This morning, pretty much on a whim, I decided I want to play through Super Mario Bros. I've never completed the game before. Even back when I first tried the game I had very quickly discovered the warp pipes that let you skip levels. I was determined to play through all the worlds without skipping ahead. It was a hard journey but it was a pilgrimage I wanted to take. I feel like I've learned a lot and better appreciate the standard this game set for the genre.
It boggles my mind that anyone could have completed this game when it was first released on the Nes. Thanks to emulator technology I had the ability to save my progress at the start of each new world. Its a good thing to because I'm sure I died over 200 times! I think the hardest part was getting used to the physics. Trying to predict how far Mario would jump and control his momentum was a pain in the butt. That aside the level design was superb. Even though the game was hard it never seemed unfair. Each section proved a challenge but I never felt too overwhelmed.
I liked seeing all the different enemies. You have the Goombas and Koopa Troopas that don't necessary seem like bad guys. They just happened to be in Marios way as he goes about his journey. On the other hand you have Lakitu who seem determined to drop spiked turtles on your head. Then there is the Hammer Bros, the most annoying, spaztastic, infinitely troublesome, rage inducing, little buggers in the whole game. I hardly recall but one or two times I got past those guys without losing my mushroom power-up.
All the while the famous Mario tunes play on repeat from stage to stage. Still as catchy as ever, they helped keep me calm when I was struggling. The sounds of stomping enemies, collecting coins, and obtaining star power are still ever so satisfying. For the technical limitations of the NES Nintendo did a wonderful job constructing this game. From dodging flying Cheep Cheep and Bullet Bills, to carefully timing jumps between floating platforms, to swimming around the Bloopers; the variety was impressive. This game laid the ground work for a series that has continues to this day to evolve and innovate.