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Sunday 13 January, 2008
Summary:
You play Mario (duh) and have to make your way through worlds in a typical Mario fashion (except in this game you can turn into not only Fire Mario but also Raccoon Mario, Tanooki Mario, and Frog Mario) until you get to the fortresses at the end in which you have to kill the Koopalings in order get magic wands to save the kings that have been transformed by Bowser. What, no princess to save? I wish. Of course she pops up much later in the game, but whatever.
Gameplay:
I remember this was always my favorite Super Mario Bros. game as a kid, but I couldn't remember much about it other than the fact that you could turn into a raccoon and fly (though this really makes no sense whatsoever). Curious as to whether my love of this game was restricted to simple adorability or actual gameplay, I figured that I would play it again to find out.
First off, the music is incredible. I fell in love with this game all over again just from hearing it. I mean, I know it's basically just a re-hash of the old music, but there are some differences (or my memory is fuzzy). It's a little funky and has some interesting experiments in dissonance that I really appreciate.
The levels are set out in a series of lines that you travel along to get to your next destination: either a level, fortress/mini-fortress, pipe, or a Toad-house. The inclusion of Toad houses are a fun addition, I think, not only allowing you to acquire more items but also breaking up the typical level-level-level progression that these games tend to have.
The story is so-so, though I really appreciate not having to hear about another princess that has to be saved for most of the game. It's not like I'd really be playing Mario games for some superb story or anything. It's just a really fun game to play, and the story is almost nonexistent except to give you some semblance of order.
As far as a two-player game goes, I didn't have anyone around to try it out with (or, at least, anyone who liked video games; my roommate came in once and just looked at me kind of strangely because she hates video games), though I suppose I could have tried it out by playing both players. I'm sure it's just as fun as one-player is, maybe even more when you have someone to make fun of.
All in all, I had a very enjoyable hour or so playing through this very nostalgic game. I really love being able to turn into different animals (and not simply for cute-factor, though the cuteness cannot be denied... except that the frog suit looks like a "onesie" and that's slightly frightening). It really adds a more enjoyable experience to the game, as it allows you many more options than simply "jump up and hit this box." I could play this forever.
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