Super Mario Land (Nintendo Game Boy, 1989)

I've played this game for maybe 5 hours now. It's a very fun game and it really works well for an original game boy title. I bought it because people recommended it to me from their experiences and I was intrigued; mainly because it's one of the few mario games I've never played. I would recommend it for a low price including shipping, around 7-8$ is a fair estimate. It's a good time waster and some fun secrets to be found. I really like some of the power-ups, but others should die in a fire. :P

I wish it had continues, or a battery save or something, because I often die halfway through and it makes me sad. Older games are hard people! The worlds are very diverse and fun, the enemies are nice and varied as well, and the most important part, the gameplay is done just right. I actually think this might be one of the best 2D mario games.

If I could play this on my DS Lite, it had continues, and one power-up was slightly changed it would get a 5/5. Instead it's a solid 4/5. Good Job, nintendo, for letting someone other than Shigeru Miyamoto try their hand at this and it turning out great.

Breakdown:

Graphics (3.5/5) Not too big a deal here as you shouldn't expect too much out of a GB anyway.

Game play and Controls: (4.5/5)

Music: (4/5)

Difficulty: 3.5/5

Value: 4/5

Recommended buy price: 6-8$

Hope this helps anyone reading.

This game (along with 'Tetris') kick started the phenomenal success of the 'Gameboy' and led the way for handheld gaming in the years that followed. 'Super Mario Land' might seem basic nowadays, but 20 years ago it was revolutionary and is just as much fun today as it was back then. The game sticks to the traditional Mario formula of side-scrolling, jumping on platforms and enemies and collecting mushrooms and coins. However, there are unmistakable little touches in the 'Gameboy' incarnation. For a start, neither 'Bowser' nor 'Princess Toadstool' are anywhere in sight. Instead the damsel in distress is a girl called 'Daisy' whose origins and place in Mario's life have been hotly contested ever since her appearance. Add to this, a cavalcade of new critters to bash through and a couple of levels where you get to pilot some cool vehicles and you've got yourself a truly classic platformer. Basically, this is another brilliant entry in the continually faultless series of Mario games and a must for fans of the series and video games in general.

Miyamoto, a man of ideas has graced us with great games such as the Mario and Zelda games. Mario's first portable side-scrolling adventure directed by could easily be matched up with Miyamoto's A+ titles. The highlight of this game is that you can take it everywhere. By the time your done using the John, you'll have beaten one of the various creative bosses and reach the elegant Princess Daisy. This game includes various secrets all throughout its vast array of stages, some of which will be hard to find. Some additions to the gameplay include, submarines and Red Baron-esque flight vehicles to traverse the vast sky and sea levels (maybe Mario can't breathe underwater). There are also many new enemies such as exploding Koopas and whoppers who spin their buns at you. This game is truly fun, and I pity those who haven't been able to play it.

Super mario Land came out at the release of the classic gameboy, not created by miyamoto it still hangs on has a really great Mario game because it sticks to the mechanics of what makes a great Mario game and changes them.

For example the graphics look a bit like black and white NES orginal game but you will notice diffrent enemies from the Koopa Troops and stage bosses. Mario power ups still look the same has the orginal but the fire flower now bounces up and around when it hits other platforms, and it can collect coins.

Adding more to the fun is the marine pop and sky pop stages where Mario jumps into a machine and the gameplay turns into shoot em up. It's a great game to play, the only draw back is that it is a bit on the short side with only 16 stages.

Story (3/5): Princess Daisy of Sarasaland has been captured, and it's up to Mario to save her. The story itself is fairly simple, but instead of the Mushroom Kingdom, it takes place in a completely different land. Princess Peach is nowhere to be found, and neither is Bowser, but that's not always a bad thing.

Game Play (5/5): Not much to say about the way the game plays other than awesome. It's a tried and true formula that works especially well for the Super Mario series. In Super Mario Land, however, you get to ride in a submarine and an airplane. This is a break from the traditonal 2D platforming and is much better than it sounds.

There are four worlds with three levels each, and they play like levels from the console versions of Super Mario Bros. Running, jumping on Goombas, Koopas, and avoiding other obstacles in true platforming action.

Controls (4/5): Controls are very simple, D-Pad moves Mario, press A to jump, and hold B to run. The only reason the controls don't get a 5/5 is that jumping isn't as tight as I would like it to be. This can cause some deaths if you're not being real careful.

Graphics (4/5): Graphics are what you would expect from an early Game Boy game, but that it isn't bad. You can easily tell what you can and can't jump on and enemies are all different and unique. Graphics are obviously nothing compared to today's standards, but that doesn't matter if your playing Game Boy.

Sound (5/5): The sound is excellent. Great music that you will likely get stuck in your head for hours on end.

Overall (4/5): If you collect Super Mario games, then this is one you need to have. E-bay is a great place to find this game for a reasonable price, and is sure to make any Mario fan very happy.