Perhaps more importantly than making a good game, Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya has assured the world that, provided you have *a* computer (any computer still running can play this, I imagine) and an internet connection, you will always have free access to something universally cherished, something intelligent and forthcoming with ideas of simple design, and something (in its original form) untouched by the inherent evil that coats large-scale game development.

I love this game, but let's be real: it's a public service first, great game second. Give Pixel a key to a city or something.

One of my top 10 GB games. Played it in one sitting over the weekend and it holds up just as well as I remember it when I'd play in high school. The game strikes a perfect balance between arcade action and platforming alongside puzzles, and even if it's comprised of nine worlds, it somehow didn't wear out its welcome for me. The music also goes exceptionally hard for a puzzle platformer- especially at the very end where you're scaling one last tower in a bid to get Pauline back.

If I had any real gripes, it would be that I didn't care for how Mario rolls across the ground if he falls from a non-lethal height (you lose control of him and it will lead to the occasional cheap death) and that the game relies a bit too much on the mini-mushrooms in worlds 8 and 9. You see, the mushrooms in this game actually shrink Mario down and make him unable to progress until the effect wears off. Broke the pacing a bit for me towards the end but absolutely not a deal breaker.