Mario's first entry into the 16-bit era provides pure fun and enjoyment for anyone.
Super Mario World is Mario's first adventure into the 16-bit era and it does not disappoint. It's more of the same Mario jumping action we all love, but with some added elements and clever game design. Super Mario World stays true to the basic mechanics of the NES games, but there are some changes. One of the most notable changes is the new character Yoshi, whom Mario can hop on and take for a ride. Yoshi can eat various enemies and also Koopa Shells and depending on the color, it can grant him different abilities. For example, a Blue Shell allows Yoshi to fly, a Red Shell lets him spit out a fireball, and so on. Yoshi can also act as a buffer when getting hit by an enemy. Usually, when Mario gets hit he loses whatever ability he has, but while on Yoshi, he just gets dislodge.
Mario's abilities are not as abundant as it was in Super Mario Bros 3. All he has is the traditional fireball and a cape. The cape works similar to the Raccoon Suit, but now Mario can fly great lengths at a time. It's kinda disappointing that there are not as many new abilities in this game as there was in the previous Mario game.
It has very good level designs that get a little complex as you go along. The real challenge though lies in the Star Road Special Levels – very tricky. Certain levels in the game have 2 exits and most of the time each exit leads to another level or another path. These levels can be hidden and require some searching. Other than that, the game is fairly easy and enjoyable.
Pros:
- More of the same Mario action we all love.
- Great level design
- Great soundtrack
Cons:
- Not as many suits as SMB 3