Game Of Fame #1: Super Mario Bros.

Game Of Fame: Super Mario Bros.

Console: Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

Year: 1985 

Hi all! So, I've decided to start a new series of blog posts which I have dubbed 'Game Of Fame'. Basically these posts will be focusing on a range of amazing video games across all the generations of consoles explaining what made them amazing and why they still resonate with gamers till this day. Quite basic to understand really, but hopefully there'll be a few useful facts in there along the way to impress you and the ladies... Anyway! There was only ever going to be one game on this list to start the series off with and that's a small game called Super Mario Bros.

Back in the 80's, players, especially home console owners, weren't used to playing games which lasted a long period of time and consisted of multiple screens. Seeing a colourful array combined with a world which would move with the character on the screen very much captured the attention of players at the time. Although there were side-scrolling platformers before Super Mario Bros, the game very much set the standard of what a truly spectacular 2D platformer should be. Where to even begin though as to why this game deserves such praise? Probably with the gameplay itself. SMB still stands as a brilliant game to control; which is vital for any game, especially a platformer where control is everything. The player is able to influence the direction Mario falls to the ground whilst he is in midair. The player can also perform a longer jump if Mario is running and the player presses the jump button. Mario feels like he should and has momentum when he should and thus making the player feel more enveloped in the game because of the feeling of control they have over him.

So, Super Mario Bros was a pretty huge deal back in the mid to late 80s. Created by the Walt
Disney of Nintendo, Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario of course first appeared in Nintendo's first big break, Donkey Kong which he sort of made himself known to the public. Afterwards, his brother Luigi joined the fray in the arcade game Mario Bros which was released in 1983. After Nintendo knew the key to the future lay in home consoles, Miyamoto was challenged once again of coming up with a blockbuster game; something which was going to make the Famicom, and eventually the NES, fly off the shelves and become incredibly popular with kids. Unfortunately they didn't achieve this, they created something much better beyond what they originally envisioned: Super Mario Bros.

What really set the game apart from others, and are even mechanics which gamers enjoy about Mario till this day, are the power-ups and the secrets; every Mario title worth their salt needs them. Collecting the various power-ups in the game gave Mario stronger abilities which he could use to his advantage. From making obstacles and levels easier to clear to finding secrets due to having a certain power-up and using its abilities. Every power-up had a purpose aside from giving Mario an extra hit and made the player seek them out whenever they could. Another thing players would seek which were still quite unique in video games at the time were secrets. Secrets played a massive part in SMB and really still continue to do so. From exploring the thick green pipes which protrude from the ground and take you to the dark caverns below, or starting an underground level and breaking the bricks up top to access the hidden warp zones scattered; never before has a game challenged you to look and explore everywhere! You never know, you might come across a secret extra life shroom (or 1up as its known to the Mario enthusiasts) if you jump in the right place. These unique aspects to the game really did set it aside from other platformers at the time and still make the game hugely replayable to this very day.


The presentation of the game also shines. Of course now it looks dated, its bound to! Yet there is still a charm to it. The game is full of colour and don't get me started on the music in the game! Each theme used has become legend and very familiar to gamers the world over. The music just compliments the level design incredibly. The levels which take place above the ground have bouncy, happy, and not to mention addictive rhythm to it. On the other side of the scale the levels taking place underground are very ominous and minimal making the player feel a bit on edge and lost in the dark. The music just further cemented the game as being an all-time masterpiece. SMB could also be played with two players. Remember Mario's brother Luigi we mentioned earlier? Well he is the second player's main man. Having a two player mode just helped in regards to including others and sharing the fun with a sibling or friend. Again, multiplayer games were still quite uncommon and to share a game with someone of this size was certainly something back then, and is still a great two player game to play today.


There were many reasons as to why this game deserves to be a 'Game of Fame' in my opinion, let alone my first game I decided to write about in this particular series of blogs. But I think the main reason it deserves that accolade (if you can really name it that), is because it broke a lot of new ground back when it was released and still holds up as a legitimate amazing game to play. It's simple in its design and core gameplay which attract people who have never played a video game before, but its also difficult to master! Try speed running the game and you'll know what I mean. But as I just mentioned, the reason why it deserves to be a Game of Fame in my opinion is that it still holds up great today. Children can pick up and play this game right now and they are guaranteed to have a brilliant time; its timeless, just like the first Star Wars will be watched by children over multiples of generations, so to will Super Mario Bros be played on a variety of different consoles and formats. Although, In my opinion, Super Mario Bros managed to achieve something Star Wars didn't: It made video games a legitimate form of entertainment and started an industry worth billions today. When historians look back on video games and when the industry first started to become popular and relevant, they will look back at this game and most will agree, including myself, that this is the game which did it. That is why Super Mario Bros. is a Game of Fame!




Thank you so much for reading my first blog post in this series, guys and gals. Let me know what you think of Super Mario Bros. too! Do you think it deserves the praise it still gets or has it become very dated and over-rated? (Unintentional rhyme, there). Would love to know what you all think!