Mario Bros.

"Mario Bros." from 1983 is a classic that laid the foundation for many platformers. I liked the game for its simple but fascinating gameplay, which made me come back to it again and again. One of the main advantages is the mass of interesting and diverse levels, where each new arena offered unique challenges. From jumping over platforms to destroying turtles, crabs, some butterflies and even incomprehensible brown creatures with menacing eyes - each stage of the game required an increasingly precise reaction and attention to detail.

The graphics are at their best: bright, memorable characters and smooth animations. Mario and Luigi, both heroes of the game, have well-developed movements, and the visual effects of colliding enemies and objects added dynamics. Although the levels may seem simple at first glance, they are filled with various obstacles and enemies, which made the passage of each level interesting and sometimes unpredictable.

The mechanics of jumping deserve special attention. Adjusting to the height and length of the jump was sometimes difficult, but the mechanics of the game, in my opinion, only benefits from this. At more complex levels, skills play a key role.

The music, although minimalistic, created the right atmosphere - the sounds of jumps, attacks and the appearance of enemies fit well into the gameplay, not distracting, but on the contrary, increasing engagement. "Mario Bros." is a perfect example of how a simple game can become an eternal classic thanks to skillful execution and gameplay solutions.

8 out of 10.

After DONKEY KONG JR. had been released, Nintendo had Shigeru Miyamoto to thank again for another brilliant game. Shigeru was thinking about making another game, but this time it would feature Mario as the main character. Before then Mario's name was Jumpman, but Shigeru decided to change it because of a guy who had heavily helped Nintendo (his name was Mario). So it was 1983, and Shigeru was designing his new game but decided that this could be a 2-player game, and Mario's partner would be his brother Luigi, who made his first appearance in this game. Mario was also a plumber now instead of his old job as a carpenter. Mario and Luigi's job was to rid the sewers of the strange creatures that have infested it. This game is loads of fun, it gets more challenging after every phase, and it is a never-ending game, which can give the challenge of seeing how far you can get. MARIO BROS. was released on arcades in 1983 and on the Atari 2600 in 1983. The arcade version is MUCH better, as the Atari's version has horrible graphics, sound, and control. It was also out on the NES by 1986 to let gamers enjoy classic days once again. However, the problem with this game is repetition, you can get bored with the same level over and over and over again. Playing it with a friend can make it less boring, and I think overall this game is pretty good; I rate it 7 out of 10.

This game must be very confusing to the younger generation, weaned on the PSX and its ilk. They've almost never been to an arcade to play anything but fighting games, and long lost battles for high are but a memory, save for some Sega games (eg, Crazy Taxi). So, the point of the game is a high score, not a boss or an end level. It's most enjoyable with two players going at it, knocking each other into enemies and the such. Give it a try, it's old school at its best.

The original Mario Bros. is pretty much THE most simplest, and boring, platformer you're ever likely to come across. Back then, Mario was no more than the tiny little sprite from Donkey Kong (called Jumpman) who vaguely looked like a plumber with red dungarees and a moustache. This time around he's given his own game and a new name and partnered with his brother Luigi (in green dungarees) to erm...not do that much really.

All you do in this game is jump between 3 or 4 different platforms knocking over typical creatures of the Mario franchise. Yup, that's it! That's everything this game is about. I don't know about you but I'd be pretty upset if I paid for this in the arcade, even if it was 1983.

I got this as an extra with Super Mario Advance 4 so at least I never went out of my way to pay for it. And neither should you.

Graphics D Sound D Gameplay F Lasting Appeal F

In your face Sega this was before Sonic & Tails. The secret to this game is teamwork which is hard to achieve especially no thanks to Super Mario Bros. 3 which turns it into a fighting game for cards and position on the map. With a good team this game can be fun for hours with challenge for all ages. My biggest qualm is Nintendo always puts the NES.version in place of the superior arcade version.