variety, at least in Donkey Kong there are three different levels. Even then, this game is loads of fun and really embodies the arcade spirit of getting better through trial and error.

mario is a plumber, and in this game you can surely tell that fact, since the heroic mario must rid the sewers of the cute shellcreepers, sidesteppers, and fighter flies. despite their cuteness, they are quite deadly, yet still no match for one or two jumps from below and a swift kick. collecting the coins that slide along the ground at times is fun, and so is creating piles of stunned enemies to hit them in a row for lots of points. the bonus stages are a nice reprieve from the dangers as well. i can only imagine this game would be even better with a luigi by my side, but alas! anyway, controls are great, visuals are nice, sound effects are pleasant, including the little jingles and such, and when things get hard, its exhilarating! would recommend 100%