Super Mario All-Stars: Four Classic Mario Games in One!
How have I now gone a year of this blog and have yet to talk about one of the biggest faces in video games? Mario has had countless games with most being fantastic. Seeing how it’s Mario day (MAR10), and also the anniversary of The Golden Cartridge, I feel like I got to talk about the red plumber sooner or later. Don’t worry, I got something planned for the 1 year anniversary, but for now, Mario.
But what game do I do? There’s so many great Mario Games that I can go on and on about. My instinct tells me to just talk about the original Super Mario Bros or heck even the original trilogy. But what if there’s a way, I could do all at once and then some? Well lucky for me in 1993, Nintendo released Super Mario All-Stars for the Super Nintendo. Super Mario All-Stars was a compilation of 4 Mario games in one, all with a re-coat of paint to give the games at least a more up to day feel. The line up contains clean ups of Super Mario Bros. , Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros 3, and Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels. What the heck are “the lost levels?” We’ll get to that in a bit.
Now a days, we get so many collections, remakes, and remasters that it’s hard to believe that there was a time where that was not always the case. You had to keep that old system if you wanted to still play those older games. So how do all these remasters of old Mario games hold up? Are they better? worse? do they do the game’s justice?
Super Mario Bros:
Let’s start from the very beginning and look at the remaster of the original Super Mario Bros. Released in 1985, it kicked off the legendary run and put Nintendo on the map. Before this, video games were suffering badly after the video game crash of 1984. To the point that even the term “video games” put a sour flavor in people’s mouth. Why the NES is an “entertainment system” and the system looking nothing like gaming systems of old.
We all pretty much have an idea what the original Mario is. It made the foundation of the 2D platformer. But how does its remake in the Super Mario All-Stars collection hold up. Well I can say it’s a pretty good port… at first.
First thing you will notice is the visuals look much better than they did on the NES thanks to the power of the Super Nintendo. After that it’s pretty much the Mario you all grew up and loved playing. All the secrets and so on are all here. Honestly, I think it’s a great update of the game, but as for an accurate port… there’s a few things I think feel a bit off. First of all, Mario’s momentum feels…weird. I know it was not the best in the original game but it’s very notable here. Also there’s a few issues with the hit detection of enemies. It feels like at times I’ll be a good few pixels from hitting something for it to say, “yeah you hit it, you die”. Kind of annoying but if you’re just a causal gamer (nothing wrong with that) that just wants to play some old classic Mario, this is fine. Just don’t expect something phenomenal or perfect out of it.
Super Mario Bros. 2
Did you know that Super Mario Bros 2 in the US is not really Super Mario Bros 2? This is an ongoing joke with gamers in the years since most know the story, but not everyone so let me explain. Nintendo had a different Mario Bros 2 that felt like the first game but had way harder levels, and some of these levels are brutal. When Nintendo of America got the game, they were flabbergasted and thought it was some kind of sick joke that they really expected to drop this brutally hard game on a US audience. There was a fear that the game would be too hard and would turn people away from Mario, and there was just too much risk in that for that point in time for Mario. So there was an idea to turn a different platformer game in Japan known as “Yume Kojo Doki Doki Panic!” So, the idea? Slap some Mario characters in there and presto, US Super Mario Bros. 2! If you ever wondered why Mario 2 felt like the weird one of the Mario trilogy, this is likely why.
As for the All-Stars port, it’s pretty good. I don’t feel like the issues of the first Mario Bros on this collection are here and honestly might be the best way to play Yume Kojo Do… I mean Mario 2. Japan would get the US version of Mario 2 as it was called “Super Mario Bros. USA”.
Mario 2 you can play as four characters. Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Toadstool (Peach now a days). Mario was your basic middle of the road character. No real gimmicks here. Luigi felt like he was always on ice but had a much better jump than Mario. Princess Toadstool could over with her jump for a short time, very handy for some platforming areas, however her speed of plucking plants (a common thing you have to do in this game) was very slow and she could not throw them far. That’s where my man Toad comes in. Toad is not the fastest or can jump the highest, but he can pull plants quickly and chuck those babies over them mountains. I mostly went with Luigi or Toad for my adventure. Like I said there’s more focus on throwing things and doing problem solving. You have hearts as appose to the big/small damage system Mario is mostly known for. There’s tons of secrets and fun things to find as you go on your quest.
As it is quite different than the other Mario games in this set, I still really enjoy Mario 2. My first experience was in fact the Gameboy Advance port, that still holds up. If you’ve never played Super Mario Bros 2 US, then I’d say try it if you’re into 2D Mario. It’s a fun little gem.
Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels
So, if we got a different game for Super Mario Bros. 2, what about that brutally hard Mario game? Well, this is where you are in luck. Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels is in fact Japan Super Mario Bros. 2. Lost levels uses the Mario 1 system for this so sadly some of the issues I have with that part are here too. But this was the first time US players could play the game Nintendo thought would be too hard for 1989, and honestly… I don’t blame them. This game is BRUTAL. There are now poison mushrooms that will kill you instead of power you up. A few extra puzzles solving platforming, and some levels even having a wind mechanic that you can use to your advantage or can be used against you. Normally when you game over in Mario, you have to start from the very start of the game. Luckly for Lost Levels it’s just the start of the world. So at least there’s SOME mercy here. There’re times the game is just flat out rude, one of the biggest ones is a legit fake Bowser at the final level.
Overall, it’s more Mario with a someone sadistic spice to it. If you ever thought the original was just a bit too easy or are up for a challenge? Then Mario the Lost Levels is just the game for you. Just fair warning, it’s no walk in the park and it’s clear to see why Nintendo of America were very concerned about this game at first and why we just now got this game in 1993.
Super Mario Bros. 3
Well, here it is. What many say is the magnum Opus of the Nintendo Entertainment System. To be honest, this part of the review might just turn into more of a Mario 3 review in itself. Again, Mario 3 to many is the peak of 2D Mario. The game has a stage play gimmick to it that’s kind of cool. Instead of going level to level in order, you are put on a world map that’s kind of like a board game. You can pick different paths in order to advance to the castle of the world. Beat one of Bowser’s evil 7 Koopa kids and advance to the next world. These Koopa kids are the bosses of each world and could be what blocks you between beating that hard level or defeat. Bowser not winning any father of the year awards here. However, there might be other baddies on the board as well that walk around after each level. Running into them might result in a mini boss fight with some hammer bros or a different kind of bad guy. Beating them can land you a cool item.
Another thing this game has is in item inventory. Now you can win items by mini games or whatnot. So, if you wanted to start that first level with a Star or get an early advantage with a fire flower, you can. Just use your items wisely because once you use them, it’s gone. There are also new items such as a frog suit that makes Mario swim in water better. Or the Tanuki Suit, that with enough speed can make Mario fly for a short while.
There are tons of gimmicked worlds in Mario 3. It starts simple but then goes into more elaborate themes such as a beach/sea theme, and ice world, a world that feels like a giant pipe maze, and at last Bowser’s Dark World that’s about as close as being in hell in a Mario game as you can get. These late levels are also hell themselves. Only the best Mario players can conquer these brutal challenges.
As for gameplay, it’s 2D Mario at some of its best. Feels great, plays great, and the All-Stars port is no different. Honestly if you are going to play any version of Mario 3, the All-Stars version might be the way to go. It’s easy to see why Mario 3 is acclaimed as one of the greatest video games of all time and this All-Stars port does the game justice.
In the end Mario All-Stars is a great game if you are into classic 2D Mario. It’s nice to have a collection with updated graphics of the first three games and getting the never before seen in the US lost levels also. All-Stars also has a save feature for each game, so don’t feel like you have to do an entire game in one sitting. This is really helpful if you’re playing Mario 2 or Mario 3 for the first time without much experience of the games. They are not perfect or flawless ports but for a casual Mario player it won’t be too noticeable and the hit detection issues are not horrible but like I said there are a few “how did that hit me?!” moments at times. If you want even more Mario for your buck, some versions of Mario All-Stars come with Super Mario World, so it’s pretty much the entire main line Mario experience up to that point in one cartridge.
Nintendo even did a “Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition” in 2010 for Mario’s 25th anniversary. That comes with a CD with All-Stars, a booklet showing the history or Mario’s last 25 years, and a music CD with some of the best tracks in the Mario universe. This might be the version to get since there’s tons of extra stuff but it’s mainly made to be a collection item and as you may guess, comes at a hefty price 14 years after the release. If you want some good classic 2D Mario games on the Super Nintendo all in one package, Super Mario Bros. All-Stars is a great way to go if you just want to experience old school Mario again or as a first timer. Ports are not perfect but I would not call them bad at all. No doubt a collection worth having in your gaming library.
