This sequel to Super Mario Land blows that first game out of the water in every way. While the first game felt more like a bite-sized Mario adventure fitting for a portable system, Super Mario Land 2 offers what feels like a full-length Super Mario experience.

Super Mario Land 2 is really unique in the way it handles level progression. There isn’t really any “progression” per se. You’re kind of just thrown into the world map and told to collect the eponymous 6 Golden Coins. Each Golden Coin is found in a different area of the map and you’re free to tackle these zones in any order. This was very surprising to me as it gave the game more of an open-world feeling rather than the linearly explorable hub worlds we’re used to with Mario games.

The game is also very imaginative and ambitious with its zones. Each zone is themed but not in the grasslands, desert, and ice themes we’re used to. Instead, these themes are more unique like a toy world and a horror world. Some of these themes return later in the series but it’s interesting to know that this game did it first. I also really love the dedication to having each zone contain its own unique set of enemies. The bosses of each zone are also incredibly creative.

Super Mario Land 2 is a fantastic follow up to the first game that doesn’t feel like it suffered from being on the Game Boy as much as the first game did. The spritework is a lot more detailed, there’s almost three times as many levels, and it sports its own unique identity. It feels more akin to something like The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening where it shines beyond its handheld status. I feel like a modernized remake for this game would go so hard and get it more recognized as a highlight of the series.

Super Mario All-Stars is unequivocally
the definitive way to experience these classic Super Mario games. The games all function almost exactly the way they used to but are now presented in a fresh coat of visuals that upgrade them to be on par with Super Mario World. What I appreciate the most with Super Mario All-Stars is that the old games are not just given Super Mario World-style reskins, they maintained the original versions identities for all of them so they all feel distinct from one another. I highly recommend you play through these versions of the games.

Super Mario Bros.

What is there to say about this game that hasn’t been said before? It’s the most influential release on the medium and has pioneered the industry as a whole. The simplicity of this first game makes it age extremely gracefully. I’ve played Super Mario Bros. countless times but I’ve never completed it until now. The platforming and level design is top-notch for a first entry.

The All-Stars version of the game functions exactly the same as the original but features beautiful 16-bit spritework that modernizes the NES original’s look. The game also features a reworked soundtrack that is an upgrade on most fronts but a downgrade in some. I also really like how the “Your Princess is in another castle” gags have unique animations for each world. Of the many re-releases of this game, this has to be its definitive version.

3.5 ★

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

For better and for worse, The Lost Levels feels like a ROM hack of SMB1. The platforming is absolutely ridiculous and kind of janky but I have to applaud them for it. Definitely the unfriendliest Mario game I’ve played, there’s a lot of blind and precise jumps that defy the logic of game design. Alongside some obtuse “puzzles” that halt progression. These levels are straight out of something I’d see from Super Mario Maker in terms of how unhinged they are. I’m extremely thankful for the Switch’s save states feature, otherwise I would’ve never been able to beat it.

2.0 ★

Super Mario Bros. 2

What an interesting game. It’s unlike any Mario game I’ve ever played. I know that it wasn’t originally a Mario game but the Mario “filter” makes it feel very novel. I honestly really liked the creative level design and how the game focuses more on the throwing mechanics rather than jumping on enemies. The variety in level themes was very refreshing. I also really really love the option of picking which character to play as and how each character feels different. That’s without even mentioning the banger soundtrack. Pretty solid entry. The All-Star version of this game is beautiful too.

3.0 ★

Super Mario Bros. 3

A massive jump in quality for the series. This is the quintessential Super Mario Bros. game in every way. It’s a lot more colorful and whimsical, there are a lot more levels, the levels themselves are shorter, more creative and straight-to-the-point, unique bosses, great new power ups. Man, what a classic. There’s really not much I can add that hasn’t been said already but this game has aged ever so gracefully. It’s hard to imagine this being in the same console as the previous entry. Super Mario Bros. 3 is the crowning jewel of the NES.

4.5 ★

Super Mario World

Super Mario World is a fantastic platformer with a beautiful art style. It’s just so lush and vibrant and definitely the best looking from this collection. The gameplay feels perfected, Mario is a lot more responsive and can pull off more moves than before.

This game also introduces Yoshi, the lovable dinosaur, as a companion and he just elevates every level he’s in and ends up becoming a highlight of the whole game. The enemy variety is also at its best here. The game is just fun and has a fun aesthetic paired with a catchy soundtrack.

4.5 ★