Tag: Mario

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (Game Boy)

StephenLeave a comment

Super Mario is one of gaming’s most popular and beloved characters, and this was especially true in 1992. At this point, Mario fever was in full swing – Super Mario Bros. 1, 2 and 3 were massive successes on the NES, and Mario had recently made the jump to 16 bit with 1991’s Super Mario World. Nintendo also tested the waters in the realm of portable gaming with 1989’s Super Mario Land. Finally, Mario had made the jump to handhelds and at last gamers could get their Mario fix no matter where they were.

As neat as the first Super Mario Land game was, it was by no means graphically stunning. The developers were new to the Game Boy hardware and had not realized what it was fully capable of. It was also quite short, clocking in at a little over an hour. The game was fun and well designed, but it was apparent that more could be done with the Game Boy hardware to bring a bigger and grander Mario adventure to the platform. Enter Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins.

Super Mario Land 2 is a massive step up from its predecessor. Everything about it is an upgrade. The graphics are much more detailed in many different ways. Super Mushrooms have the iconic eyes as seen in Super Mario World. Levels actually have backdrops which set the scene for each environment. There are more levels, new enemies with detailed sprites, and a variety of new power ups. The game even has a world map which allows you to select what level you want to play. You can definitely tell Nintendo put a lot of effort into this game to make it feel more like the console Mario games. The music is catchy and orchestrated beautifully. The controls are polished, fine tuned, and feel smooth, just as a Mario game should. The first game felt a bit “floaty” so this is a nice improvement.

The levels (as well as the theme of each zone) are well designed and unique. Space Zone and Turtle Zone are by far my favorite zones though. In Space Zone, Mario makes his way into space and that means running and jumping around in zero gravity. There’s also Turtle Zone, where in order to get there, Mario is eaten by a giant turtle and is brought underwater. Both of these zones have themes that make them stand out. I won’t go in depth on all of the zones but I can tell you that these zones are a fun depature from the traditional Mario worlds you may be used to. If you haven’t played the game yet, this may be one of the biggest draws for anyone yet to experience it.

The plot of this game is pretty simplistic, as most Mario game plots are. In this game, Mario’s castle is taken over by Wario (in his first video game appearance!) and Mario must gather 6 Golden Coins to enter the castle and reclaim his castle. This is all pretty simple, as the plot simply serves as a backdrop to give players a reason to move forward. Mario games are all about the gameplay so it doesn’t matter that the story is not some thought-provoking masterpiece of storytelling.

The game itself is pretty easy, and there is one particular place where you can exploit the game to get tons of lives. (I definitely didn’t do this at all! I would never!) Regardless of how you play, the game is accessible to players of all skill levels. There is also an easy mode if the main game proves too challenging. The only exception to the difficulty in this game is the final zone, Wario’s Castle. The difficulty ramps up significantly, however, it’s still not that hard as long as you play smart and are dedicated. Once I beat the game, that was that. The game is a straightforward Mario adventure, and a massive improvement over its predecessor. This game is definitely worth a play for all Mario fans (and Wario fans for the historical significance), and I definitely see myself coming back to play this game every so often if I’m in the mood for a simple and fun platforming game.

Super Mario Bros. (NES)

StephenLeave a comment

Where do I begin with this game? I figured since I just launched my new website, I should review a game that is not only important to gaming history, but also to myself. This was the first video game I ever played. At the age of 3, I remember picking up the square shaped controller and giving it a try. I of course had no idea what I was doing, but I remember being mesmerized by the colors. I also remember watching my older brother play it, and just remember staring at the screen as he collected coins and squashed goombas. Ever since that day this game has been a staple in my life one way or another, existing in the background as the game that ignited my interest in video games. However, there has been one thing about this game that I have always thought about.

I had never beaten it before.

I know, I know. The absolute blasphemy. How can I call myself a seasoned gamer if I have never beaten this quintessential piece of gaming history. Half-kidding aside, this has always been something that has bugged me. Prior to this review I had never seen the end of the game. Since I decided to create a website and document my journey of reviewing retro games, I figured this was the perfect time to beat this game.

I have two copies of this game on the NES. They are both combo carts. The first one (left) is the cart from my childhood. This was the original cartridge my dad got with his NES Action Set back in 1986. This cartridge has absolutely been through the wringer and is in rough shape, but it means a lot to me and it still works, so that is what matters. The other cartridge is a combo cart I picked up a few years ago with Mario Bros, Duck Hunt, and World Class Track Meet. I ended up playing on my newer cartridge, for no particular reason.

Everyone knows how Super Mario Bros. starts. The game immediately thrusts you into its perfectly pixelated world with that iconic music everyone and their grandmother knows by heart at this point. This game is simple, to the point, and I absolutely love that. I really love games like this, where it’s simple and you’re thrown into the action. That is definitely one of the reasons I love retro games so much. you can pop them in, and get going immediately, with no lengthy tutorials or lengthy exposition. You learn what to do by playing, and trying again if you fail.

This game is relatively easy compared to a lot of NES games, which makes it really accessible as an introduction to platformers in general. The later stages do put up a decent challenge, but it’s not incredibly difficult especially if you practice. I really enjoyed the simplicity of this game, and it brought me back to when I was a child playing this game for the first time. I just remember it being fun, even if I died, I would try again and learn from my mistakes. Even if I never beat the game, I still had fun. I had fun then, and I had fun years later. This game stands the test of time and is a must play for anyone who ever is interested in playing video games.

The last world was a bit tough, but after some trial and error, I finally made it to the end. For years I always was greeted with Toads who told me the princess is in another castle. This time, I finally made it, even if the journey took me over 20 years. I guess the take away from this, is that this game is amazing and you should play it, and it doesn’t matter if you beat a game or not. you can still have tons of fun and consider a game one of your favorites, even if you have never beaten it. Games aren’t about the destination. They’re about the journey.