The original and best
The name of Mario is one which is pretty much synonymous with video gaming, and he's the industry's first true megastar who still commands a hefty audience today. This port here is the game which really blasted the little guy into the stratosphere and ensured his legacy by simply being a well crafted platformer that is never less than entertaining to play. It introduced many of the elements which we now take for granted in a Mario game and which have been adopted, imitated or just plain copied in titles like Jazz Jackrabbit and Skunny. Surprisingly enough, it remains as good as everyone says it is and so is well worth a look today. The story finds the Princess being captured by the evil Bowser and so it falls to Mario and Luigi to step and rescue her. This involves navigating your way through a series of classic side scrolling platform levels which are packed with turtles, secrets, bosses and powerups, including the now legendary mushrooms and stars. Super Mario Bros certainly lacks the sheer speed and intensity of Sonic but it's this more considered gameplay which is at the game's appeal. Every level, enemy, power up and boss is just perfectly designed and positioned and for a masterclass in level design, you could do far worse than examine this game intently. The character design is also superb, with so many memorable bad guys who are just charming and full of personality, while the music is equally as catchy and which suits the mood perfectly. When you throw in the perfectly judged difficulty curve and the myriad secrets to discover, you're left with a bona fide classic.
