This is the greatest 2D Mario game in the entire franchise. Starting with the visuals, the art style looks phenomenal and absolutely holds up today. The bright colors make the game fun to just look at.

For the gameplay, the controls are done very well and the game is very responsive. The level design ramps up in difficulty at a good pace and each level is made to be understood by even a beginner, slowly introducing new objects, items, and enemies. Also, if I am remembering correctly, this is the first game to feature Yoshi in the series, and is my favorite game to use Yoshi in. I also like how you can pick up some objects and throw them at blocks or enemies. The final castle is unique and interesting to go through since you get to choose which path to take to Bowser, with 16 possible path combos to take and some of them definitely being easier than others.

The game also has a lot to do other than just trying to beat Bowser. You can go back to some levels after flipping the 4 switches throughout the world to unlock secrets. There is also Star Road, which I believe to be the best secret world in any Mario game to date. You also get rewarded for fully completing Star Road by being able to play the game in Chocolate Land, where the terrain and some enemies are different. Star Road also offers a really easy way to beat Bowser really fast since it offers a shortcut to his castle from world 2. I have played this game so many times throughout my life that I know where every secret is and how to get to it (which comes in handy trying to unlock the Top Secret Area for easy power-ups and lives).

This game is definitely a must-play for everyone. I find it to be very iconic in the Mario series as well as overall platformers.