The way I see it, there are movies that everbody has seen and there are games that any gamer worth his salt has played and Super Mario Bros. has to be at the very top of the latter. Almost everybody who has ever touched a Nintendo controller has played this game at one point in their lives and if you haven't, then you can't really call yourself a gamer. This is the game that, more often than not, is used to introduce people to video games in general and there's a good reason for that: it basically created the video game industry as we know it. While it's far from being the first video game that ever existed, what with the Atari 2600 and other such consoles existing long before the original NES was even an idea, this is the game that saved the video game market after it suffered a depression 1983. If it weren't for this game, the video game industry as we know it today would either be very different or might not even exist. It's quite possibly the best-selling video game ever made as well. You're always running into copies at any store that sells used games and the like. It put Nintendo on the map and made Shigeru Miyamoto one of the most beloved game designers ever. In short, it's a classic through and through.
I had the original NES for a brief period of time when I was very young (like four years old or so) and, like everyone else, I had this game, which came packaged with Duck Hunt (I'm pretty sure that pack came with every NES). I remember playing it quite a bit back then but I remember doing it mostly at my Grandma's house. My parents were both working during the day at that point and it was her who kept me most of the time. I'm pretty sure the only reason she even had an NES was to keep the attention of all her relatives' children whom she had to watch. In any case, she had a system long before I ever did so that's why I played this game mostly over there. By the time I got my own, I moved on to renting and playing the sequels and barely thought of the original. At least, I think that's how it went. I was so young that it's hard to remember. Regardless, at some point early in my childhood, no doubt after I got my Super Nintendo for Christmas one year, my original NES went missing. I don't know if I lost it or gave it away or what but it just disappeared and I haven't seen it since. Because of that, all games for the system went out of my life at a very young age and I didn't play them again until I was much older, which is why neither this nor any of my reviews for classic NES games will be installments of Stuff I Grew Up With. I may have played Super Mario Bros. a lot as a kid but after I lost my NES, I wouldn't play it again after I got a Wii. Yep, it took me that long to finally play the original Mario game again. The Christmas after I got my Wii, I got the Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary Edition for the system. I was very excited to receive it since I hadn't played the original three Mario games in so long and it was definitely time for a homecoming. I was slightly disappointed that it wasn't really the original games in that they were remade with the graphics and sound-quality of the Super Nintendo (Super Mario World in terms of the latter) but after I understood that it was still essentially the same game, it didn't bother me.
Having not played anything old-school in a very long time, I forgot about something that was common with video games made back then: they were hard as crap! Nowadays, were kind of spoiled with highly-advanced graphics, control mechanisms, and gameplay and because of that, we tend to underestimate the simple games like this. Well, believe me, I realized my mistake pretty dang quick when I played this for the first time in two decades. I didn't get two steps into this game when I played it after receiving the All-Stars pack before I walked right into a Goomba. How sad is that? Part of it could be that I was distracted due to the graphics being Super Nintendo-quality and whatnot but still, that was pathetic. And it didn't stop there either. As I went on throughout the game, it became apparent how challenging it really was. There really is a set of skills necessary to play this type of platforming game and I had to relearn them fairly quickly. It took a lot of practicing and a lot of screaming at the television but eventually, I did become skilled at the game and now, save for the last two worlds which are still quite tricky, I'm able to play it with relative ease. Despite being almost 30 years old at this point, it's still an enjoyable and challenging game. However, I personally don't agree with G4 voting it number one on their Top 100 Video Games of All Time special or even with Game Informer magazine putting at number two on their Top 200 Games of All Time list. It's just personal preference but I think games like Donkey Kong Country and Super Mario 64 are better and more fun than this. I feel that those sources put this game so high on their lists out of obligation due to the fact that it basically created the modern video game industry and because of what was at the time revolutionary gameplay. Not that the game doesn't deserve those accolades but when put into context, I see Super Mario Bros., for the most part, as an important stepping stone that countless other games have built and, in some cases, improved upon. But, again, that's just my personal opinion. And that's not an attempt to slight the game at all. Despite its unavoidable simplicity, it's still very fun and addicting. I just feel that a good deal of the countless games made since its release have improved upon what it established.
Everybody should know the story of Super Mario Bros. and even if by some chance you don't, there isn't that much to it. Princess Toadstool of the Mushroom Kingdom has been kidnapped by the evil Bowser (or King Koopa, whatever you want to call him) and as Mario, it's your mission to journey through various worlds to save her. It's as basic as you can get and it's not even required that you know it in order to play the game. Basically, all any player would need to know is that you have to make it from the beginning of one stage to the end with a bunch of enemies and pitfalls trying to kill you. Simple video game design in other words. There are eight worlds you must journey through, each with four stages and the stages have some variety to them. The most common are your typical platforming stages, which consist of standard above-ground levels with trees, hills and bushes, a series of high platforms that you must jump across, suspension bridge levels where you must dodge flying fish-enemies, and underground tunnels made up of bricks. There are swimming levels here and there, which are personally my least favorite type of level in any game because you're defenseless 85% of the time and in this case, if you're not Fire Mario or are at least Super Mario, these levels can be very tricky. The fourth level in each world is a castle stage where you run a gauntlet of enemies and traps in order to eventually deal with and drop Bowser into a pit of lava. After you defeat Bowser in each of the first seven castles, one of Princess Toadstool's royal retainers (Toad) will inform you that the princess is actually in another castle (something that caused these characters to become quite hated by players, I might add). After you defeat Bowser at the end of the eighth castle (which is no easy feat, as we'll see later), then you will save the princess. Within many of the actual levels are bonus levels, which consist of underground rooms filled with coins (some of which make it tricker to get all of the coins) and cloud-areas of full of coins that you can reach by finding a beanstalk that leads up to them, as well as warp zones which allow you to skip to one of the next worlds. The warp zone room you can access in stage 1-2 is where, in the original version of the game, you can access a bizarre glitch that leads to a never-ending underwater level that's often referred to as the Minus World. From what I know, when you reach the end of this level, you end up back at the beginning of it in a continuous loop that can only be broken if you die or run out of time. I really don't know why anyone would want to access it because it sounds pretty pointless and is only something that was discovered by accident. I wasn't smart enough to access it when I played the original version as a very young kid and the glitch was removed from the Super Mario All-Stars edition, the one that I have, so I can't even access it if I wanted to. I just felt that I should bring it up since I would probably get comments if I didn't.
There is a multitude of items throughout the game that would become standard for the entire Mario franchise. The most common items you encounter in the levels are "?" blocks that mostly contain single coins but can also contain a large sum of coins as well as other items. No matter what level, though, they always contain something useful. You also come across coins floating in the air, often in large bunches and getting one hundred leads to an extra life. The most basic item that pops out of a "?" block is a mushroom that makes you grow twice your size, effectively making you Super Mario. Of course, once you let them out of the block, they start moving to the right and have an annoying tendency to fall into holes which are often near the blocks. I think we all have stories about how many times we've activated a mushroom only to have it fall into a hole before we could get it. What's great about the Fire Flower is that once it pops out of the block, it sits there waiting for you to grab it. Naturally, grabbing them turns you into Fire Mario and allows you throw fireballs that can kill most enemies (including Bowser, which I didn't even know you could do for the longest time). However, you can only find Fire Flowers if you're Super Mario; otherwise, any block you find will contain a mushroom instead. There was one instance where I activated a Fire Flower but got hit by an enemy right after I did so. I was hoping I could cheat the game but nope, when I touched the flower as little Mario, it acted like it was a mushroom. That leads to another thing: if you get hit by an enemy even when you're Fire Mario, you'll revert all the way back to being little Mario. In later games, they would have mercy on you by merely taking away your power but still leaving you as big Super Mario. Not here, though. You get hit, you're shrinking back to the little shrimp you started out as. That gives you a bigger incentive not to get hit and that's no easy task, especially in the later worlds where the number of enemies becomes larger and also in those worlds, the power-ups become few and far between, making the gameplay all the more difficult. Another useful item is the invincibility star that you come across from time to time, which enables you to briefly kill all enemies simply by touching them. Be careful, though, because the power has a tendency to wear off right when you're about to touch an enemy and you're not invincible to pitfalls either. The stars also hope around once you release them from their blocks, making them hard to catch and, like mushrooms, their blocks tend to be placed near pits. Finally, there's the good old 1-Up Mushroom. These things are very rare and when you find one, it's like a blessing. However, it's a hard to reach blessing because not only are their blocks often near pits but they also tend to be placed in positions that make the mushrooms hard to reach. Like the Super Mushroom, once you let one out, it starts scrolling and you had better run after it like crazy before it scrolls too far off the screen and you lose it. I've gotten killed so many times trying to catch a 1-Up Mushroom that it's ridiculous.
With any type of game, there are many different types of enemies that you encounter throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. Every time you kill one, you get points (killing two at the same time gets you more points), which you also acquire by collecting coins, smashing blocks, and simply completing a level. I don't see any real point to the scoring system other than bragging rights but if you kill a bunch of enemies in a row with a Koopa shell, you'll get an extra life (in this game, that doesn't work with the invincibility star). The common enemies are the Goombas, which are the evil brown mushrooms that you see walking in a straight line and often in groups. These guys are vulnerable to anything and are easy to deal with, although a big line of them when you're stuck as little Mario can be a problem. The same goes for Koopa Troopas. They come in red and green varieties and there's a bit of info about them that comes in handy: the green Koopas will walk off any ledge that they're on while the red ones won't. Believe me, knowing that can be very useful in keeping you from taking an unnecessary hit. Both types can be kicked once they retreat inside their shells after one hit and used as weapons but be careful when going for that extra life because you can get hurt if a shell bounces off a wall and hits you. You also run into the flying Koopa Para-Troopas, which take several hits to get rid of. Once you clip their wings, they act like regular Koopas but in this instance, the red kind will walk off any ledges they land on. The red type of Para-Troopa also tends to be tricker to deal with when flying because they tend to hover in inconvenient spots as well as hop along the ground and get in the way (there are so many times where I've prayed for one to fall down a pit but instead, the asshole has jumped across it). Buzzy Beetles are a lot like Koopas in that their shells can be used as weapons against other enemies but unlike their turtle counterparts, they're invulnerable to everything but an invincibility star. Piranha Plants are always popping out of pipes and can only be killed by fireballs. They won't come out if you stand next to or on top of their pipes. One of the most annoying enemies is a Hammer Brother. They're often in pairs and jump and down, usually on two sets of ledges, while flinging hammers at you. They're irritating because their hammers are hard to avoid, you can stomp on them but it's almost impossible to do so without getting hit (when they're on the ground in front of you, you don't have much of a choice either), and when you're tying to hit them from belove when they're standing on blocks, they tend to jump up where you can't get them or hop down right in front of you. When it comes to the latter example, you'll wanting so badly for one of the brothers to hop to the blocks right above you but more often than not, they'll either hop up to the highest blocks or hop down in front of you, forcing you to dodge their hammers at close range which is tricky. Very irritating enemies. You better hope that you're Fire Mario or at least Super Mario when you run into them; otherwise, you're in trouble.
Just as or perhaps even more annoying than the Hammer Brothers is Lakitu, the little fart who follows and flies above you on a smiling cloud throughout his given levels, all the while dropping Spinies on you. It's often hard to get to an altitude where you can jump on Lakitu and even if you do defeat one, another one will take his place soon afterward. As for the Spinies, they can only be killed by fireballs. So, if you're not Fire Mario when you encounter Lakitu, all you can do is avoid his Spinies, which becomes tricky when the amount of them on the ground starts piling up. Cheep-Cheeps are the red and green fish that you encounter in underwater levels. The green variety is easier to deal with because they swim very slowly and are only found in the underwater levels. The red Cheep-Cheeps are more of a problem because they swim much faster and in the rope-bridge surface levels, they jump up out of the water at you. I find them to be the trickiest on those levels because they tend to come out of nowhere and there's often a bunch of them on the screen at once, making it difficult to keep from getting hit. In those levels, they will kill themselves if they jump at you from directly beneath your feet but sometimes, the game will screw you and register one as a hit on you! That's happened to me a couple of times and it can cause you to want to break something. Fire Mario is the best way to deal with them in either level. The absolute worst underwater enemies are the squid-like Bloopers. They are so annoying. They swim in erratic patterns for one thing and also, if you get too close, they'll start following you. If you let yourself drop down to swim beneath them, they'll do the same and then lunge at you once they're lined up with you. They're very annoying in groups as well. They only be killed by fireballs so you better pray you find a Fire Flower before you enter an underwater level that's filled with them. In other levels, you also have Bullet Bills, which fire out of cannons at you endlessly and while one can be knocked out by stomping on it (fireballs don't work on them), it's best to just keep moving forward and avoid them as best as you can. They are tough and annoying though, especially because they're always fired in swarms. Finally, in the castle levels, you encounter two types of fire hazards, both of which are indestructible. Fireballs called Podoboos (I don't know why they couldn't just call them fireballs) tend to fly up out of lava pits and while all you can do is avoid them, this can be tricky because their patterns are erratic. When one falls back down into the lava, it will immediately hop back up when you least expect it. Do not let them fool you because I've lost a lot of lives to them due to that trick. There are also fire bars, which are small fireballs strung together in a chain-like pattern. They swing around in place and there are many instances where you have to run a gauntlet of them in a row. While they can be simple to dodge once you work out their pattern, sometimes you run into very long bars which are virtually impossible to avoid save for precision timing. These are often put right under "?" blocks and unless you really need the item within, it's best to ignore them because more than likely, you'll get hit right after you grab the item.
Like I said, at the end of each castle level, you face Bowser on a bridge above a pit of lava. There are two ways to defeat Bowser each time you come across him. One is to dodge his attacks and grab the axe at the end of the bridge which will drop him into the lava. The other is, if you're Fire Mario when you reach him, dodge his attacks while pelting him with fireballs and he'll eventually go down. The second method is the easier way to deal with Bowser (and in the first seven castle levels, defeating him that way reveals that what you've been fighting with is a normal enemy disguised as the Koopa King) but more often than not, I get hit before I reach Bowser and am forced to fight him as little Mario with only one hit left. Bowser has two attacks. One is his fire breath and you'll have to dodge the fireballs when you get close to his area. When you actually face him, he'll continue to shoot fireballs at you while jumping around on the bridge. Even in the early castle levels, if you've only got one hit left, it's kind of hard to face him without getting killed since you either have to jump over him and run under him when he jumps and his movement patterns aren't that easy to predict. In the later castle levels, the game ups the ante on the difficulty in battling Bowser by putting obstacles like Podoboos jumping out of the lava and blocks to hinder your jumping ability in your way. On top of that, starting with World 6, Bowser develops a second attack which is throwing hammers at you in erratic patterns that are hard to avoid and can even hit you on the little lift floating above Bowser that you normally use to dodge his attacks. In these later levels, I pray that I reach Bowser while equipped with a power-up so if I get hit, I can use the temporary invulnerability afterward to breeze past Bowser and grab the axe. But, with a castle full of traps that you have to get through before you even face Bowser and the game having little mercy and not giving you many power-ups at that point, it's no easy feat I assure you. The only advice to beating Bowser in the last worlds is just that you need to have a lot of patience... something that I don't have and which usually leads to me yelling and cursing at the TV.
When you beat the game and save Princess Toadstool for real, you're given the option of taking part in a second quest. This second quest is really just a harder version of the quest you just completed. The most notable difference is that in the second quest, all of the Goombas have been replaced with Buzzy Beetles, which makes reaching some coin blocks and power-ups a harder task since you have to deal with a more difficult enemy. The Buzzy Beetles along with the ground-based Koopa Troopas move much faster here than they did before as well. The platforms that consisted of six blocks in the original quest are now shortened to four. The cloud bonus levels filled with coins (Coin Heaven I think they're called) are shorter in some levels and in some levels, you have to jump a longer distance towards the flagpole at the end of the level in order to get 5000 points. While the bonus quest does present its own challenges, the only areas where I experienced problems were the later levels, the same ones where I run into a lot of difficulties in the original quest.
Before we go any further, I feel I must comment on Mario's brother Luigi, whom a second player can take control of. The reason I haven't mentioned him up to this point is because, as I've in my other video game reviews, I grew up as an only child so I had very little use for the two-player modes of video games except when I had friends over and even then, by the time I was old enough to where that was a common thing, my NES had disappeared. Therefore, I never played the two-player mode of Super Mario Bros. except out of curiosity as a little kid and even at that young age, I realized that there wasn't any difference. Now, of course, I definitely have no use for the two-player because I almost never had anybody over to play video games with and even then, most of my systems only have one controller for obvious reasons so if I did, we'd just take turns passing the one back and forth between levels. And like I said before, there is no difference between playing as the two characters. This was before the game developers had the foresight to make Luigi's controls different from Mario. So basically what I'm saying in that, in my review of this game, this little section will be the only time Luigi is mentioned because there's no point to him here except in two-player mode, which, as I said, I never have any use for.
The music for the game by Koji Kondo is absolute classic, undoubtedly the most recognized video game theme ever created. I guarantee you that even people who have never picked up a Nintendo controller in their life can listen to that music and know exactly what game it's from, possibly even what character it's attached to. With that opening, "Doo, doo, doo, duh doo doo, doo," and the rest of the track, it really does fit the fun, innocent, fast-paced feel of the game. There are variations on sections of the main theme as well like the alternate soundof the first few notes when you lose a life and the slow, sad-sounding version when you game over (and you will hear that a lot). There are six tracks on the score for the game altogether. Besides the main theme, you have that slower-paced, slightly more sinister-sounding theme in the underground levels; the happy, cheerful theme for the bonus rooms; the lightning-fast music that you hear when you grab an invincibility star; the slow, relaxed-sounding theme for the underwater levels (which are hardly relaxing in and of themselves, I might add); and finally, there's the score for the castle levels, which has three different sections, one for the levels themselves, one for when you fight Bowser, and the triumphant music that plays when you defeat Bowser. There might be a different sounding track for when you actually save the princess at the end of the game but right now, I can't recall it if there is one. The music for Super Mario Bros. is basically the quintessential video game music: simple, fits with the fun tone of the game well, and, in the case of the main theme, is just as classic and recognizable as the game it accompanies.
Now, let's talk about the individual worlds and levels.
World 1: Like all of the first worlds in video games, this one is very simple (but then again, as I said, when I played this game for the first time since my childhood, I walked right into a Goomba so I'm one to talk). In any case, Level 1-1 is as simple as can be, with Goombas and one lone Koopa Troopa being the only enemies, an easy to find coin room at the beginning of the level, easy to reach "?" blocks, one of which contains the game's first invincibility star, and a flagpole that is very easy to reach the top of (this may be the one that you can actually jump over, if I'm not mistaken). Level 1-2, the first underground one, is simple too, although you run into many Koopa Troopas and you also encounter Piranha Plants for the first time. The items are not difficult to get, especially if you're Super Mario (and there's no reason why you shouldn't be), the coin room here is easy to find as well, and you can even cheat the game by getting on the lift at the end of the level, using it to jump onto the ceiling, and walking to a warp room where you can jump ahead to Worlds 2, 3, or 4. The only item that's a little hard to get is a 1-Up Mushroom that comes out of a block in the ceiling. If you don't make an opening next to the block, you have to chase it until there's a break in the ceiling and with a bunch of enemies in your way, you have to watch where you're going while doing so. Level 1-3 is the first of the treetop levels and it takes some precise timing and button controlling in order to succeed, especially in the sections where there are platforms that move back and forth or move downward while you stand on them. There's also only one power-up in this level and this is the first time you come across the Para Troopas as well as a fair amount of Goombas and Koopa Troopas. The coins are not that hard to get but since you can't see the platforms until you're right on top of them, things can get tricky. You just have to keep a cool head to make it. The first castle level is pretty simple as well, although jumping over the rotating fire bars without getting hit does take a bit of practice. The only power-up in the level comes at the very beginning and there's a fire bar beneath it so hitting the block and getting the power-up without getting cooked by the bar is a little tricky. The fire bars on the ceiling of the hallway afterward aren't that hard to dodge though but the bars on both the floor and ceiling of the section afterward are what, as I said, take a little practice. When you get close to Bowser you'll have to dodge his fireballs, which is pretty simple and so is defeating him, since all he can do is jump and continue to shoot fireballs at this point and there's a lift above him as well. I've never had the opportunity to use fireballs on him in this first levels because I always seem to end up taking a hit before I can get to him but, as I said, getting to the axe on the other side of the bridge isn't that hard.
World 2: Like the first level in World 1, Level 2-1 is quite simple. There are plenty of power-ups and they are easy to come across since there are opportunities to hit every block you see, there's both a coin heaven and a coin room here, and the enemies consist mainly of Goombas and Koopa Troopas. Still, there are some hopping Para Troopas that pop up near the end of the level, every single pipe here has a Piranha Plant in it, and the last power-up in the level is difficult to get if you're not small. Otherwise, it's not too difficult. Level 2-2 is the first underwater level and it can be tricky if you're not Fire Mario when you enter it since there plenty of Bloopers and Cheep-Cheeps and there no power-ups to be found either. You can avoid Bloopers by walking across the ocean bottom since they can't reach you like that if you're small and even if you're big, you can still duck. However, when you have to swim over bits of coral, blocks, and Cheep-Cheeps, it's tricky to avoid the Bloopers since they move so sporadically, fast, and follow you if you're too close to them. Getting coins is also hard because a lot of them are placed above pits in the floor which act as drains and can suck you in. You have to press the "A" button like mad to keep from getting sucked in and even then, it's still tricky to control Mario while he's swimming. It's a good thing there aren't many underwater levels in the game because even this first one can be difficult at times. Level 2-3 is the first bridge level were swarms of Cheep-Cheeps come jumping up from underneath your feet as you jump across the various levels. If you're not Fire Mario, you're in for it because these fish come out of nowhere, are hard to avoid, and some can even tag you from behind since they tend to jump up just high enough to hit you. There's only one power-up in this level (and in one instance, an asshole Cheep-Cheep hit me right after I grabbed it) as well and there are many sections where you have to be jumping across platforms and avoiding the fish at the same time. The only real advice I can give is just to keep moving and jump up whenever a Cheep-Cheep comes up from under you so you can stomp on it. Level 2-4 is much harder than the first castle level. This is the first time you encounter the Podoboos at the beginning of the level and after you get past them, which is hard to do without getting hit due to their erratic jumping patterns, you have an upper and lower path to choose from, each of which are lined with fire bars (on the upper path, they're on both the floor and the ceiling whereas on the lower path, they're just on the ceiling). The only power-up in the level is above a platform in-between the sections where the Podoboos jump up and the thing itself is hard to get because of how small the platform is and how high above it the "?" block is. There's also a section that requires you to jump across lifts to another passageway, which has a fire bar at the mouth of it (as does the passageway that you jump from to get onto the lifts). After that, you still have to avoid Bowser's fireballs and a couple of more pits before you face. This time, the lift above Bowser is hard to get to since there are blocks in front of it that hinder your jumping. If you're not Fire Mario, it's best to run under him in order to grab the axe.
World 3: This is where the game starts to ratchet up the number of enemies in a given level. There are Goombas, Koopa Troopas, and hopping Para Troopas everywhere in this level as well as Piranha Plants in every pipe. You also run into your first pair of Hammer Brothers here, which I've already explained are very hard to defeat if you're not Fire Mario. The good thing is that the game balances it out by putting in plenty of power-ups, including an invincibility star and 1-Up, as well as there being both a coin heaven and a coin room. This is also the level where you can get an infinite number of extra lives near the end of it (I've never tried that trick myself but I've heard that it's a bit difficult to master). So, there are plenty of enemies but there are plenty of items as well so there's a nice balance. (Also, did you know this a meant to be a snow level? It's hinted at in the original version but the All-Stars version really emphasizes it.) Level 3-2 is nothing but an onslaught of Goombas and Koopa Troops with one lone Para Troopa and Piranha Plant thrown in for good measure. There are only two power-ups here (the second being an invincibility star) and there are no bonus levels either. It's not hard since there aren't many pits and it's especially easy if you're Fire Mario but the constant enemies can become tiring if you're little or simple Super Mario. Level 3-3 is another treetop level and it's much more difficult than the first one. Many of the platforms that you're jumping across are quite small, there are a lot of Goombas and Koopas on them, and besides the typical floating lifts that drop down while you stand on them, this level introduces a new type: the balance lifts. They're lifts that are strung together and when you stand on one, it drops down while the other goes up. These are the trickiest lifts in the game for me since you can often make the one you need to jump on go up too high without realizing until too late that you've done so. You then have to make them both fall off in order to continue but sometimes, you come across some in a spot where making that mistake can get you killed. There are only two sets here and they're not that difficult but you will run into more in later levels. We're getting a lot harder in Level 3-4. There are a lot of Podoboos and fire bars here, including a section where you have to dodge a series of paired-up firebars that are rotating in opposite directions from each other and a pit near the end of the level where you have to dodge both Podoboos and Bowser's fireballs. In fighting Bowser this time, there are once again blocks on the ceiling that make jumping onto the moving platform above him risky but not as such it was in Level 2-4. Again, it's best to just run under Bowser in order to get the axe.
World 4: Level 4-1's big gimmick is the introduction of the annoying enemy Lakitu. As I said earlier, these little bastards come out of nowhere to drop Spinies on you, they follow you wherever you go in the level, and even if you manage to defeat one, another one will take his place. That's the only really difficult part of this level. Except for some random Piranha Plants in pipes, there are no other enemies in this level nor are there that many pits and there are enough power-ups, including a 1-Up, as well as a coin room to keep you going. Like I said, the only challenge is avoid the Lakitus and their Spinies, which can get a little annoying when you can't find a high enough perch to jump on top of the Lakitu and the amount of Spinies on the ground is piling up. But, if you're Fire Mario at this point, it's a lot easier since the only thing that can kill the Spinies are fireballs. Level 4-2 is another underground tunnel level and this one is crawling with enemies such as Goombas, Koopas, Piranha Plants, and Buzzy Beetles (I think this may be the first time you come across them in the normal quest) as well as a lot of pits and some tricky elevator jumping sections. But there also a fair amount of power-ups and coins as well as a coin room and even a beanstalk that leads you to a warp zone as well as another warp zone at the end of the level that you can access the same way you did in Level 1-2. Level 4-3 is another treetop level and even though it's short, it's the most challenging one yet. There are a lot of very high platforms that you must use the accelerate-jump technique to reach; those difficult balance-lifts are out in full force here; and there's only one power-up. While there aren't many enemies, the placement of one or more Koopa Troopas on the platforms can become tricky since you're constantly jumping across them and may end up landing right in front of one, forcing you to act quickly before you take a hit. Of course, it's a lot easier if you're Fire Mario but even with that advantage, all of the jumping can still be challenging. Level 4-4 is the first of several castles where you must take a certain pattern of different paths in order to reach Bowser. It wasn't too difficult for me to figure out where to go since in the All-Stars edition, a sound-byte will inform you whether you've taken the right path or not. In the original version, though, you just kind of have to guess and pay attention to your surroundings. Save for some fire bars that are easy to avoid, there aren't any real enemies to worry about either. If you're not Fire Mario, Bowser can be tricky this time around, though, because there's no lift above him and there's both a fire bar and a Podoboo in front of him that you have to dodge as well. Even if you are Fire Mario, you have to watch where you position yourself to shoot Bowser or you'll take a hit (though, if that does happen, just do what I do and run for the axe while you're momentarily invincible).
World 5: Level 5-1 introduces the enemy of Bullet Bill. You won't come across him until the middle and right before the end of the level and there aren't many that are fired in a row in this level but they can be hard to avoid. However, like Piranha Plants, if you stand right next to their turrets, they won't fire. Besides the Bullet Bills, there are a lot of Goombas, Koopas, and hopping Para Troopas in this level as well (at the very beginning of the level, though, you can use the shell of the first Koopa you come across as a way to get an extra life by hitting a bunch of enemies in a row) and the only power-ups are an Invincibility Star and a 1-Up Mushroom (the latter of which doesn't activate if you take a hit before you get to its block). While there is a coin room near the end of the level, the time limit may start to run out if you go in there so you must choose wisely. Level 5-2 is where the game starts throwing many of the most difficult enemies at you. There are a lot of Hammer Brothers in this level, some of which are in spots where it's hard to defeat them without taking a hit, and there are also some Bullet Bill turrets, Koopa- and Para Troopas, and Buzzy Beetles. Add to that only a few power-ups (one of which is an Invincibility Star that's in a block where some Hammer Brothers are positioned) and a lot of pitfalls and you've got a pretty hard level. Fortunately, there are ways to bypass the difficult spots. One way is to find a beanstalk that will lead to a coin heaven which will enable you to skip a lot of the level when you reach the end of it. The other is to enter the first pipe you come across which will lead to a swimming area. The latter is the more difficult of the two because although this swimming section is short, there are some annoying Bloopers and Cheep-Cheeps here as well as some underwater lifts that can push you down into oblivion if you get caught underneath them. Those lifts are difficult to avoid because of the Bloopers that swim around them. Basically, this level really is about picking your poison and I would personally recommend taking the coin heaven route myself. Level 5-3 is the exact same design as 1-3 except for one major difference: Bullet Bills are constantly being fired throughout it and while they're easy enough to avoid on the treetops, doing so on the lifts takes some practice. Despite that added challenge, I never found this level to be all that difficult though, since I already knew the layout of the level. Like the previous level, Level 5-4's design is the same as that of a previous one (in this case, 2-4) but the challenge is much greater. The biggest difference is at the very beginning where the "?" block is now underneath a very long fire bar that will get you no matter where you stand. Therefore, if you need the power-up inside the block (and it's the only one in the level), you will have to risk either losing your life or losing the power-up the minute you get it. There are also many more fire bars strewn throughout the level, especially in the hallway where you have to choose a path to take. No matter which one you choose, you'll still have to dodge two fire bars at a time to get through the passage. Podoboos leap out of every lava pit now, including the one Bowser stands over, and there are blocks hindering your ability to jump onto the platform hovering over Bowser. In other words, this castle is the hardest one yet and they're only going to get harder.
World 6: Lakitu is back in Level 6-1 but here, you're presented with plenty of high places to jump on top of him from so dealing with him isn't too difficult. Other than a random Piranha Plant, Lakitu and his Spinies are the only enemies you have to deal with here. There are a couple of power-ups and a 1-Up Mushroom (although, it's another one of those that might not appear if you get hit before reaching its block) but on the flip side, there are no bonus levels here. Other than that, there's not much to say. It's a rather unremarkable level. Level 6-2 is another one where you have to choose between two paths. You can go down a pipe in the first part of the level another swimming area (which is fundamentally the same as the one in Level 5-2 except that the platforms that move up and down in the water are smaller, making it easier to navigate) and after you come out, you can enter a coin room near the end of the level (there's also a coin room at the beginning of the level). The other way is to activate a beanstalk leading to a coin heaven in the middle section of the level. Both paths will net you a good amount of cash but one of the coin rooms also has a power-up in it (there's only one in the actual level not counting an Invincibility Star) so you must choose carefully. The actual level isn't too difficult. There are a lot of pipes, each with a Piranha Plant inside, but if you know the trick to getting past them, it's a breeze and even more so if you're Fire Mario. There are Goombas, Koopas, Para Troopas, and Buzzy Beetles here as well but their numbers are very few and so are the amount of pitfalls. Another fairly simple level in my opinion. Level 6-3 is another treetop level and it is rather hard. Besides the balance platforms and the tpype that drop when you stand on them, there are also spots where you have to use springboards in order to reach some platforms and directing yourself while bouncing on those things is kind of tricky. It's best to wait until the springboard and the lift are as close together as possible. The various groups of lifts tend to move at different speeds from each other as well. There's only one power-up and the item itself is hard to grab when you activate it and there are also Bullet Bills constantly shooting through the level. And unless you really need them, it's best to ignore the coins strewn throughout the level and concentrate on making it to the flagpole. As with the previous castle levels, Level 6-4 is like a previous one only more difficult (1-4, in this case). There are more fire bars here, they movie in the opposite direction of how they did in 1-4, and there's one section that requires you to dodge several pairs of fire bars that are rotating in opposite directions of each other. Getting the power-up at the beginning is trickier this time because of the different movements of the fire bars and the more frequently bouncing Podoboos. This is the first Bowser fight where the Koopa King throws hammers at you and like the Hammer Brothers, these things are hard to avoid and can even hit you when you're standing on the platform above Bowser. You must also contend with a Podoboo as well. It's tricky, which is why I make sure to at least be Super Mario when I reach Bowser.
World 7: We're really getting hard now. Level 7-1 is loaded to the brim with Koopa and Para Troopas, Hammer Brothers (which will become more frequent here on out), Buzzy Beetles, Piranha Plants, and especially Bullet Bills. The sheer amount of Bullet Bill-firing turrets, often within a few feet of each other and with barrels that can shoot in either direction, is what makes it difficult to keep from getting hit here. There's one section where there is a platform with a turret on top of it and a turret on either side of the platform on the ground. Good God, have mercy! There are also two sections involving Hammer Brothers and by this point, they have a tendency to jump from the top platform all the way to the ground, skipping the middle platform altogether, so it's best to run past them if you can. The good thing is that there are a couple of power-ups, a 1-Up, and a coin room to be found here but still, this level is an endurance test. Level 7-2 is another underwater level (there hadn't been one in a while by this point) and it's the same layout as 2-2 except there are a lot more Bloopers here. If you're Fire Mario when you enter the level, it's not that big of a deal but if not, you're in for a frustrating level and there are no power-ups here either. Not much else I can say except that this level takes patience if you're not Fire Mario. Level 7-3 is the same layout as 2-3 except now there are Koopa and Para Troopas on the bridges that you have to deal with as well as the flying Cheep-Cheeps. You can use the Koopas' shells as weapons against the Cheep-Cheeps but, like before, there's only one power-up here and there are plenty of tricky jumping challenges where a Cheep-Cheep can mess you up if it hits you, be it from the side or underneath you. Like Level 4-4, 7-4 is another maze castle only it's longer and more complicated. Again, I had an advantage with the game telling me whether or not I had taken the right path but others may not have that. Besides that aspect, you have to jump across falling platforms while avoiding Podoboos and there are no power-ups. There's no platform above Bowser this time and you still have to contend with his hammers and jumping Podoboos so, once again, it's best to try to at least stay as Super Mario when you reach him.
World 8: Needless to say, this is where the game pulls out all the stops in making your job as tricky as possible. The levels are longer than they have been before but the time limit is still the same so, more than likely, you'll be getting close to the wire by the time your reach the flagpole; when you die in these levels, you start back at the very beginning no matter where you were, unlike before where, after a certain point, you would respawn in the middle of the level; power-ups become very few and far between; and the enemies are out in full force and placed in more positions to trip you up than they ever had been before. If I were a betting man, I would say that Level 8-1 is probably the longest level in the entire game because I always end up running out of time when I finally get to the flagpole. It's also loaded with Goombas, Koopa and Para Troopas, Buzzy Beetles, Piranha Plants, and a lot of pitfalls, with many sections requiring you to jump across a series of very narrow ledges (the ones right before the flagpole are particularly awful and caused me to die more than once because of how tricky they are to jump). The only items are a 1-Up (and it's the type that might not appear if you take a hit) and an Invincibility Star that is particularly fast this time around (watch out for the pits that pop up right after its block). There's also a coin room but, again, with such a long level and a short time limit, you might want to think before entering it. Level 8-2 isn't as long as the previous one but it's still very difficult, perhaps even more so. First off, Lakitu shows up again at the very beginning and you have to avoid his Spinies as well as some hopping Para Troopas. Fortunately, you're given a high enough perch to jump on him andeven if you can't get him, he won't chase you throughout the entire level. That's good because the middle of this level is like Level 7-1 in that you have to deal with an onslaught of Bullet Bill turrets but this time, there are hopping Para Troopas and Buzzy Beetles thrown in-between the turrets for good measure. After that, you have to use the accelerate-jump method to clear a very long gap. That part had me stumped for the longest time. The way I do it is run quickly across the pipe in front of the gap and then jump right when I get to the edge of it. Usually, I end up clearing it even when it seems like I'll fall. The good thing is you're rewarded with a pipe that leads to a coin room the minute you clear the gap. Finally, you have to deal with a couple of more narrow platforms you have to jump across before reaching the flagpole and this time, you have the added difficulty of Bullet Bill turrets and a hopping Para Troopa. Item-wise, there's a 1-Up near the beginning of the level but if you're small when you activate it (and I almost always am), you'll have to run under a long block and catch it when it falls, all the while watching out for Para Troopas and pits. There is a power-up amongst the section where you have to deal with Bullet Bills and other enemies but even if you get it, it's hard to keep it for very long due to the sheer amount of enemies. Level 8-3 is where the Hammer Brothers make their last stand against you. You have to deal with two pairs jumping on sets of blocks and four that are standing on the ground in the section leading up to the flagpole. There are two power-ups here but they're both amongst the blocks that the Brothers are stationed at and it's hard to defeat them both without getting hit in order to become Fire Mario. If you're simply Super Mario by the time you clear the second pair of Brothers, you're in trouble because's it hard to get past the ones on the ground without getting hit and you'll need all the help you can get on the final castle level because there are no items whatsoever there. And, not surprisingly, you'll have to jump more narrow platforms to get to the flagpole and wouldn't you know it, they're the worst of all! Level 8-4 leads to your final confrontation with Bowser and not only is it another maze castle but it's the trickiest of all. You have to work out which pipes take you to the next section very carefully; otherwise you'll end up back at the beginning of the level. Even getting into some of the pipes is hard, as in the case with one suspended in mid-air where you have to find a hidden coin block and use it jump onto the pipe. Basically, every enemy in the book is out to get you, including the flying Cheep-Cheeps in one section, the Bloopers in an underwater section (which also has underwater, rotating fire bars: how is that even possible or fair, for that matter?) and one last Hammer Brother right before your final fight with Bowser. On top of that, this time Bowser will both shoot fire at you as well as throw hammers, instead of doing one or the other like before, and there's no platform above him. Like I said, if you're not at least Super Mario when you enter this level, you're in for a frustrating time. All I can say is keep a cool head and you'll eventually come out on top.
While I don't think Super Mario Bros. is the best video game ever, I can't deny that it is quite addicting once you start playing it and, as I said, it's undoubtedly the reason why the video game industry is thriving today instead of being non-existent. It put both Nintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto on the map, introduced the most popular video game character of all time, and, at the end of the day, it's still enjoyable to play after all these years despite its simplicity and the fact that hundreds of other games have built upon its gameplay. If I ever do a list of my favorite video games, I doubt it would even be in the top ten but it's still a great, fun game regardless.
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