It's worth playing if you're interested in playing as Mario with a sword.
Sound 7/10, The music is really what drives the environment, considering the graphical limitation. The two problems with the sound over all, however, are that there aren't enough sound effects. There's also a song that plays over and over and over whenever you're close to death, and if you're anything like me, that'll be about half the time. This still can't take away from the fact that this game has some awesome music, particularly outside of Malkil's castle.
Graphics 7/10, The graphics were good, but nothing amazing. The sky and background were usually pitch black, making it hard to picture the stage as anything but an ugly cave. The monsters had neither noticeable animation nor memorable appearance. The character himself, on the other hand, had numerous animations, including about three different attacks, jumping, ducking, and falling. Bosses, like monsters, were forgettable and undetailed.
Gameplay 9/10, What the other elements of the game lack, the gameplay itself more than makes up for. The game wasn't hard, like I said, which was mostly because you had unlimited lives, a long life bar, and an easily obtained shield that can guard against almost any projectile in the game. Fighting itself was fun, and a bit more 'logical' than in other games, because when a monster runs into your sword, it still will take some damage.
Overall 8/10