Now Mario can be super going up and down the Land (Super Mario Land (GB))

Member Name: Wolfzilla

Product:	Super Mario Land (GB)
Date:	09/05/06 (166 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gameplay, shooter levels, sound,control

Disadvantages: Graphics, far too short

One of the first games I got for my Game Boy, Super Mario Land was actually the very first Mario game owned by anyone in my household, and while I went on to pick up series entries for the NES,SNES and Nintendo 64 consoles, I always held a special place in my heart for this game. Then of course I decided to review it and went into it in as clear a mind as possible.

If there was one thing I liked about the game, it was that unlike many games released for the Game Boy, it didn't lie and try to make out that it was the same game as it's home console counterpart. This, I suppose, was so people didn't go in with expectations of the sheer excellence that was the NES Mario games, but the simple fact that it was a Nintendo Mario game ensured that high expectations would be forced upon it anyway, so the only real changes made were to the story, which for once didn't focus around Bowser and Princess Peach, and also saw Mario's brother Luigi absent. This time we find Mario in the mystical realm of Sarasaland, where Princess Daisy has been captured by the evil alien Tatanga, and it's up to Mario to rescue her. Thats about it really, although I don't think anyone went into the game expecting great character driven storylines anyway, although I do find it odd that many of Tatanga's minions resemble the same scumbags that Bowser employs, maybe they just tag along to whichever evil entity is kidnapping a Princess that week or something.

So, the story is primitive, thats a check on the list of Mario staples, but the all important one is what defines the game...it's gameplay. The basic Mario formula is pretty simple, so surely even the original Game Boy could handle it, right? thankfully yes. While Super Mario Land may not exactly add much to the basic Mario gameplay, it does manage to replicate much of the magic the series had back in it's 2D glory days, the simple sideways platforming layout, where you defeat enemies by jumping on their heads, pick up power ups that make you grow or grant you the ability to shoot fireballs and try to collect 100 coins so you can get an extra life. One addition this game does make to the series is that it boasts two side-scrolling shooter levels, where Mario takes action in a submarine and a biplane to shoot down the enemies flying at him. These are actually pretty awesome, and the highlights of the game in my eyes.
If you need question basic Mario gameplay, you really shouldn't be playing games, while Super Mario Land may be far from the best game in the series, for the debut adventure on the Game Boy, and one of it's earliest games, I don't think anyone can deny that this is a great fun little game that really captures the spirit of a full-size mario adventure, albeit in a scaled down physical form.
The game boasts 4 stages, each broken up into 3 levels with a boss at the end of each one, the 4 stages are themed, Desert,Water, Forest and Sky, and their boss is relevant to the stage as well, for example the desert stage has a Sphynx monster as your final adversary. If there is one clear weakness in the game, it's definitely in it's length, which, if you know what you are doing, can be as short as half and hour. While the Game Boy is a portable gaming device, designed for bursts of play that aren't going to be as long as sit-down home sessions, this is still a bit too short to really occupy people for very long, granted the game was released in the 80s, and was at the time cutting edge, but it is still rather disappointing.

Graphically is where the game really displays it's age. Mario is made of a few dark pixels, which is actually surprisingly effective in building up one of gaming's greatest icons. Sadly the stages are very lacking in detail, and many of the enemies, such as the Goombas and Koopas, look very, very primitive. Still, as I say, this was an early hand-held game in the 1980s, so it really can't be held against it that much, and to be honest, the game still works with the graphics, the primitive nature of them actually proving to be a blessing in disguise when you think about how horrible it was to try and play those Game Boy games that cluttered the screen trying to look detailed.

If there is one aspect in which I believe the game needs praise, it's in the sound department. While the Game Boy had very basic sound capabilities, Nintendo worked magic here and accurately recreated a lot of classic Mario music and sound effects, and this really does help add a genuine Mario atmosphere to the game that is sorely lacking if you turn the sound off. I think Nintendo really deserve credit for their use of the sound on the Game Boy, altough as with Sega and their Saturn console in general, apparently Nintendo were about the only company who could really work the Game Boy's sound capabilities.

Controls are standard Mario set up of A being jump, holding down B with a direction making Mario run and when in Fireball mode shooting the ball. When you enter the shooter modes, either button shoots missiles. It's futile to even attempt to come up with an argument against this control layout, and equally as needless to try and craft some sort of criticism about the response of them. The control is sound, and should be applauded for it's simple greatness.

Scoring Super Mario Land is actually a pretty tough shout for me. While it's far too short, has no replay value and really looks almost prehistoric when compared to the Mario Advance games, the simple fact is that it is still very playable and enjoyable, and at the time it really was something else to be able to play as accurate a representation of Mario in your hands on the car or on a plane. Had the game been a bit longer I would have awarded it 4-Stars, but the fact that it's just too damn short means that I feel 3/5 is a bit closer to the mark. It's also taking home a recommended, even if it is just to those who like their retro games, because those reared on the new Mario titles would probably find it more of the same, with just worse graphics.
Super Mario Land, along with Tetris, was possibly as good a start as the Game Boy could have hoped for, and even if age has dented it a little, this can still stand up as being playable and rather fun even now, well over a decade after it's release.

Summary: While it may not be Mario's finest hour, fans will still want to check out his pretty fun portable d