Super Mario World (Super Nintendo) Review
~by tankMage (October 2023)
Score: 9.8/10
Pros
-Excellent level design
-Plenty of hidden areas to explore
-Music and sound effects are perfect for a Super Mario Bros. game
-Amusing setting
-Yoshi
Cons
-Limited selection of power ups
-Bosses are a bit underwhelming
Rescue the Princess from Bowser, but with dinosaurs this time!
I put off playing or reviewing Super Mario World for a long time, because every SNES fan has probably played it. As the years passed it started to bug me that there was a very obvious hole in my catalog where SMW should be, so here it is…
Super Mario World is a great platformer and one of the best Mario Bros. titles ever made. I prefer Super Mario Bros. 3, but I love this game too and I have to admit it polished up a lot of the ideas explored by its predecessor and even improved upon them. The stages are beautifully designed with clever secrets, tricky traps, and even hidden exits that unlock special levels. There’s also Yoshi, a gimmicky little dino that nevertheless adds a lot to the gameplay as well as a new cape power for Mario. If that’s not enough, players can challenge a special, super secret area called the Star World. Yep, SMW is nearly perfect.
Story
Well, there’s not much of a story. Bowser got the Princess again and Mario is in Dinosuar Land somehow. No one cares about Mario Bros. plots anyway, so it’s fine. One thing I will say for the story is that there’s a bit of exposition after every castle where Mario has to fight one of the Kooplings (Bowser’s kids) that adds flavor to story. It’s not much, but it doesn’t get in the way of the action either.
Graphics
Super Mario World was a launch title, so it’s not the best looking Super Nintendo game. That said, it looks nice aside from a few awkward sprites (Princess Peach or Toadstool or whatever her name is looks like she had a rough time in Bower’s castle) and primitive Mode 7 effects. To be fair, Mode 7 was primitive looking in general, even when the SNES was new.
Even with its disadvantages, there are a lot of really nice looking stages and effects. Tiny stars pop up when Mario gabs a Yoshi coin, there’s all sorts of map tiles, and the visual theme of the game feels really cohesive overall. It’s also worth noting that this game puts some later SNES titles to shame even though it was released at launch.
Music and Sound Effects
As far as Mario Bros. soundtracks go, this one is one of the best. The music is spirited and very catchy. Be prepared to have things like the stage clear jingle stuck in your head, because it’s pretty much a perfect way to end every level. The sound effects are also just about perfect, my favorite being the hollow thunk that you get from bouncing off certain objects and the “pop!” that plays when Mario lands a spin jump on some unfortunate Koopa Troopa.
User Interface
The controls are great, but I will say Mario builds a lot of momentum when moving and it can be difficult to get used to if you are more familiar with his other adventures. The map also kind of sucks if you have to backtrack for power ups. However, there are plenty of shortcuts that make backtracking less annoying if you are good about finding secret stages. They also added a nifty feature that allows players to leave completed stages by pressing Start and Select, which makes searching for hidden exits easier.
Gameplay
This game is one of the best 2D platformers ever made thanks to some tight level design, creative bad guys, and a slew of hidden things to hunt down. From the very start of the game, players are given choices and can explore the game in a semi-open fashion that suits their own style. For example, players who just want to beat the game quickly can blast through the stages to the end in a fairly short amount of time, but those who wish to explore will find special keyholes that can be unlocked with a key hidden in certain stages. Discovering an alternate exit usually unlocks a secret stage. The game also does a good job hinting at secrets, since stages with two exits are red and those with one are yellow on the map.
Every one of the game’s areas has a great finale, since Mario has to get through a castle and battle one of Bowser’s brood. This culminates in a cool final battle with Bowser himself at the end of his own castle. Players will also have to clear Ghost Houses that are often puzzles with hidden exits as well as Fortresses that block the way to secret places. Those who are really adept at exploring will find a series of fairly tough levels tucked away in the Star Road.
One complaint I have about this game is the power up system, which sucks compared to SMB3. Mario only gets a cape (which is admittedly a cool power) and his good old fireball power. That’s it. Yoshi has his own abilities, which add a lot to the action, but they just don’t make up for a lack of interesting powers like the Tanooki or Hammer Bros. Suits. This is a mild complaint, however. As I said, the cape is really fun to use and Yoshi helps makes up for the lack of special powers for Mario even if it isn’t quite good enough for my taste.
Final Thoughts
Super Mario World is one of the reasons to play SNES as far as I’m concerned. It’s fun, simple, and even challenging at times. It also feels very complete as a game since the devs didn’t have to cut many corners.
Recommendations
I’m not sure what you’re waiting for if you haven’t played this classic game yet. Super Mario World won’t disappoint, trust me.
Thanks for reading my Super Mario World review!