I've searched the NES Scene on the internet high and low for a review of Super Mario Bros. and I've yet to find one.* I guess the reason for that is that it was the only game (Duck Hunt included) to recieve a "F" on the NES Rarity List, and that everybody that owns a Nintendo has at least one copy (shit man, I have 2). I guess it was a dead give away when I was issued a copy when all I bought was an RF switch and an AC Adapter. I assume the only reason you're even reading this review is to amuse yourself because you've probably played the game before and know exactly what it's about. But, as I have made very clear before, this is a review, so here's a plot synopsis.
You are Mario, or Luigi pending on whether you and a friend are playing. According to "Super Mario Brothers: The Movie" your last name is Mario too making Mario, Mario Mario and Luigi, Luigi Mario. I'd just like to say that was probably the worst movie I've ever seen save Bio-Dome (ohhhh man that was a good one!) Anyways, you are plumbers who have journeyed to the Mushroom Kingdom to help restore order. Koopa, an evil tribe, led by their king, Bowser, have come and turned all the little mushrooms into bricks and the only one who can undo the spell is Princess Toadstool. Unfortunately, the Princess has been captured by Bowser and must be saved by you... err... Mario.
It's a simple enough plot I guess, compared to what though? There was absolutely nothing in 1985 that closely resembled Super Mario Bros. That's why it was such an epic. If you were to remove Super Mario Bros. from NES history, I doubt that the Nintendo would have lasted as long that long because you would be removing Mario 2 and Mario 3 (the highest grossing Nintendo game ever). You would be removing the series which ultimately would remove it's SNES, Gameboy and N64 sequels. Videogaming would not be the same. That point, of course, is arguable.
I brought that little idea to your attention to show how much of an impact Mario, and really, this first game had on the NES and videogaming in general. This game ushered in the NES and showed people that the Nintendo Entertainment System was unlike anything they had ever seen before and now that we're back here, 15 years later talking about it, I've found, like so many others, that there will never be anything like it again.
Well reading what I've just written, it appears that this review has quickly turned into an editorial on the impact of Mario on modern gaming but oh well. I guess I've said all I can. I decided not to score this game because it's a game that you can't base on anything else. You could say it kind of invented the score. So this is a game that should remain ultimately... unscored.
