An absolutely timeless classic! This will always be fun to play!

So, there is some nostalgia talking here. But millions of people can’t be wrong. Super Mario World was the first game I ever played on the first games console I ever owned, the Super Nintendo. I was so young, I wasn’t skilled enough to play it in its entirety with all the secret exits and what not, but replaying it recently means I can now truly appreciate the content in this game.

It sends you to a happy place. Comforting music. Bright, colourful, complex levels. Awesome characters. And fantastic, engaging gameplay.

Being honest, it smashes Super Mario Bros 3 out of the park (nostalgia talking?). Mario controls better. The levels are much more complex. The over-world is much more interesting. And my main gripe with SMB is corrected in that they added some much needed boss variety.

Just returning to the level design, it’s top notch. If you mainlined the game, no secret levels, it would still be great. But there are so many secrets to find and it’s so satisfying when you do.

I really cannot think of a bad thing to say about this game. There’s still some 2D Mario games I’m yet to play but I already know this cannot be topped.

This is a game I never thought I would ever try to review. My number 1 hangup with trying to tackle a review of this game can be sumerized in many different ways...

is it possible to put to words the feelings of a seven year old playing this game for the first time as he drove along the Portuguese countryside with his parents in the early 2000s?
Can you objectively analyze connecting with one of your best friends over a shared obsession of this game and the hours spent combing over every secret exit together in an attempt to achieve 100% completion with giant bags of chips in hand?
Can you properly articulate the importance of a piece of art that pulled you back from the pit of despair after an unexpected tussle with death that had you feeling extestential in a way you've yet to experience before?

Is it possible or even worth your time to try and review something so pivotal to your time on this earth? I would argue no, not in the traditional sense anyway.

I can spend time telling you how this game is platforming perfection. No 2d platoformer has ever instilled in me the intense satisfaction this one does through simple and mundane actions like jumping over gaps or taking out enemies. The physicis and weight of mario are just perfect and with a boldness honed through countless trials and errors committed you will quickly find yourself gliding through levels in a way I've yet to experience in any other game. Others have been fun, fantastic and great and yet none have ever scratched the same itch this game does on a repeat playthrough.

I can tell you about the genius and charm of this game's world map. A map that is filled to the brim with secrets akin to a zelda game. One that sparks wondrous joy and excitement everytime a branching path is discovered through intuition and exploration and takes you to unexpected places and challenges. A map that was so instantly iconic that no map since has managed to touch it's glory... a magic that not even it's creators themselves have been able to replicate.

I could even talk about the introduction of Yoshi who... is just the best man. I mean seriously, a dinosaur friend you can ride? It's been 21 years since I met the guy and even now I think he is rad as hell. Not really much more to say there... yoshi is just the best.

I could talk about all of that but realistically what sets this game apart for me is that it's always been there. It was the game that made me fall in love with gaming as a whole. It opened my eyes to the wonderous worlds I could visit and the amazing adventures I would be able to take if I continued to indulge in this hobby and it is a path I haven't regretted taking since. I owe this game for the passion I have now. I owe this game for all the stories and adventures I have experienced since. I owe this game for getting me through one of the darkest parts of my life. I owe this game a 5/5 rating. It, to me, is what a true video game is meant to be. When someone says "video game" it is the first thing that pops into my mind.

At the end of the day this isn't really a review of this game. I don't really think hearing a review of it from me would mean anything since I can't even play at being objective. What this wall of text is meant to be is a love letter. It's me looking to the void that is the internet and attempting to articulate the feelings of a boy playing this game for the first time on a car ride in the Portuguese countryside.

It's not a review or my thoughts on this game... it's the reason why, to me, Super Mario World is something that transcends video games all together. It is a part of me and it always will be until the day I die... and I think that's a beautiful thing.

Super Mario World: Good, Classic 2D Mario

Growing up, the Mario games I constantly played throughout my childhood were New Super Mario Bros Wii, New Super Mario Bros 2, New Super Mario Bros U, and pretty much all the 3D Mario games that were released at the time, except Odyseey because wasn't released yet, and Sunshine the outlier. which I wrote about not too long ago.
Since I mainly played on my Wii and Wii U throughout that time, I had access to the virtual console library and bought a few retro games from there, with Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros 3, and Super Mario World being the 2D Mario games I got from there. Super Mario World was one of those games from my childhood, that I've never actually played myself. Super Mario World is in the same boat as The Legend Of Zelda Majora's Mask for being games part of my childhood, but never actually played myself. I remember some of the pixel animations on YouTube, it's been so long, and I don't remember a lot of those old videos nowadays, some of which probably were never attended for 5-year-old me to watch, and looking back now, probably shouldn't have. But now, I decided to finally play Super Mario World, for real this time, and look through my current eyes to see what made this game so special for so many people.

The story is pretty simple for a Mario game of course, after the events of Super Mario Bros 3 (according to the instruction booklet), Mario, Luigi, and Peach visit Dinosaur Land, and in common Mario fashion, Bowser kidnaps Peach and it's up for Mario and Luigi to save her. While this is the same song-and-dance story we've seen in a bunch of Mario games, Super Mario World marks the introduction of Yoshi, who's become a mainstay in the Mario cast since this game. The Koopalings from Super Mario Bros 3 return in this game and serve the same purpose as they did in that game, being bosses to beat to move on. The story exists to give a purpose to the gameplay, like most Mario games, and like in most Mario games, that's all it needs to be. The characters throughout Super Mario World are charming in their own way, the unique SNES-Era spirits, the constantly changing atmosphere throughout most of the levels, and enemies such as the Koopas and Gombas make a return, but Super Mario World has it's own unique set of enemies that are exclusive to this game as far I can recall, such as the Chagin' Chucks and the Dino Rhinos. Super Mario World just has it's own unique charm compared to other Mario games, it's cast and design make it still stand out from other Mario games to this day.

Now to the gameplay, Super Mario World's gameplay feels unique compared to any older 2D Mario game. It's more slippery, but not in a bad way, it's pulled off pretty well actually. Super Mario World's levels feel unique each time I start a new level. I love the overall design and feel of this game, the colors just stick out greatly, and would probably look gorgeous if I played on a OLED screen. I found the difficulty to be pretty balanced, it's not too hard like The Lost Levels, but it's not too easy like some of the "New" Super Mario Bros games. The secrets in this game are fun to catch too. I always knew about the secrets this game had, but I never completed any of these secrets myself, so I might have to do that on a future playthrough. The OST is pretty simplistic, but the old soundfont from the 16-bit era of gaming is charming and unique in its own way. The power-ups in this game are great, the red mushroom and fire flower are the basic power-ups returning from past Mario games, but this game introduces the Cape Feather into the mix as well. This was such a fun power-up to get, each time I got it, I flew around as much as I could. Since this is the first Mario game to introduce Yoshi, he's a fantastic addition to the game, it wouldn't be Super Mario World without Yoshi. This is as much Mario's game, as much as it is Yoshi's game.

I've enjoyed my time with Super Mario World greatly, but I do feel that since this game feels kinda bland sometimes. It's a great game of course, but I feel that compared to other 2D Mario's and other platformers, it just feels basic, but that's okay. It doesn't need to be anything complex, or world-changing, it can just be a great, fun 2D Mario game, I just can't have it any more than great.

Overall, Super Mario World is a great game that pushed Mario games further into what they are today, its impact and legacy can be seen, you can tell Mario Wonder takes a lot from Super Mario World's design and presentation. Super Mario World is a fun title, I can see why so many hold this game in such high regards, and definitely should give it another playthrough in the future!

Stats:
The 15th game I've completed in 2024
Played on SNES
Hours into Game: 9 Hours
Score: 8/10 (4/5)
Last Statement: Super Mario Worldwide

The absolute platinum standard when it comes to platforming games. If SMB3 was a step forwards in comparison to SMB1, this one is a gigantic leap when it comes to level design, creativity, sound, difficulty and just overall player liberty.
My fear that nostalgia could be making my memories blurry when it came to how much I loved this one was just that, fear. Replaying this with an open mind and paying attention to what made this game work just made me remember why I stood in front of the tv day in day out playing this one.
It's not a particularly long game, the levels are very interesting and a bunch of them even have branching exits that lead to secrets or shortcuts. Naturally, I went for full completion so I did all the stages and did all possible exits for the ones that have that.
Difficulty wise, this one is a lot more forgiving in a good way. I may have finished the game with 99 Lives, but I lost quite a bunch on the Bowser levels and on the Special Stages (Tubular is still a pain in the butt lmao)
Overall, replaying this was pleasant, couldn't help but just keep a big smile on my face as I listened to the gorgeous soundtrack and saw the beautiful sprite work.