Super Mario World – review
For those don’t know, Super Mario World was not only the first Mario game for SNES, but also
the first SNES game. With that said, it’s really amazing how much they crammed into this game.
Even now, it’s still one of the biggest games ever, and one of the must-haves for SNES.
Concept – Mario, Luigi, and Peach go to Dinosaur Island for a vacation, but Bowser shows up
to kidnap the princess again. It’s up to Mario & Luigi with a little help from the local Yoshi’s to
beat his 7 kids and Bowser to free her. It’s a good old fashioned action/adventure platformer.
Over a decade old now, it still delivers the goods, and does it better than most modern games
of the same genre.
Graphics – They’re kind of bland now, but exceptional for the times. I remembered the game
being a tad more colorful, but I guess that’s how much has changed between here and there.
They are nice and clean however. There are no hick-ups or glitches. The fire effects are pretty nice,
though the particle effects are a little weak. Still, it’s nice to look at.
Sound – We get the same classic Mario sound effects, albeit slightly updated for stereo purposes.
The soundtrack is nice and clear. There are only a moderate amount of tracks, but they never get
old and are always placed just right. The Vanilla Dome track is just waiting to be remixed, and it
could be done with the main theme as well.
Playability – Just right is what you say as you play this game. It seems a little too sensitive at first,
but you get adjusted after a couple of stages. In addition to his usual jump, run, duck, fire flowers,
and stars, Mario can now spin jump, an attack that does even more damage to enemies and
makes Mario immune to some obstacles & enemies. And instead of a raccoon cap or p-pin, you
get a feather, which gives Mario a cape. With the cape, he can spin-attack, fly, glide, and body
slam the ground so hard, most ground-based enemies in the air die. In addition, you can now
carry one spare item which you can release (you have to catch it) by pressing select or get it when
it’s automatically dropped, which happens after you’re hit.
You also get a helping hand in the Yoshi’s, native inhabitants of Dinosaur Isle. In additon to providing
an extra hit and transportation, Yoshi can eat most enemies and turn them into coins & points. And
there are different colors of Yoshis. Green (standard) will spit shells out. Red will spit back out 3 fireballs.
Blue can fly until the shell is swallowed, and Yellow pounds the ground everytime it lands.
Entertainment – This is a very fun game. Occasionally, you’ll get frustrated. Usually, when you die or fail
to access a secret area, it just barely happens. And sometimes, you need certain items which doing a
lot of running around. But all and all, it’s an enjoyable excursion into the world of Mario and the ghost
of gaming past.
Replay Value – This game does offer a lot. It’s a little too easy to get extra lives, but then you just may
need them. In addition to all the standard areas, there are hidden areas, the 4 switch palaces,
several fortresses’, the Star Road, and the Cool Zone. It isn’t easy to find it all, but with some patience,
you should be able to figure it out.
Overall – As I said before, this is one of the must-have games for SNES. If you have an SNES, it’s worth
the trouble to get it. In fact, as of this writing, the date is 4/15/03. You can go to
www.amazon.com
and buy a brand new copy of this game for SNES for under $20!! I shite you not. It’s also been ported
over to GBA under the title: Super Mario Advanced. I don’t know what, if any, enhancements were
made to the game, but at the very least, I know the resolution has been approved. I’d recommend
the SNES version if you still have the system, since you’ll have a better controller to work with. But if you
don’t, and you have a GBA, then go for that version. The GB player is due this summer, so at one point
or another you’ll be able to play it easily. A
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