Super Mario World Review

1991: A time I wasn't even alive. Back then, you had 2 consoles. The Genesis or the Super Nintendo. You also had the Atari Jaguar, but that sucked. One of the very first titles released for the SNES was Mario World. Now, I don't actually own a SNES, so I went the cheap route and will be discussing the GBA version. If there are any differences, I will bring notion to it.

Super Mario World is the 4th game in the classic Mario series. Mario is on a trip to Dinosaur Land, and Princess Peach gets kidnapped once again. Personally, I think it'd be cooler if they went to Jurassic Park and Mario had to kill a bunch of large dinosaurs that were out for blood. Ignoring my fantasies, Mario World is pretty different from the traditional NES titles. For starters, Mario's control is much better. Unlike the NES games,*cough* LOST WORLDS *cough*, when I jump, I feel as if I'm in complete control. Mario has just the right amount of momentum, and if you die, it was most likely your fault, and not sloppy controls. Since we're on the SNES, we have more buttons to work with. By pressing A, Mario will do a spin-jump. This new maneuver allows for Mario to either bypass certain obstacles with a simple jump or break certain blocks in their entirety.

By using the new L and R buttons, you can move the camera in order to get a better view of their surroundings, but this feature is not very useful. On the top of the screen, you have an inventory, or the backup item. If you pick up a powerup when you already have one, your current powerup is put into the inventory box. You can release the item by pressing "select" or getting hit. Returning from Mario 3 are the Koopalings, who are really easy. As a matter of fact, every boss in the game is. Even the big baddie Bowser himself!The bosses are indeed the worst part of the game. Sorry Bowser, you and your team need a better strategy.

Children, don't worry! All the classic items are back! The Super Mushroom, Starman, Fire Flowers, Yoshi WAIT! What the heck is a Yoshi? Well, Yoshi is a green dinosaur, who him and his friends have been kidnapped by Bowser. When you release a Yoshi from a block, you can ride on him. By pressing B (on GBA), Yoshi can stick out his tongue and swallow enemies whole. If he can't swallow it, he holds it in his mouth. This mostly applies to Koopa Shells. Green shells are projectiles, red shells allow Yoshi to shoot fireballs, blue shells allow Yoshi to fly, and yellow shells allow Yoshi to ground pound. Later on in the game you can collect different colored Yoshi's which can do one of these abilities with any colored shell. The other new powerup is the cape feather. I've already discussed this in my Top 10 Powerups List, but I'll give you the basic idea. By running fast, jumping, and occasionally pressing left, Mario can fly. Already, that is awesome. Mario can also glide, kill every enemy on screen, and whip people with his trusty cape. Sweetness, huh?

The only downside to the powerup selection is that all the unique suits in Mario 3 are gone. However, this doesn't hinder the experience, because the game is a blast in it's own right. Who cares, the cape feather and Yoshi work just fine. The level designs have also been revamped. Rather than being flat-lands with a couple nooks and crannies, Mario World has branching paths, higher routes, hidden rooms, shortcuts, and much more make this game have level design which kind of reminds me of Sonic, but with Mario.

Finally, Mario World's atmosphere is top-notch! The graphics are so simple, yet reflect a mood of adventure. Everything is bright and really catches your interest. The music is also great! It is upbeat and catchy and it is very fun to listen to. The SNES sound is always great, and this is no exception. So, my final summary is that Super Mario World is a fantastic game in it's own right. I'm not that great at the old school Mario games, but I still think this is an A+ title that Nintendo pulled out all the stops for! My only problem is that some powerups are broken beyond recognition and the bosses are pathetic. Even if you aren't a Mario fan, this is a title anybody can enjoy. I'm SegaFanatic, and see you all later! Peace!