Press Start: Super Mario World Review

**My reviews are purely opinion. While I may use some facts such as "this game sold X amount of copies" or "this is one of the best selling games for X console", I will never say "you have to like/hate this game." My review will convey what I like about the game and what I dislike as well as an overview of the game and certain aspects such as story, graphics, gameplay, etc. as well as other aspects that may pertain specifically to the reviewed game. The review score is out of 10; 0 being the worst, 5 being average, and 10 being the best. Note that games that recieve a score of 10/10 may not be perfect, but in my opinion, may be one of the best games on the console, in the genre, or what the history of games has to offer."**

Super Mario World
Platform: SNES (Original), GBA (Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2), Wii (On Virtual Console)
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: 2D Action Platformer
NA Release Date: August 13th, 1991

Super Mario World... is there anything that hasn't been said about this game? Super Mario World is one of the SNES' greatest games and one of Nintendo's finest. It's really one of the few Mario games that can actually stand side by side with Super Mario Bros. 3.

Super Mario World was released back in 1991, alongside the release of the SNES. It's one of the best launch games and even through the SNES years, it remained one of the best.

Now let's move on to the main part of this review, shall we?

Story
Okay, so Super Mario doesn't have an amazing story nor does it have much of a story at all actually. Mario and Luigi are out flying around while Bowser kidnaps Princess Toadstool and the Yoshi eggs. Mario returns to find them all missing and Mario becomes a man on a mission to save Peach and the eggs. In all honestly, the story suits this type of game very well. It's very simple and that's all that's needed.

Graphics
They're bright, they're colourful, and they're easy on the eyes. Super Mario World is one of the best looking games on the SNES with it's child-like appearance that can appeal to anyone. It didn't really push the limits of the SNES but the graphics were far from awful. Definitely one of the better looking games on the SNES library and that's saying something since it was one of the first games to be released.

Music
Kojo Kondo is the composer for Super Mario World as well as a large majority of Nintendo's games. The music in Super Mario World is fitting. It's nice to listen to while playing the game as it suits each level quite well (If the level is bright and colourful, the music is cheery but if it's dark like in a Ghost House or Castle, the music has a darker tone). My one complaint is that the music doesn't really stand out that much. There aren't any tunes that are particularly memorable for me. I know none of the songs will really be stuck in my head unless I'm trying to remember how one of them goes. But, it's all about how it sounds while playing and it sounds great.

Controls
One button to jump, one button to spin jump another button to run and grab things, and a dpad to move. How simple is that? The controls are perfect for this game. No need for button combinations, scrolling through menus, and all that other stuff. Three buttons (Well, some of the other buttons like Select and L/R Trigger have uses, but they're not that important). Easy to learn, easy to master.

Gameplay
This is where Super Mario World shines like a star. It's your simple travel from the left side to the screen to the right side kind of platformer. But everything in between those two sides is awesome. Each level brings something new. There are a large variety of enemies throughout the game, many obstacles to pass, water to swim through, pipes to go down, and so much more. One of the cool things about Super Mario World, which has been a tradition since Super Mario Bros. 3 are the power ups. This time around, Mario can grab a mushroom and become bigger, eat a fire flower and shoot fireballs, and brand new to this game, get a feather and don a cape which allows him to leap into the sky and fly. There's also four different types of Yoshis, each with their own special power. The original Green Yoshi gains power depending on the type of shell in it's mouth. Red Yoshi shoot fireballs, Blue Yoshi grows wings and lets you fly, and Yellow Yoshi stomps on the ground whenever it lands. Each one is useful in different situations but I have to say that Blue Yoshi is probably the best one because being able to fly is incredibly helpful. There is a lot to do in Super Mario World and it's no surprise that the gameplay is top notch. Another nice factor with the gameplay is the enemies. There's a nice variety of enemies in the game that do different things. Some just walk towards you like the Koopa Troopas while others rain fire down on you. Most of the enemies can be taken care of just by jumping on their head but some require the use of one of the powers or Yoshi. The bosses... well the bosses have some interesting quirks about them and how to defeat them but I think they're too easy. Also, some of the later bosses are fought the same was as earlier bosses, just with an added obstacle so there's not a whole lot of variety.

Level Design
Another area where Super Mario World shines. The levels in this game are ingenious. Some of them are simple while others are just mean in design. Some levels have you just running from one end to the other but some levels have you swimming for your life and then there's levels where you're dodging ghosts or traveling across a pool of lava and much more. Not too mention that there are 72 levels in total and 96 exits (some levels have two exits). In my journal for this game, my goal was to find all 96 exits and there's quite a feat, especially if you don't really know where to look but that what makes it challenging and it all adds up to great gameplay.

Multiplayer
There's not a lot to the two player game. One person takes control of Mario while the other takes control of Luigi (In this SNES version, they both are the exact same with a palette swap) and you take your turn until your lose a life. The best way to have fun in 2 player mode is to make a competition out of it and see who can make it the farthest without losing a life. There's also a way to take some of the other player's lives which is fun way to mess with your partner when he's not looking.

Likes: Just about everything about the game. The graphics, the controls, and the gameplay. There's very little wrong with the game. My favourite thing about the game would have to be the Special World levels; 8 levels of madness.

Dislikes: Nothing really. I think the music could be a little more catchier but it's still good regardless.

The the Point: Super Mario World is a superb game. It's got everything a gamer looks in a 2d platformer: good graphics, easy controls, challenges, and awesome gameplay. There's no denying the reasons behind why Super Mario World is so great. If you've never had a chance to play it, you should do so at some point as this is one of Nintendo's best games. If you can't find it on the SNES, there's a "remake" of it for the GBA (Some of the game is slightly changed) and if you own a Wii, you can buy it through the Virtual Console.

Score: 10/10