The Golden Age of Plumbing (Super Mario World (N64))

Member Name: Frankingsteins

Product:	Super Mario World (N64)
Date:	13/08/04 (336 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Engrossing and enjoyable, Can be enjoyed by all ages, Plenty of hidden areas and secrets

Disadvantages: A little repetitive, Nothing too original, Not as impressive any more

DISCLAIMER: This is a SNES game (Super Nintendo Entertainment System), it is not a Nintendo 64 game and was never released on that console. Dooyoo do not have a SNES category, which is sad.


The early nineties saw children divided into four groups, as sociologists will be aware: those who had a Sega MegaDrive; those who had a Super Nintendo; those who had both and were also rich and irritating; and those who had neither, but really wanted one. I passed through three of those phases over the course of several years, originally owning Sega MegaDrive and later supplementing it with a Super Nintendo. I was a class traitor, I admit it, and Sonic the Hedgehog would always hold a special place in my heart over the much less interesting moustachioed plumber, but in 1995 I finally realised the joys of Super Mario World, the peak of the Mario format.

Super Mario World expanded on the previous games immensely as it was the first of the series to be released on the Super, rather than regular, Nintendo. This allowed for a much larger game with improved graphics and sound as well as more versatile controls through the new joypad. With its world map layout, special options, secret areas and faux-RPG style, this was an addictive game that was also manageably difficult for once, as there was no longer any need to keep the players stuck on the same frustrating level for a few months to cover the fact that the older games were incredibly basic and limited.


STORY


Let’s get this over with, then. The main difference in Mario World’s plot over that of the earlier games comes with the introduction of the dinosaur character Yoshi, on whom Mario can ride around. The setting has also shifted from wherever the previous games were to the more manageable Dinosaur Land, divided into a large number of different areas with varying climatic conditions, many of which can be viewed on the main world map. Story-wise however, there is absolutely no change: that Princess Toadstool has been kidnapped by the reptilian menace Bowser yet again for reasons unknown (let’s not speculate about disgusting sexual scenarios) and the plumber sets out alone, unless you opt for two-player mode, to get her back and thwart that scaly scourge.

Every area of the world includes a fortified castle at the end of the regular stages, each of which is occupied by a member of Bowser’s family that you may remember from the rubbish cartoon series that ran alongside the release of these games. After defeating each of these, a spotted dinosaur egg containing the developing embryo of one of Yoshi’s dino chums can be recovered, however these serve no relevance to the gameplay – each castle basically has to be completed to allow access to the next level.


GAMEPLAY


The Mario games were always kept very simple so that young players wouldn’t be put off, but there are some advanced elements introduced here that can take a while to get to grips with – most notably the flying technique when a feather is collected and the controls of the various coloured Yoshis in the hidden areas. The levels are all set out in basic platform game style with floating ledges to bounce between and the usual dangers of enemies and pits, although there is some variation to keep things interesting such as underwater levels and stages based on flying.

This game borders on RPG (role-playing game) territory, but its simplicity prevents it from reaching that level of intricacy. The world map is fairly non-linear in places as players can discover keys, hidden exits and other means of accessing a different level than the usual destination, and although it’s very easy to amass a huge number of extra lives, the save option only recalls your progress and not your situation.

The twist of Mario games was always the items that could be collected to modify the player, and these still remain. The large mushrooms turn Mario into Super Mario who is a bit bigger, doesn’t die instantly and can break fragile platforms if desired; the fire flower (now pretty redundant) is Super Mario in red and white with fireball capability, and finally the feather changes Mario into Super Mario with a yellow cape who can fly, as long as you understand the controls required. Mario 3 boasted a much larger array of costumes and abilities for Mario, but many of these were unnecessary and only served to make the game more complicated.

The two player mode is based on a turn system as each player (or the one player, if he’s a bit lonely) controls Mario or Luigi – a green Mario who is otherwise completely identical – and play switches when a player dies or completes a level.


GRAPHICS & SOUND


The graphics seem to be deliberately simplified in this game, as the SNES console had much higher capabilities than are shown here, but this is again an attempt to keep the game simplistic and attractive to children. The graphics are never a problem in any case, and this is a far cry from the original NES Mario Brothers game in which Mario’s head consisted of about twelve squares. This game is very colourful, but many areas have specific colour schemes to suit their setting.

The sounds on the game are also nothing special or impressive, and most of the music is very repetitive, although not dominant enough to become really annoying. There are still no voices for characters at this stage which can only be a good thing, but there is a tendency to re-use sound effects for unrelated events. This is basically an old, early console game though, and high quality graphics and sound wouldn’t be expected.


VERDICT


Nintendo designed this game to have longevity, and it certainly does: it took my young self several dedicated weeks to complete it in full, discovering the secret areas, and it still remains an enjoyable game to play through when I am particularly bored. The two player option isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and this is basically a one player game that children could discuss with their friends the next day, learning how to access the Star Road and, more impressively, the Special Star Road. I can do it all, so there.

Aside from the new capabilities of the SNES format such as the save option and larger level space, this isn’t exactly an original title, based as it is on the previous games while incorporating elements of Zelda and other contemporary RPGs, but it balances out difficulty with fun, fast gameplay to create a Mario game that is finally able to compete with Sonic. The hedgehog with attitude was still better than the plumber with gratitude though.

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