Super Mario Brothers

From Mario - NeoWiki

Super Mario Bros.
Cover of the North American version of the game
Developer	Nintendo
Publisher	Nintendo
Platforms	NES
Release Date	NA: October 18, 1985

Super Mario Bros. was the game that helped fuel Nintendo's success at resurrecting the video game industry. It is the successor to the Nintendo arcade classic that was simply called Mario Bros. It came packaged with the Nintendo Entertainment System, so it's very easy to find a copy today. The game was also bundled in a single cart with two other games: A Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt cartridge as well as a Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, and World Class Track Meet combination cart. It is the very best selling game of all time and has sold over 40 million copies.

Story

The protagonist Mario, and his brother Luigi (if playing a two player game) must rescue Princess Toadstool of the Mushroom Kingdom from the evil turtle king Bowser.

Gameplay

The game's gameplay is very simple, and it's this pick-up-and-play simplicity that is the main appeal of the game. Mario is able to run, jump, swim, and shoot fireballs from his hands. There are 8 worlds to traverse, each one steadily increasing in difficulty. The player earns points for defeating enemies and collecting coins or other items.

Items

There are various items the player can collect to give him or her an advantage while playing the game.

Coins

Coins are scattered all over the Mushroom Kingdom. Collecting 100 of these will gain Mario an extra life.

Super Mushroom

The Super Mushroom increases Mario's size so that he may take an extra hit before he is killed.

Fire Flower

The Fire Flower grants Mario the ability to shoot fire from his hands. The fireballs can defeat most enemies instantly. When Mario gets hit, he reverts back to small Mario and needs to collect another Super Mushroom before another Fire Flower becomes available.

1-Up Mushroom

This green mushroom gives Mario an extra life as soon as he touches it.

Enemies

The game has a variety of enemies, each of which requires a different strategy in order to defeat them.

Goomba

The Goomba is the walking mushroom-like creature that Mario faces from the start of the game. Goombas can be defeated from jumping on their heads.

Koopa

Koopas are the turtle creatures. When the player jumps on one, they hide in their shell. The shell can be kicked to defeat enemies, but it can also hurt Mario if it bounces back and hits him.

Piranha Plant

These evil plants live inside pipes and will pop out and damage Mario. They can only be defeated by using a fireball. To keep them from popping out, either stand on top of the pipe or right up against it.

Hammer Bros.

The Hammer Bros. can be one of the most difficult enemies in the game. They can throw hammers and jump around, and usually show up in pairs, making them formidable foes. Luckily they can be killed by simply jumping on them, hitting a block underneath them, or hitting them with a fireball.

Buzzy Beetle

Buzzy Beetles have thick shells and cannot be defeated by fireballs. Otherwise, they are similar to Koopas: their shells can be used as weapons.

Bullet Bill

Bullet Bills are fired from cannons and can damage Mario if he does not jump on their heads. They are helpful to reach higher places or cross a large gap.

Cheep-Cheep

One of the underwater dangers that Mario faces. When underwater, this fish can only be defeated by a fireball. In later overworld levels, however, it jumps from the water. In this case, it can be defeated by jumping on it.

Blooper

Bloopers are squids that swim in an irregular pattern underwater. Like the Cheep-Cheeps, they can only be killed by fireballs while underwater. Like Cheep-Cheeps, they also appear above ground and are defeated by a simple jump on the head in this state.

Bowser

Bowser appears at the end of each of the 8 worlds in a castle. He can be defeated either by shooting him with multiple fireballs, or by collecting the axe behind him to cut down the bridge he stands on.

Major portions of this page were written by: Subtle Demise