Video game #2 on the day. I've had many conversations about video games with Stan, and the guy couldn't believe that I had never played Super Mario World. Must've been an integral piece of his childhood. Anyway, he drew my name in a recent Secret-Santa amongst a few of our friends, and sue to this he got me Super Mario World's port on the GBA. I attempted to play it once, but when my old DS failed, I had to wait to get a Game Boy Micro. Now that I have it, I was able to finish the job. So what's the verdict? Did it blow me away? Well, no. It's an old SNES game ported onto a last-gen system. But can I understand its importance? Hell yes. It seems like a fairly logical progression from Super Mario Bros 3 but is improved in all sorts of ways. First off, the introduction of Yoshi, the asexual dinosaur known for swallowing enemies whole. The thing is, I barely remember using Yoshi at all- Mario handled like a dream, but Yoshi seemed slow and unwieldy. I'm sure with a few more hours of gameplay I would have been a pro with him, but most of the time when he was unnecessary I went without. The levels here were great though- difficult at times, but always fair. Also of note is that there were a number of different paths to take- a facet of the Super Mario series since the first Bros. incarnation, sure, but never pulled off as well as this. Levels had a number of entrances and exits, and it seems safe to say that no one's first playthrough will consist of quite the same levels. That's what really made this game fun for me, I think- every now and then I'd stumble upon a hidden exit that rewarded me with a huge jump in progress. Needless to say, they were satisfying to find. The cartoony graphics and now-classic soundtrack hold up well after all these years, and it seems that the game hasn't suffered at all from its transition to handheld. I guess with this game you know what you're going to get- none of the games in the Mario series have let me down (haven't played Sunshine), and Super Mario World can certainly stand up with all the other greats.
Everything you've said about the timelessness of the game - soundtrack, multiple paths, Mario's pristine handling - ring true. It might not have blown you away - and who could blame you for that in 2010? - but I appreciate that you appreciate the game. I know Back-Blogged is all about beating games with no regard to 100% completion, but honestly, consider returning to this one eventually. I may be wrong, but I don't believe you ever found Star Road, which quite frankly is what puts the game over the edge for me. It's five hidden levels that you can find via one another or via various points on the world map, and each one has a challenging (read as: fun) path to the "secondary" finish lines you mentioned. Completing all five then begets another world entirely with levels called "Tubular" and other similar '80s slang terms. Those levels are TOUGH and well worth the time it takes to find them.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, glad you enjoyed it.