Introduction
Today we are going to review a Game Boy game. Super Mario Land 1, back when color was a dream for hand held games. What was color again? This game does not know! I hope you like the color green! As everything looks very green. While this game might not have much color, or any at all. We are going to see in this review, if it a fun game anyway!
What did I think before playing Super Mario Land 1?
I was very curious as to what other older games would be fun to review. Then, I saw I did not even review a Game Boy game. This game is over thirty years old as I type this! That is just insane! There are four worlds to explore as you stomp many different enemies with your plumbering boots! Luigi did not even exist by this time I think, but Daisy did! For more information, we went to the Mario Wiki!
The Mario Wiki Page
https://www.mariowiki.com/Super_Mario_Land
This game gives you all the information that you need before playing this game. While it is a game with not too many levels, it sold very well. The controls are very basic, but what this game did different compared to other games, was play with the story, add a variety of different levels and monsters. Now, I want to beat up an alien in a spaceship again, as I beat this game as a kid over a hundred times!
Rating
I rate Super Mario Land 1 with an 8,6 before playing
If you want to see Super Mario in a pure form, before all the mascot stuff happened, this is the perfect game!
Story
The story is quite simple but different compared to the Super Mario Bros games!
Mario is visiting a different world this time, as Daisy is in trouble. An alien came from space and is using his hypnotic magic to control the inhabitants of the four kingdoms. And when Mario comes to save Daisy, the alien orders them to attack and kill Mario at any costs.
Rating
I rate the story of Super Mario Land 1 with a 7.3.
If you want to shoot an alien while playing as Mario, this might be the only official game that lets you do that!
Gameplay
The gameplay of Super Mario Land is very simple, you need to maneuver your way through the four kingdoms to save Daisy by defeating the aliens. There are many different enemies, in each world, they change. There is even a walking Moai statue. Yeah, it, can also run, and it is fast! It goes, zoom!
In each world you will find coins, these are useful to gain extra lives, as mistakes can always be made when platforming over the moving platforms. The controls are not perfect, but it works good enough. In the levels you will also find mushrooms to grow, time to get high! When you collect a flower, you can shoot fireballs, a word of advice, don’t touch the living flower, or piranha plants!
At the end of each level, there are two exits, one easy exit, and a hard exit. If you manage to reach the upper exit, classified as a hard exit. You can play a mini-game to earn new levels or a power up! There are also a few levels in which you are a yellow submarine, oh wait, there is no color. Or even an airship! You can shoot bullets to kill the incoming enemies!
Rating
I rate the gameplay of Super Mario Land 1 with an 8.1.
The gameplay might be simple, but heck, this was awesome back in the day, and it still is! Those enemies are so unique, too bad they don’t experiment much these days anymore, it is always the same.
Sound and Graphics
Graphics
Have the graphics aged well? There is no color, but forget about that for a moment. There are four unique kingdoms to explore! Many different enemies that never made a colorful comeback. Amazing backgrounds, there is even an air level that transitions into a space level, where you fight a frigging alien!
Sound
Even the soundtracks are amazing but do you know what even better is? The sound when you jump on some of these annoying enemies. It feels so good to hear that sound, you are victorious!
Rating
I rate the sound and graphics of Super Mario Land 1 with a 9.2.
Who cares about color anyway? As long as the game is fun right? And it runs at 60 frames per second, no just kidding.
What did I think after playing Super Mario Land 1?
It was a lot of fun to revisit this game! Oh, Daisy! And then she turns into a giant spider! Thank you for that image, at least there are no toads in this game. Those goombas do look suspiciously like a walking mushroom! Perhaps, they are toads in disguise! I have to admit, the strangest level is the one with the Moai statues!
It is just weird, how a small game like this, with no color at all, can still ignite that spark that you feel when you boot up that game. The excitement to complete a game, back when games were tested carefully before release. I have to look into other Game Boy games to review, the ones, without color!
Rating
I rate Super Mario Land 1 with an 8.8 after playing
If you do not have a Game Boy lying around, you can probably download RetroArch on Steam to get this working!
What are my personal thoughts about Super Mario Land 1?
I still have memories of playing this game at night, with a flashlight, since, handheld consoles did not always have those bright shiny screens that the kids have these days. We had to see our game by shining a flashlight on it! Yeah, you got used to it! I even had a flashlight under my pillow!
Rating
My personal Super Mario Land 1 with a 9.6.
The good old days, when all you needed to do was game and enjoy!
Last Words
Pros
- Jump on all kinds of exotic monsters!
- Visit unique colorless environments!
- Oh, Daisy, I will save you from the alien!
- Great soundtracks with fitting graphics that aged well.
- This a short game but still fun, if you beat it multiple times in a row, you can select a level!
- Easy to play, hard to master!
Cons
- Where did the color go? (just kidding)
Mario, why the violence? Because, in this era, I can! Nowadays, I just unclog toilets! No more experimenting with strange monsters for me!
Final Rating
8.4
Let me know what you think of Super Mario Land 1 in the comments!
I hope you enjoyed reading this review, I hope to see you in the next review!
If you liked reading this review, maybe you would like to share this review with your friends!
Darks Light
Nice review, I wonder if Luigi will saves Peach in this game worldline instead
supersven
There is a SNES game where Luigi needs to save Mario
Silentrets
Its so old game but i liked this 🙂 Old times...I miss it.
Alex M
I like it
Glyxo
Spasibo!
InSpec
Classic game - old good times when gameplay or plot was preferred over visuals
supersven
The graphics dont bother me, they are good. If the gameplay is good, that is important!
DonCarlos
Nice review, totally agree! I never understood why this game gets dumped on so much, it’s fun and I think all of us aged gamers can appreciate a shorter game, with all the time constraints we have now that we’re older.
supersven
Time constraints are everywhere!
Nicole
This looks like it was a unique Mario game! I love the music in it and different enemies than usual! Super Mario Odyssey must have been referencing this game with the Moai statues 🙂
supersven
This was back in the day when experimenting was allowed more.
Halil KAPLAN
Thanks for review 😉
cassioht
Reading the review and looking at the screenshots, I'm almost sure that I played this game and had the game cartridge. Tried to search but I only found the 3rd game with Wario.
supersven
Yeah, it somewhere turns into wario land!
jett cameron
no cons 8.4
LOL
supersven
No cons does not mean a game is perfect.
Michael Lo
Thanks for the review
fano23
Don't think I have seen this Mario game before, looks good
Myr
Pure childhood nostalgia! ;D
supersven
Nostalgia turned up to the max!
Anton
Pure legend)
Master_zeta
just remembering the pixelated background gives you a hit of nostalgia
supersven
I love nostalgia!
PoeticKatana
It's cool that such an old game is still fun to play.
supersven
I should really review some old school Lord of the Rings games!
azuarmu
nice review
supersven
You are welcome!
AEKZ2
It's such a cool game!