Fri, 31 Jul 2009 by Corbie Dillard
Mario's first Game Boy adventure is short, but sweet.
Given the popularity of the Super Mario Bros. series at the time of the Game Boy's release, it comes as no real surprise that Nintendo would release a Super Mario title for their brand new portable game system. And for an early Game Boy offering, it was a fairly solid effort. It captured much of the style and substance of the NES Super Mario releases, but at only 12 levels in total, the game was extremely short in length and could be completed in less than half an hour. But even with its few shortcomings, it's difficult not to appreciate what Nintendo was able to do so early on in the Game Boy's lifespan and Super Mario Land is still a fun gaming experience, even two decades later.
For anyone that's ever played a Super Mario release, you should have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the gameplay in Super Mario Land. The play control functions are pretty much the same as those found in the NES titles. You can still make Mario run using the "B" button and he can even shoot off a super ball, that will bounce around the screen and take out any enemies it touches, if you're able to pick up a Flower power-up. You'll even find the trademark Star power-up hidden in certain blocks that will make Mario invincible for a short amount of time.
Your goal is to traverse through each level and reach the exit doors at the end of each level. The bottom door will take you out of the level, but the more difficult to reach door near the top of the screen will give you a shot at playing an end-of-level mini-game where you can earn power-ups and free lives.
There are basically four worlds in the game, each containing three individual levels to play through. The final level in each world features a boss boss fight, although they're generally very simple in design and execution, so you should have little trouble with them. There are two vehicle levels that allow Mario to take control of a submarine and an airplane that mixes things up a bit as well. The levels are plenty long, but having only three per world makes each world really fly by, and given the overall lack of difficulty in each level, most players should be able to breeze through the entire game in less than 30 minutes. And given that there's not really any incentive to go back and locate any hidden items, there's very little replay value involved in the experience to keep you coming back for more. It's still a lot of fun to play through, just don't expect to feel any huge urge to do it again anytime soon.
The visuals in Super Mario Land are about what you'd expect from a first-generation Game Boy release. There's very little detail in the backgrounds, although some of the later areas do feature a good amount of detail in the foregrounds for you to enjoy. There's absolutely no parallax scrolling of any kind, and even the animations are fairly basic in design and execution. It's a solid effort for an earlier release, but it's not nearly as impressive as it was back when the game first appeared on the system.
The music is easily the high point of the entire experience and Nintendo really did a superb job in somehow capturing the trademark Super Mario sound with the game's soundtrack. Every tune in the game features that same catchiness we've come to expect from the series and many of the tracks even fit in stylistically with the area in which they're played in. The Egyptian-themed track is a particular favorite among retro gamers and does a nice job of showing off the Game Boy's solid sound capabilities. The sound effects are hit and miss, but they're certainly not anything that could be classified as detrimental to the overall audio presentation. The musical score is so good you certainly won't mind the somewhat bland sound effects anyway.
1. Toad Fan 101
31 Jul 2009, 14:31 BST
Great review Corbie !
2. Damo
31 Jul 2009, 14:32 BST
Awesome review. This remains one of my all-time fave GB titles. I still have my original cart!
3. VGP
31 Jul 2009, 14:34 BST
Great Review Corbie. I love this game,& I just saw it last week at my retro gamestore,I think I might buy it.
4. Hyper Luigi
31 Jul 2009, 14:34 BST
Great review Corbie! This game is a lot of fun! I still own the original cart, but I do not know where it is.
5. Tony
31 Jul 2009, 14:48 BST
Yes it is worth playing one of my favorite GB titles and I loved the addition of the shooter style levels.
6. Betagam7
31 Jul 2009, 15:16 BST
I don't get how you can criticise this game for its length then suggest its sequel as a better option. SML2 is one of the shortest and easyest games in history! At least SML presents some amount of difficulty.
7. warioswoods
31 Jul 2009, 15:19 BST
The Super Mario Land series never felt like a genuine Mario experience to me, and it's impossible to forget for an instant while playing these games that the developers and designers responsible for the GB offerings had no overlap with the creators of the NES games. That also goes for SML2, although it's at least a more interesting platformer than the first. The best decision they ever made was to abandon this series in favor of the much more original Wario Land spin-off.
In my mind, Kirby's Dream Land was the first game to show how inventive and visually attractive platforming could be on the Game Boy. Super Mario Land doesn't even come close.
8. Corbie
31 Jul 2009, 15:19 BST
SML 2 is quite a bit longer and it's also more difficult. I blew through SML this afternoon on one man in about 25 minutes. I had forgotten how easy it truly was.
9. Alza
31 Jul 2009, 15:22 BST
This was my very first game ever! I still remember night after night when i was 11, playing hidden in my bed. I ended the game lot of times with "my achievement", without using power-up, without a single dead...if i go on i can burst in to tears!
Great review, as always!
10. Prosody
31 Jul 2009, 15:28 BST
@Corbie - I haven't even managed to get past world 2 yet, and I've had it over a year. Time to hang up my thumbs, I think...
11. Giggsy
31 Jul 2009, 15:31 BST
Great review Corbie, loved this game back in the day. Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 was always my favourite though.
12. Bahamut ZERO
31 Jul 2009, 15:44 BST
@Corbie: I personally believe the score should be lowered one point. And just not for the o-so-obvious joke reasons, I think it deserves it.
The game is fun, but very, very short, and compared to it's sequels and other Gameboy games, it doesn't hold up at all. This game is "good" but certainty not "great."
It was back in the day, but not now, or even in the GBs later years.
13. Dicesukeinuzuka
31 Jul 2009, 16:02 BST
14. Objection_Blaster
31 Jul 2009, 16:07 BST
I agree with review, nice job. The sequel is indeed far superior (although I have never beaten either.)
15. TourianTourist
31 Jul 2009, 16:11 BST
If this is getting an 8, I expect nothing less than a 10 for Link's Awakening, Corbie. ^^ However, my favorite game in the Super Mario Land series actually was the third one, Wario Land. It's also the only Wario game up to date, I have enjoyed (though I didn't play the new one on the Wii). But it had great visuals and music and I loved the hidden treasures.
However, Super Mario Land - it was the first game I've played in my life, so a lot of memories are coming back here. I also don't think, it's that easy, because everything was so small and hard to navigate. But I admit, that I also have more problems with SML2 than SML today, but back then it was the other way around.
But nice review. I'm looking forward to the other 19 ones.
16. RayTheSkypirate
31 Jul 2009, 16:15 BST
Well, it was my first Mario game ever, so when I used to play it (perhaps I was 7 or 8) it didn't seem to me too easy nor too short. However, it's a good game, even if I think SML2 is way better and I like it much more. Good review
.
17. kaes
31 Jul 2009, 17:07 BST
Great review, Corbie! Hit the nail on the head. Like you said, I wouldn't place SML at the top of the Mario pyramid (especially due to its shortness), but it's still a fun romp and will always hold a place in my heart.
18. Dazza
31 Jul 2009, 17:14 BST
Nice start to the 20 Game Boy reviews Corbie. I played this game to death as a kid because for about a year it was the only game I had, besides Tetris of course. It's a very strange game, and at times doesn't feel much like a Mario game, but it is a whole heap of fun and personally I love the fact that I could complete it in one sitting.
19. Mike
31 Jul 2009, 17:16 BST
Great game, I played it so much when I was younger. Great review Corbie!
20. Pablo17
31 Jul 2009, 17:24 BST
Nice review and I agree with the score. I really enjoyed how simple this game was and remember being blown away that I was able to play a mario game on the go.
21. pixelman
31 Jul 2009, 17:38 BST
Good review. If I were to buy a GB platformer, I'd do like you recommended and put my money into SML2.
22. Pj
31 Jul 2009, 17:41 BST
Please Nintendo announce DSi VC! and put this on there.......
23. apocalypse217
31 Jul 2009, 18:06 BST
i loved this game and the 2nd one
24. buffalobob
31 Jul 2009, 18:40 BST
One of my all-time favorite games
25. PhoenixSage
31 Jul 2009, 19:18 BST
Before I comment on the review: Happy birthday, Game Boy! You were like my best friend back in the day. I mean, we grew up together, dude! It was awesome! Always there for me, whenever I wanted to play, whatever I wanted to play. You're the best, and you'll always have a special place in my heart. I'll eat some cake for you, because I don't think shoving cake down the game slot would be very good...
Now on topic: Great review, Corbie. It hit me with a bag full of nostalgia. I'd forgoten how short that game is, but it really was great to play Mario portably. Too bad I sold this game a long time ago...
26. Stuffgamer1
31 Jul 2009, 19:27 BST
The Egyptian level theme is so iconic, it made its way into Smash Bros. Brawl!
I have a friend in his upper 40's who has fond memories of this game. He hasn't really kept up with gaming since, but he does now have a Wii, which he enjoys very much, particularly since he has get-togethers at his house regularly. But I digress...
27. Ristar42
31 Jul 2009, 19:45 BST
I prefer SML to its sequel, its just so graphically pure and simple. Maybe its because I can play through the whole game so easily, or because the only hand helds I'd previously played were Game and Watch or Grandstand stuff like Scramble. Either way, one of the few original Gameboy games I still have!
28. Nintendo-Naut
31 Jul 2009, 20:15 BST
Heh heh, this was my first GB game ever. I got it when I was a kid. Back then, it was excruciatingly hard for me, but I loved it. I wonder if I could really blow through it in 25 min. today...Ah, well I don't have the cart so it doesn't matter.
29. xesbeth
31 Jul 2009, 20:21 BST
all my childhood....wonderful game.
30. Rensch
31 Jul 2009, 20:30 BST
This is one of the very first Nintendo games I remember playing. I used to play this when i was over at relatives who had this game. It was a blast!
There is still some very solid level design in there despite the minimalistic look.
Super Mario Land 2 I did not play until a few years ago when I bought a secondhand copy. It was even more awesome than the first game.
Later I came across a copy of this game. I had not played it for years and many great memories came back from my childhood.
I also remember a friend of mine had Wario Land, which was a sequel to Super Mario Land 2. I came across the first two Wario games two years ago, and it was such a blast from the past.
Good times, good times.
31. super-nintendo
31 Jul 2009, 20:54 BST
I still have mine too, and will ALWAYS have it!
I would give it like 8.7 out of 10. It is a solid platformer with the right level design. Play it, if you can find it guys! The music alone will have you coming back for more. But back in the day, it was a 9 because it was Mario on GAMEBOY. It just didn't get any better back then.
Check out the original commercial on YouTube. It's classic!!!
32. Ricardo91
31 Jul 2009, 21:42 BST
"SML 2 is quite a bit longer and it's also more difficult. I blew through SML this afternoon on one man in about 25 minutes. I had forgotten how easy it truly was."
I'll have to disagree with you on that Corbie. SML2 is far easier than SML was, due to things such as starting out with 5 lives, being able to take 2 hits at Mario's strongest form before dying (fire Mario), unlimited continues, and tons of easy to collect 1-ups (the slot machine game can give you 99 lives, for gawd's sake!). Even on my second full playthrough of SML, I died several times, and the game gets even harder in the "extra" mode, which has tons more enemies.
I'd give this game a solid 7. It still manages to be pretty fun, but it's nowhere near as good as SML2. The graphics were horrible and way too small (It's one of the first GB games I know, so I'll cut it some slack, but the sprites could really have been bigger), was way too short, and some of the music didn't really fit into a Mario game (a Can Can in a Mario game? WTF?), but the game still plays very well, and I loved the shmup sections. Nintendo should really bring those back in future Marios.
Now when's that SML2 review coming up?
33. LEGEND MARIOID
31 Jul 2009, 21:56 BST
I never played this, but I did play SML 2.........Now that's a classic.
34. Bass X0
31 Jul 2009, 22:13 BST
I didn't think that much of Wario Land 2 and 3 though. SML3:WL was great and so was WL4. But 2 and 3.... meh.
As for Super Mario Land, great game but I have yet to beat it. I've rarely got up to Tatanga and when I do I barely have any lives left.
I love the music - it has a number of classic tunes that are still quite catchy even twenty years later. But sadly in those twenty years, only one track has made it to another game.
35. warioswoods
31 Jul 2009, 22:44 BST
I agree that SML3:WL and WL4 were the best of the series (the best of all portable Mario or Wario title by a long shot if you ask me, and that even includes NSMB).
36. liquidsoul
31 Jul 2009, 23:10 BST
BTW, did you know that there was SML Soundtrack-Remix-CD released in Germany in the early 90s? I don´t own (to my own regret) but it exists
37. Corbie
31 Jul 2009, 23:36 BST
While I still think Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins is the best portable Super Mario title, I do agree that Wario Land 1 and 4 are the best. I didn't care for 3 much, and I only just recently finally finished up Wario Land 2.
38. slapshot82
01 Aug 2009, 00:01 BST
Aye now Im playing thru WariLand 3 @ the moment and having a good time with it. I like the different play styles.
39. MetalMario
01 Aug 2009, 00:21 BST
I can't find my original cartridge for this game.
And I would have given it a 10.
40. Outrunner
01 Aug 2009, 00:52 BST
I still have my Mario Land 2 cart and would gladly trade it for this. I miss this game. Hopefully it'll be available for download at some point...
41. LEGEND MARIOID
01 Aug 2009, 08:54 BST
Ah Wario Land 4, another great game. The memories.
42. Corbie
01 Aug 2009, 09:04 BST
We've got a little Game Boy Advance special coming down the road I've been putting together off and on. And Wario Land 4 just happens to make an appearance. Great game!
43. NintendoPurist
01 Aug 2009, 10:22 BST
My guess is this will pop up in the DSi Shop sometime within the next six months. Although, to be fair, there's a chance it won't.
Still, it'd be neat for classic Game Boy games to appear in the DSi Shop this year, what with it being 20 years old now! This would almost certainly be a launch title nonetheless. I agree with you by the way, Corbie; this game is short but sweet!
44. Other Dave
01 Aug 2009, 10:45 BST
I love this game despite its ease. Definitely one of my favourite Game Boy games. In fact I lost it and then bought another copy.
I never liked Mario Land 2 much though.
45. chunky_droid
01 Aug 2009, 11:00 BST
I played through this game at least 50 times when I first got it with my Gameboy, thanks Corbie for bringing back some of those memories
46. davegorack
01 Aug 2009, 11:18 BST
Great game.
though a bit to short.
47. CowLaunch
01 Aug 2009, 11:39 BST
I think Wario Land is the best GB platformer.
I found Wario Land 2 very difficult, especially that crazy extra level.
48. Saisinkolimonadin
01 Aug 2009, 15:20 BST
For some reason I've never really liked this game that much. I mean, it's okay I guess, but, as some people (that narrows it down, doesn't it?) call it, the best portable Mario game? The controls are weird and slippy, it's short, and the level's aren't nearly as good as usually in Mario games. Maybe it's because I never played it as a little kid and therefore don't have any nostalgia ties with it. The sequel and Wario Land are much, much better, in my opinion.
49. PhoenixSage
01 Aug 2009, 19:49 BST
A Game Boy Advance special, huh? It doesn't happen to include a certain Camelot-developed RPG, does it?
50. Ricardo91
01 Aug 2009, 21:23 BST
Here's how I see the Wario Land series, 1 being best:
1. Wario Land 3: Took everything that was cool about WL2 (tons of treasures to find, Wario's forms) and improved on them. The level design was the best in the series, the day/night cycle that affect their layout wa sinteresting, and that golf minigame was hella fun. As of now it's the only WL I still own, as a matter of fact (besides Shake It!, if that counts...).
2. Wario Land: SML3: The game that started it all. Kept the classic gameplay of the Mario Lands intact while adding the Wario gameplay we've come to know and love. Pretty log for a GB game, and the hidden secrets and alternative endings added serious replay value.
3. Wario Land 4: Kept all the good stuff from WL 2 & 3, and added a health bar, which gave the game some actual challenge. Docked it a few points for being too short and linear, and being kinda lacking in replay value.
4. Wario Land II: The branching paths were nice, and this introduced Wario's hilarious forms, but there's pretty much nothing here that WL3 didn't do better. Also, that last level was ridiculous.
Now why is everyone hating on WL3?
51. slapshot82
01 Aug 2009, 21:46 BST
Corbie... Great review. Inspired me to go play the game again and I had a blast doin it. Love the game. Dead on with the score too.
52. miletich3
02 Aug 2009, 21:08 BST
I had trouble beating this game when I was a kid.
53. Nintendophile
03 Aug 2009, 04:40 BST
Just one quick comment: According to the Super Mario Land instruction manual, the flower power-up in the game enables you to shoot "super balls", not "fire balls". (Which is why they ricochet everywhere instead of just bounce along the ground like in any other Mario game.) Just a lil' factoid for ya. _
54. Corbie
03 Aug 2009, 11:49 BST
I was wondering why they bounced all around the screen. Thanks for the factoid.
55. Mickeymac
04 Aug 2009, 03:49 BST
I always wanted to play this one. I'll try to pick it up cheap some time.
56. alvieao
05 Aug 2009, 08:35 BST
I still have Super Mario Land to this day. I had trouble beating it when I was little... at least until finally beating it. Even replaying on a harder difficulty doesn't seem challenging either. Definitely too short and easy. I'll admit that Mario Land 2 was better than the original (and Wario Land becoming its own series), but this is still a good game even after 20 years. I'd give the original Mario Land an 8/10. The music was great, yet only one track was received with an awesome remix two decades later...
57. Darknyht
05 Aug 2009, 16:20 BST
Super Mario Land was fun for it's time, but SML2 was better. The thing that made it difficult was the blurring of the original Gameboy screen, but other than that I beat this Christmas Day when I got it. Tetris (and even Castlevania) got more playtime than this
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