Hey now everyone, hope you're all having a great day, and welcome to my retro review of Super Mario World! One of my favorite things to do, for as long as I can remember, has always been playing videogames. Over the years I've owned every Nintendo console, as well as every Mario Bros. game that came out on each one. From the original on the NES, or it's two amazing sequels, to Mario 64, and all the way up to the most recent, Mario Odyssey. You really can't go wrong with any of them, but one that I have always loved was Mario's first entry into the 16-bit era. I'm talking about Super Mario World for the Super Nintendo. This was the first game released on the SNES, and it still remains one of the best the console has to offer. Even after all these years it still holds up amazingly well, and I would like to give you guys the rundown of this all time classic.
Super Mario World is a side scrolling platform game, developed, of course, by Nintendo. It was originally released in 1990 as the must have launch title for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Much like the first three games in the series, the story consists of trying to save the princess from the clutches of the evil Bowser, but that's not what these games are really about. The appeal of any Mario game isn't the story, it's making your way through all the various levels, and just enjoying the simple, yet incredibly fun gameplay. With the new hardware Nintendo was able to push the boundaries further than any of the previous titles, making for some of the most memorable levels we had seen at that point.
The development team had more freedom to add new features, and to create much more complex levels. One of the new additions was the Cape Feather, similar to the Raccoon Tail from Mario 3, which is a power up that gives Mario the ability to fly over short distances, float down from high places, and execute a spin attack to take out nearby enemies. Using the Cape Feather you could fly around levels, and if you explored thoroughly enough, you might find some kind of secret hidden amongst the clouds. This added a new layer into the already established formula that everyone had gotten used to, and gave players more freedom to search every inch of these amazing levels.
The most obvious new feature in Super Mario World has to be the lovable little dinosaur Yoshi, who would go on to become a staple of the Mario universe. The development team had conceptualized the idea for Yoshi back on the NES, and wanted to put him in those games as well, but due to hardware limitations they were unable to do so. Now with the power of the Super Nintendo they were finally able to make him a big part of the game, and he quickly became a fan favorite. Mario is able to ride on Yoshi's back, using him as a mode of transportation, and protection. But Yoshi can also stick his tongue out, and catch anything that's in front of him. This includes fruit off the trees, turtle shells, and pretty much any normal enemy that gets in the way.
This was another new layer added to the formula that really helped this title stand out from the previous three. On top of all this you have some of the most vibrant, colorful stages of any Mario game. The eye popping graphics still look amazing even today, and remain some of the best on the Super Nintendo altogether. The sprites of all the various enemies had never looked so good. Not only did we get to see returning bad guys get an upgrade, but we were also introduced to a bunch of new enemies to keep us on our toes. Of course you shouldn't forget about the incredibly catchy music featured in the game, that helps to set the mood for each new stage, and probably get stuck in your head for a while.
The overworld map makes a return, but this time you're in a whole new place, and it's full of secret locations to discover. Each new area you travel to has it's own distinct theme, and look about it, giving the player a real sense of discovery every time you move on to the next one. The level design is just so well done that nothing ever feels out of place, or put there for no reason. If you're lucky enough you might stumble upon a secret exit that allows you to access of one the game's many hidden levels. At the end of each area you have to make your way through the tricky castle stage, and defeat one of Bowser's Koopalings, at which point Mario blows up the castle, and moves on to the next zone. At the end of it all you finally come face to face with Bowser, who's in some sort of flying machine, for the final showdown.
This is not only one of the best Mario games of the entire series, but it's considered by many to be one of the greatest games of all time. It takes all the trademarks from the previous titles that everyone knows and loves, improves upon the formula by giving us new features, and lets us experience 96 of the most complex levels anyone had seen at that point in a Mario game. It's really no wonder it went on to sell 20 million copies worldwide, earning itself the title of bestselling Super Nintendo game ever. It helped this console dominate the market, solidifying Nintendo's long lasting legacy that still remains very relevant today. This is an undeniably excellent game that everyone should experience, and one of my favorite games, that gave me countless hours of entertainment. I'm going to give Super Mario World a grade of...………………….
A
Thank you for reading my retro review of Super Mario World, I hope you enjoyed it!