Impressive software is vital for a console's launch, and the powerful one-two combination of the Mode 7 razzmatazz in F-Zero and sublime gameplay in Super Mario World ensured that Nintendo's November 1990 Japanese launch of the Super Famicom would sting its Mega Drive and PC Engine competition from the outset.
Since then gamers have deservedly showered Super Mario World in accolades – just one example is the readers' votes for Issue 150 of Retro Gamer magazine, declaring Nintendo's side-scrolling platformer as number one in their '150 Greatest Games Ever' list. Over the years, hundreds of video games can reasonably be considered as a 'classic', but only a limited few like Super Mario World are a masterpiece.
Released seven months before SEGA's comparably impactful Sonic the Hedgehog, upon first embarking on Mario's adventure the game instantly stood out with its world map of Dinosaur Land presenting pathways through intriguing locations like Donut Plains, Vanilla Dome, Cheese Bridge, the Forest of Illusion and Chocolate Island. All of these routes led to the daunting Valley of Bowser to rescue Princess Toadstool. In each area dwells the Koopalings' castles – as Iggy, Morton, Lemmy, Ludwig von, Roy, Wendy O. and Larry were quirkily named after musicians, just like the boss group of Triceratops named Reznor – as well as mystery-door-solving Ghost House puzzles to explore.
Initially, Super Mario World's graphics weren't a technical showcase for the new SNES hardware based upon flashy effects, but it's a delightful-looking 16-bit game for its subtleties. These visual niceties include the vibrant use of colour, alongside cute animation details like teeny Mario's rapid feet while sprinting, or the plumber punching Yoshi's head to fire his tongue out, and holding up V for victory fingers upon course completion.
Effects like the transparent foreground clouds outside each Ghost House are effective, as well as charismatic sprites like the peek-a-boo Big Boo. There's a bold, striking simplicity to the pure white clouds over Cheese Bridge or the imagination behind Chocolate Island, which contrasts with the Mode 7 showmanship of the final Bowser boss battle, as he zooms in and out of the screen in a clown-faced copter. These creative locations carried over successfully when Super Mario Kart was also set in Dinosaur Land two years later.
Koji Kondo excelled himself with his Super Mario World compositions, from the iconic theme found in the Yoshi's Island 1 course, to the glorious piano in the Yoshi's Island 3 stage. The soundtrack is also diverse enough to alter its mood in each eerie Ghost House, plus the mysterious Forest of Illusion map tune, and rescuing Yoshi trapped inside an egg results in a charming drumbeat change into funky Soca beats. There's even a sense of triumphant joy during the quirky, hyperactive end credits music, which settles into beautiful melancholy when the adventure is over and Mario is back at Yoshi's House.
Side-scrolling Mario games have always innovated with diverse power-ups to the point that some like the Super Mushroom, Fire Flower and Super Star are standardised. However, Super Mario World continued to be inventive with new additions like the P-Balloon and the cape-endowing Feather – which saw Mario sprinting with arms outstretched, soaring skywards, dive-bombing and then flying upwards again for a satisfying glide. The Cape Feather was so much fun that its concept was recreated in Batman: Arkham City. And let's not forget the impact that Yoshi made; a ridable power-up ally who changed the game and would inspire titles like Donkey Kong Country.
Controls are perfect throughout, with Mario sliding down hills to butt crush enemies, spin-jumping on top of green bubbles in Vanilla Ghost House, carrying enemies as a defensive shield, or tapping the jump button to float gradually with the Cape Feather over lava Blarggs and Cheese Bridge chainsaws. If you're a fan of the creation tools in Super Mario Maker 2, Super Mario World's imaginative courses are an immaculate example of Nintendo's design expertise, especially the layout of the challenging castles.
The game is packed with perks, from collecting five Dragon Coins for an extra life to breaking exit gate tape as high as possible to collect 100 Goal Stars for a Bonus Game. The game is also generous with 1-Up Mushrooms with a limit of 99 lives, although they reset to five starting lives when rebooting a save made after beating a Ghost House or castle.
Its design brims with long-lasting appeal, from finding exclamation blocks that link to Switch Palaces and trigger new platforms, to red spots on the map tantalising the possibility of secret routes and concealed keys, including unlocking the fabled Star World – which in itself hid more 'Special' surprises. The ultimate aim is to uncover all 96 exits that lead to a total of 72 courses. Subsequently, Super Mario World is meticulously designed for gamers who relish searching for secrets.
Takashi Tezuka, game director of Super Mario World, explained in a 2017 Nintendo.com interview that "development was shorter than for Super Mario Bros. 3." However, he elaborated that "launch titles are the first games that let players try the new hardware's features, so they benefit in being able to surprise many players who are experiencing those features for the first time."
While some may argue that Super Mario World was a refinement of the series in comparison to how the second and third games distinctly innovated on previous gameplay mechanics, in any case, Super Mario World was an outstanding SNES launch game that fine-tuned the exemplary gameplay established in Super Mario Bros. 3. Earning a prestigious second place in our poll of the 20 debut SNES Games On Nintendo Switch Online, revisiting Super Mario World is an essential way of experiencing a triumph in 16-bit platforming.
Conclusion
While many retro games can claim to be a classic, not many are a solid gold masterpiece. Super Mario World is a masterclass in side-scrolling platforming design, to the point that modern 2D game developers should be encouraged to study it as a pre-requisite of mastering their craft. The artistry on display here is not just the way Koji Kondo's tunes fit perfectly with Dinosaur Land's locations in its creative world map – with courses that were presented with subtle 16-bit graphical flair for the November 1990 launch of the Super Famicom – but its success as an outstanding video game is predominantly due to stellar course design and its tantalising 96 level exits. It's the hidden gameplay surprises that keep you playing and returning for more, so it's the secrets that are ultimately Super Mario World's 'special' sauce.
Comments 145
Removed - unconstructive
One of the best games ever made! 👌
I’m pretty sure I can play this game blind folded. SMB3 and SMW were a one-two punch that changed my whole trajectory. Lifelong Nintendo fan because of these games.
The soundtrack I think is pretty good, possibly the best of classic 2d Mario
It’s still the greatest 2D platformer of all time for me, only really Sonic 2 and CD come close. Can’t believe I never noticed that the triceratops was called Reznor, despite being a big fan of NIN (or the first two albums at least).
This might be the best 2d platformer ever, certainly from that era. If you include 3d is still rank Mario 64 a little higher.
I'm sorry but this game deserves my lowest rating ever. 7 thumbs up!
I'm usually quick to point out things that haven't aged well in old games.
But to this day this game absolutely deserves a 10/10. I can't think of a single flaw with it.
@BarefootBowser
Did you know what i meant rush ?
I tend to run fast in order to finish one stage. I pressed B button to keep Mario run faster. And after i finished one until three stages, sometimes i felt enough to continue the game. I already felt want to play another games after playing several stages from 2D platformer with Time limit.
I couldn't enjoy really much platformer with Time Limit.
I wasn't really patient enough to play Platformer games.
Contrary with other 3D platformer with NO Time Limit. I could enjoy the scenery, exploring the world like Open World style.
Because of that i gave 7 / 10 for not really engaging with the game. Sometimes i ignored my Platformer games for very long time due to my feeling like already content and don't need to continue at the moment. If i gave a score 10 /10 , that means i LOVE the game and will play them religiously everyday or every weekend, like DDR.
Crazy how many 10/10 games are on the SNES Online app. This, Yoshi's Island, Super Metroid, Zelda. And there are even more such SNES games that haven't been added yet.
One of the best games ever made, easily a 10/10.
I haven’t replayed the entire game in quite some time, but I remember how great it was for the time. I’d love to be able to do Star World again, but I forgot how to access all the levels.
This is my favorite Mario game if only because the map. I just love the map.
Still hasn’t been bettered imo as the best 2D platformer ever...
And yet the Switch version of Link’s Awakening got a 9/10 when both the Game Boy and Game Boy Color versions got 10/10
Great game, bought it on launch back in the day..
Great game. 10/10
The Snes is full of 10/10 games
Timeless classic
I find myself replaying it from time to time and, while the challenge is almost gone, I have almost the same fun I had in day one.
People commented this was the last good Mario sidescroller adventure. I agree the "New" series is terrible, but I'm obliged to point out Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is as deserving of a 10/10 as well
I didn’t have a SNES, but this was my first GBA game and it was my favorite. It accidentally got ruined while I was doing laundry, so I bought it on the Wii VC (I was disappointed by the lack of an intro and the fact that I couldn’t be Luigi, but still brilliant). I now have it (both SNES and GBA) on the Wii U VC. I have Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World on the SNES Classic.
Just started this game this morning after beating Yoshi's Island (an even better game in my opinion). Good times
Perfect gaming bliss, this is never a 7 out of 10! X 10 out of 10 at least. We all have fun from different games. I have never even been that bothered to find all the exits but still amazing. This super Metroid and lttp is my holy trinity x
The bias and rose tinted glasses in this "review" actually hurt.
Super Mario World is a good game but it's no 10/10 masterpiece.
Some of the recent NintendoLife reviews feel like "A fanboy with a platform" and not an accurate reflection of their opinions.
Though, anyone who thinks any game is a perfect masterpiece should not be writing game reviews as that opinion is not capable to accurately discuss both a game's good points and flaws fairly.
Every single game has flaws. The reviews should mention what they are.
Honestly Digital Foundry do better reviews without even trying to do reviews.
@ALinkttPresent
Proof that review scores are worthless numbers that do not reflect at all how good or bad a game is.
@Savino your first two sentences are contradicting mate ...
I can’t believe just the box for this game is worth more than the game cartridge itself several times over.
@Darlinfan
I think game genre also my biggest factor to be engaged in games.
For me: Life Simulation, House designing, Rhythm , Sandbox >>> RPG > Party, Misc > Strategy > Platformer > Sports > Action, Adventures
This just left my jaw on the floor when I first clapped eyes on it. The graphics were amazing...but the sound was something else. It just left the Megadrive in the dust - no way could it compete with the sounds and effects of Nintendo's system. I always looked at Sega's machine as second choice after indulging in sessions on this, Final Fight, Ghouls and Ghosts and Streetfighter 2. I love the SNES.
This game is the main platformer responsible for my love of Mario. I can't count how many hours I spent in my aunt's basement (who babysat me a lot as a kid) reading through their collection of books and playing her kids' SNES. This, Super Mario All-Stars, Donkey Kong Country, and the SNES version of Toy Story kept me quite preoccupied and helped cement my love of gaming.
To this day, it's still my favorite 2D Mario platformer. The game has aged well and is still insanely fun to revisit every once in awhile. I still occasionally find a secret I missed before.
The game deserves the high praise, but the emulation with the Switch version needs improvement. A few levels are a little laggy.
A truly elite game. I can still sit down with this one to this day and it’s still such an amazing platforming experience.
I predicted this to be a 10/10. Especially since I remembered the review of Super Mario Advance 4: SMB 3. I don’t know if it’s the same reviewer but if they liked that game so much they’d probably love this the same.
This and Mario Bros. 3 are still the perfect games to me.
Just let me be old and nostalgic in peace.
Updated reviews? What's the point?
I'm a bit late arriving here with over 40 comments already posted, but if anyone has any questions, please let me know.
I actually have a question for the Nintendo Life community regarding Super Mario World.
I've owned many versions of this game over the years, and I played both my PAL SNES cartridge and the Switch Online version for this review.
Anyway, every time I played I would build up extra lives by using a technique for hoarding a limit of 99 lives. I would leave Donut Plains 1 early after collecting the Feather by pressing Start and Select, and then fly upwards in the Donut Ghost House to collect four extra lives.
However, on both my PAL SNES cartridge and the Switch Online version if I returned to a game later after saving in a Ghost House or a castle, and then if I rebooted my game, all my lives would be lost and reset to a basic amount of five lives.
Yet, I have a Mandela Effect-like memory of playing Super Mario World in the 1990s, and I half-remember the game cartridge saving my 99 lives even after I had turned my SNES console off. Perhaps I had just left my console on without resetting the lives, because I had a tendency to do that when playing games like The Addams Family: Pugsley's Scavenger Hunt
Does anyone know if there is more than one version of the Super Mario World cartridge, including a version that allowed for all of your 99 lives to be saved on the cart?
Perhaps I just have a false memory from the past.
If anyone knows, let me know. Cheers!
@Tandy255
No it’s accurate you can watch videos on YouTube that demonstrate the lag on actual hardware that’s always been in World, the game was rushed and unoptimized to the point where most of the scaling effect cause performance drops, once you notice this on the level clear spotlight effect you’ll never unnotice it. Other emulators typically won’t lag because they are emulating it inaccurately due to speedhacks.
@JamieO
It doesn’t save lives and this is probably why they made it easy to rack up lives especially once you find the secret area. The gba port might have changed this.
It is a perfect game. I still play it to this day.
Since this game has received 4 10's on NintendoLife, does that mean this game is a 40?
Really excellent game for that matter. Aside from being Yoshi's debut game (and those who know me do know how much I love Yoshi), this game is just excellent overall. I love how it even managed to hide the fact that all of the level songs are just the same tune just arranged differently, which I didn't find out for many years.
@SalvorHardin Thanks mate, and you make a good point. Perhaps my confusion about saving accumulated lives came from me mixing up memories of playing the Game Boy Advance port of Super Mario World when it was first released.
**** Edit: Ha, ha, I've just booted my original Game Boy Advance cartridge and it has 253 lives saved on it for Super Mario World!
This game is probably my favorite 2D Mario game. It’s a colorful, cheerful game. It has Yoshi’s first appearance, those really hard levels in the special world, and the best Bowser boss battle i’ve ever played. I would easily give this game a 10/10. It’s a timeless classic everyone can enjoy.
@Tandy255 Not true. The emulation on the Switch is top notch, almost perfect. By far the best emulation Nintendo has done to date. The only emulation error I've even noticed in SMW is the sound of the dynamite sparks when you blow up a castle don't sound right.
Super Mario World is video game perfection. It hasn't aged a day and will be just as fun to play in 50 years from now as it is today and was 29 years ago. For me, it's a toss up between this and Yoshi's Island for the title of 'greatest game ever'.
I say that as someone who never actually played SMW until Wii VC and Yoshi's Island until the 2003 on GBA. I was a Sega kid during the 90's and Sonic was my thing.
@Wavey84 how can you class SMB2 as the joint best game? It was just a reskin of a non nintendo title that was above average at best.
It’s amazing how perceptions are changed because of the Nintendo/Mario connection.
Was this review necessary or at this point you only do it for the meme? Needs to review all SNES games that come to any service over and over again.
@DeathUriel I guess that a lot of younger players will be trying them for the first time.
Hot Take: Super Mario World is good. Can we get a Link to the Past or Super Metroid review, too? I’m not sure these games have been analyzed to death, yet. Never mind we have the first Breath of Fire release since the GBA, or Demon’s Crest as a launch title (!)
@Wavey84 I usually agree with your gaming mindset 100% but your love for SMB2 has upset me greatly!!
It never felt quite right to me as a kid but never knew why.........encyclopaedia britannica was the closest thing to Wikipedia and it was of no help!
I think they were mega lucky to have a hit on their hands using a game like they did. Can you imagine them doing that now..........
Then again?
Even the promotional artwork for this game still makes me smile like a loon. Great game. Probably even the best.
@the8thark honestly insane how many people on this site live and die by a digit at the bottom of a review
Who else had their mind blown once they found every exit and got the special sprites and colors!
@X68000 I don't think that changes anything as this is a game most nintendo fans will show their kids anyway. And if they don't the kids will hear about it from other fans eventually like when people talk about the SNES lineup of the nintendo online.
Looking forward to playing this again. Of course my system of playing through the SNES online games starting from the bottom left and going right is biting me in the foot right now.
Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate Super Soccer, and I spent way more time playing Puyo Puyo 2 than I thought I would but getting through my second sports game in a row while classics like Super Mario World hang above my head is kind of torture (even if Super Tennis is actually kind of fun) Oh well, delayed gratification right?
@X68000 Like, it is Mario and all, kids will try it on the nintendo online even if they never hear of World in itself.
I just finished replaying this game for maybe the fourth or fifth time in my life. Truly a masterpiece. The music, the colorful art style, the sense of exploration, all grabbed my imagination as a kid and still make me smile today. I remember as a kid feeling like I was really going on an adventure (same with Link to the Past) and very few other games have ever given me that feeling in quite the same way.
@LavaTwilight excellent Simpsons reference
Were the NES online service games reviewed?
I like the game, however the control scheme feels outdated. Especially compared to MarioMaker or newer Mario titles. I'd give it a 7/10 on today's standards.
However for a SNES game on the SNES it's a 9,324/10 (rated based on my personal scoring system)
This is my favorite game of all time.
I just hear the music and I remember sitting in front of my TV on a Saturday morning, wearing my pijamas and exploring every nook and cranny for secret exits.
The smell of pancakes and my brother waking up and asking to play Super Soccer instead.
All of that before communism took a big dump on everything I loved about my childhood.
It's good, a 10/10 for those who played it back in the day. But I personally didn't care THAT much when I finally played it in the SNES Classic. 8/10
@Wavey84 @BarefootBowser yeah, I hope they never remake this game. Can you imagine if they remade it with the New SMB series graphics and music? Ugh.
I agree with other posts above, the New series is just so stale, bland and lifeless by comparison. Some decent platforming in them but they just don't hook me at all.
@teko I actually like the new style more. Levels are more enjoyable and the controls are waay better.
If Nintendo ever did a remake of this game, I think they would go the MarioMaker route and keep the old look but with the newer engine.
One of the greatest games ever made. The fact that the opening level themes still bounce around in my head to this day from when I first played it is unbelievable.
That was a great game, but I think they rated it too high. The con is that there aren't enough levels and it only takes a few hours to get through it all. If this is a 10, Super Mario Maker would have to be an 11 or 12.
@Anti-Matter Your like to dislike ratio is almost always negative on most of your comments 😂
@Swindla
Just ignore those haters.
They can keep talking to the wall.
An amazing game that perfectly fit the role as introduction to the era of the Super Nintendo.
The only negative points I could think of (besides that the game has to end) would be fewer powerups then Super Mario 3. I guess Yoshi counts, though that still isn't the hammer suit
This is a game you can always go back to and play. Might be the nostalgia talking but this is one awesome game.
Am I the only one who thinks Mario 3 is better?
I recently heard a reviewer say that he couldn't review the new Link's Awakening as he loved it too much, and as such wouldn't be able to see the woods for trees.
I feel like something similar may apply here.
Whilst I prefer Super Mario Bros. 3, I can't disagree with the score.
However I feel that the coherence of this review as a written piece is hindered by love.
Kind of like if I had to write an essay about my dog. It would certainly convey that I love my dog, but it wouldn't be especially well written.
@Robzilla
The level design is tighter in my opinion.
Some feel that the levels in SMB3 are too short, for me they're just right.
Having jumped from NES to Megadrive I never had the opportunity to play this when I was a mere youngster. When I bought my Wii about 8 years ago this was one of the first games I purchased from the Wii Shop. Despite still having the Wii proudly connected to the TV (along with Switch & PS3), I have only now just begone to properly play SMW having only had a dabble here and there previously. Just like SMB & SMB3 before it, and more recently the NSMB games, SMW is a very good game and will forever stand the test of time. My only con however with the 2D Mario games is the timer (this is also an issue I have with the classic Sonic games). I really, really detest it. SMB3 & SMW both encourage you to explore every nook and cranny of each level in order to locate the many secrets and collectable etc. I would really love to be able to do that at my leisure too. But once you get that panic inducing countdown music, that's it exploration time is over and it then becomes a blind panic to get to the stage end as quickly as possible. Why would Nintendo create these wonderful games full of amazing levels but only give you limited exploration time. Personally, as a gamer of 30 years, this has never made much sense to me.
I play platformers the same way @Anti-Matter does. I rush through them. Not because I want to finish them quickly but because doing them fast is how I enjoy them.
Back in the day when I had this on SNES I could rush through it in no time. When NSO got SNES I immediately started playing this but because it had been so long since I played it rushing through was harder and that made it a lot of fun.
One of my top-ten games for sure. Crisp physics, great level design, great secrets (SMW2 is not quite as cherished due to the collectathon secrets) and great replayability. As soon as they added it to the Switch online service I immediately had to get all 96 exits again.
Great game, but still nowhere near as good as 3
@BarefootBowser I have to respect your right to being wrong.
Nah it’s not a 10 for me, SMB3 and Yoshis Island are better.
While I dislike this game because I feel it's overrated, I can agree that it's important to the whole platform repertoire of games. I still have fond memories of collection every dragon coin and finding all the exits.
My main gripe with this is how... bland the graphics look. I guess you could pass it as ok because it was the first SNES game.
However, what I really like and praise this game is, how awesome the modding community is for it. They are such awesome mods of the game that makes the game pretty much endless and replayable forever, and also allows to fix my main gripe with it because the graphics mods for this game are all awesome. (it was also the first game I modded too! Love the map system of this game)
Great game but I completed for like the 5th time last year. I'll be playing Link to the Past first! That will be the third time I complete it, but it's been so long.
This brought me joy in 1993 (on my purple import SNES) and has brought me just as much joy since SNES Online appeared, I got 96 exits then and I’m gonna get em again! What did we do before online guides?!?!
10/10 every day of the week. That rating will never change for me. This is the best 2D Mario and platforming perfection.
You can never really own a game, only rent it until your console packs up. And being on Switch Online there is little chance of downloading a copy to the Switch for those who don't subscribe, because we don't play online games.
Spot-on review. Playing this again on Switch, and man, this game is close to 30 years old and still holds up. The platforming, level design and music are all superb.
@Anti-Matter While it's true that whether this or any game is good or not, is down to the subjective view of each person who plays it - your opinion isn't saying that. It's saying I don't like platformers much so for me it's a 7. That's not really a subjective opinion – it's judging a game unfairly and in the wrong context; and is therefore... wrong.
It's like me reading that the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost is the greatest car every built, but then saying 'but I don't like cars so for me it's a bit meh'. That's just wrong.
Judged for what it is - which is a platform game - this is one of the greatest games ever made by majority consensus. Whether it's a genre you like or not isn't really relevant.
@Robzilla No, about a gazzion people think that also. I'd say it's about a 40/60 split in favour of SMW. So your opinion is not rare.
I’m playing this for the first time. Over thirty hours on the play clock, three exits left to find. It’s become an obsession over the last couple of weeks. Wonderful game. Completely agree with the score, with the proviso that I am going to find them eventually or I’m going to hate it forever!
If you consider this 10/10, then what the heck is Super Mario Bros. 3?
It's a classic no doubt, but the difficulty level doesn't have the same progression as the former. It's just much too easy to have considerable replay value.
@brunojenso how is what the guy said not his own subjective opinion, something you state yourself is all that matters? Your argument makes no sense.
Edit: sorry, that came across as harsh, I am having trouble making sense of your argument, I should say.
Been playing this since 1991 and never get bored of it. It's a bonafide classic and my favourite mario game.
@commentlife I didn't say it wasn't his own subjective opinion - which of course it is. I was saying his view that it's a 7 because it's a platformer isn't really valid. My argument makes perfect sense - in my subjective opinion
But in all seriousness, I may not like a classic (let's say, Super Metroid), because maybe I don't like dark atmospheric games, but it's still a classic and I would never say Super Metroid is a 7 even if it's totally not for me. And SMW, from a purely technical achievement in game design POV, is a masterclass regardless of personal preference.
It's a good game but i wouldn't say it's a 10 out of 10.
I mean really... Hollow Knight is miles ahead of this in terms of platforming, difficulty, replay value, it's overall gameplay (its miles smoother) and its story/plot - Mario has no real story or plot.
While this is MUCH older than Hollow Knight, Hollow Knight is an Indie game and this was a big AAA game back in the day.
Now if we're going to use today's measuring stick to judge a nearly 25+ year old game then we need to factor in other games of the same type that are available today. Seeing as we're going to use today's measuring stick.
In terms of Platformers - while Mario World is great, it comes no where near Hollow Knight in terms of quality - If this is a 10 then Hollow Knight must be higher, which it can't be so this just isn't a 10.
@brunojenso
@Anti-Matter
I like platform games, adventure, some rpg's and stuff like Mario Kart, but I don't like team sport games, example football. And games like Splatoon or Animal Crossing.
So if I was a reviewer the platform etc games scores would have a few 10/10, but the Team Sport etc would never get a 9/10 let alone a 10/10.
So as I being subjective with my scoring or biased?
Maybe a reviewer should only review game types they enjoy, then all scores would be higher.
I have 4 game sites I look at regularly, NL being one, scoring high'ish most of the time, another's scoring is always about 20% lower and the other two are somewhere either side, I find that a good average.
I also think 'value for money' should be included when scoring.
@brunojenso I get ya. It’s an interesting discussion. What, if any, are the objective truths in gaming. I think it’s definitely possible to recognize the objectivity in things like historical significance and overall quality, even if someone’s enjoyment is entirely subjective.
@zool Yeah, like you I'd not be a person suitable to review Sports titles really. I'd say all views are subjective, but I'd have to make a special effort for it not to be biased. I think I wouldn't be able to judge a Basketball game fairly because I know I don't enjoy them.
So, I think it would be a necessity that a person has an appreciation for that genre (with knowledge of both good and bad examples of that genre) to be able to fairly review any particular game.
@commentlife I think strictly speaking there are no objective truths in gaming (or in anything else, but now were getting philosophical )
There is only mass opinion, and that's a very flawed system - but it does count for something and it's the best we have as a rough guide for what is 'good' and 'bad' in gaming.
One of the best Mario platformers and quite possibly my favorite game of all time
@brunojenso
Favorite genre also the main factor to determine the impression from the game.
I have ZERO interest with soccer / football so every football games including the kid football games are always 0 / 10 for me because simply i will never care about that boring sport. For me, Too Realistic Racing = 1 / 10, Basketball + Ice Hockey = 1 / 10. But, Karate = 6 / 10, Swimming = 8 / 10, Boxing / Kickboxing / K-1 = 9 / 10, Bodybuilding = 10 / 10. UFC or MMA = 0 / 10 due to Too Brutal way to fight (I ban that sport)
I have moderate interest with Platformer games, so the scores will always between 70 - 80. Some 2D platformers i gave 65 / 100 due to a little bit boring for me. They are decent games and still acceptable for me. 3D platformer are my standard 70 / 100 by general, indicated they are good games but not my hyped games. Anything that between 50 - 69 = Decent games, Below than 50 is a bad game.
Also, similar genre will determine my scores too.
Games with genre Life Sims like The Sims / MySims / Animal Crossing will always get very high score for me, usually my impression is about 90 / 100. But the final scores will be depend on the gameplay features. For example, The Sims 4 PS4 = 94 / 100, Animal Crossing New Leaf = 88 / 100 but MySims Wii = 60 / 100, MySims DS = 50 / 100. even the games with similar objectives but will have different impression such as Dragon Quest Builders 2 PS4 = 96 / 100 & Switch = 95 / 100 but very contrary with Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer i gave 40 / 100 due to lack of important features after building the home.
Rhythm games i usually gave them different scores depend on what kind of games. I NEVER like Just Dance games no matter what songs inside because i have interest with songs created by Japanese artist / European artist with better taste so Just Dance will ALWAYS = 0 / 100. Guitar Hero also 0 / 100 due to Boring Western Rock songs. But, other Rhythm games especially from Konami i gave them higher scores. Jubeat, Guitar Freaks, Sound Voltex = 50 / 100, Beatmania IIDX, Pop'n Music = 60 / 100, DrumMania = 70 / 100, Para Para Paradise = 90 / 100, Dance Dance Revolution = 100 / 100. I felt Extremely disappointed with Dance Rush by Konami for not realky exciting way to dance + too many EDM songs so i gave score 10 / 100 after i played several songs and didn't think to play it again.
@sanderev I remember enjoying NSMB Wii but it never really grabbed me, and I never finished NSMB U, only played about half of it before losing interest. The music and art style just don't do anything for me. Somehow I was expecting more from them.
I just find Mario World has so much charm, the music so much atmosphere, especially the castles and ghost houses, and I loved searching for all the secret exits.
To each their own I guess
While Super Mario games in general aren't my favorites, one cannot doubt their quality. Objectively, I can't think of anything 'wrong' with SMW either, except that SMB3 seemed more challenging and a bit more interesting with the numerous items and bonuses (like the sliding puzzle and the matching game).
Anything less than a 10 comes down to personal preference. It's an exceptionally well-made game, but if you don't like platformers, or cutesy-ness, or Mario games in general, it'll score much lower.
I used to like the game a lot when I was younger but I did play it so much that I did end up growing kind of numb towards it, of course my general loss of interest towards platformers doesn't help. Honestly nowadays I'd rather play just about any other Mario game before this.
Still in my opinion the greatest game ever made. Almost perfect in every way. The Mrs would argue it’s SMB 3 but horses for courses both are almost perfect 2D platformers.
@stvnorman I first played it on Wii VC around 10 years ago and also became obsessed with it. I play through it again every couple of years and it never gets old. Along with Yoshi's Island it's the gold standard for platformers. Have you played Yoshi's Island yet?
Playing Super Mario World for the first time still ranks as one of my all-time favorite childhood memories. Best pack in title ever!
It's an incredible game to be sure... For it's time. But I always liked Super Mario 3 much more, in terms of classic Mario platformers.
Both Mario 3 and SMW are obsolete next to Mario Maker 2 though. And don't really care if saying that triggers people.
SMW and SMB3 might be the two most infinitely replayable non-puzzle video games ever made. I still come back to them pretty much annually. They don't age.
“It's-a Mario masterpiece” - yeah tell us something we haven’t known for the last 28 years...
Despite being a big fan of the series this one never clicked with me. Might be because I never owned it back in the day, I had All Stars, which I loved however.
@X68000 The Doki Doki Panic thing is only half the story. Originally the project started off as a sequel to Super Mario Bros (vertical scrolling and throwing characters around being the key mechanics), before they got the licence deal to make it Doki Doki Panic. Ironically they later changed it back to a Mario game to release instead of Lost Levels. During that period, it was not uncommon for sequels to be radically different from the original. For example Zelda II was nothing like Zelda 1 but (as with the Mario series) they reverted back to the original formula for the third game.
Still waiting for a true sequel to Super Mario World.
Couldn't agree more. Review and score are just spot on. This game is the reason I became a Nintendo fan for the rest of the ride.
I’d rather play this a thousand times than that latest spiritless Mario editor that Nintendo made.
I’m not a fan of review scores generally but if any game is a 10 it’s this one
@cryptologous
It's not just here. It's everywhere. It's why places like metacritic exist. It's why almost every review site still insist on having a review score at the end of their reviews.
They all do it because the people want it.
Sure I'd prefer if everyone actually read all of the reviews and then made up their own opinion on what they read. But that's just me, everyone else has their own way of thinking about things.
@ALinkttPresent the GB version pushed its format as far as it could go at the time. The Switch version while charming, not so much.
@OorWullie I can see why you’d keep coming back! I’ve only had a couple of goes on the SNES Classic. Metroid Prime next then Yoshi.
Check this one too:
https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/wiiu-eshop/super_mario_world_snes
Best 2D Mario game ever.
@teko I do like the music of SMW. But the music of New Super Mario Bros is more technical. For instance the enemies react to the music. Making the music feel part of the game, and not just some soundtrack playing in the background.
Also the levels are more basic, you always know where to go and what to do. So finishing the game is easier. In world you could get lost easily in one of the ghost houses and not knowing where to go.
I can remember spending Christmas Day the year I got a SNES for Christmas playing this all day. After completing it, going back and finding the secret paths and then realising you can complete it very quickly using the warp paths. It's a joy to play now as much as it was then. Only thing thats poor is the fact I am not as good at platformers as I clearly was... I blame old age
We don't stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing...
Best 2D Mario platformer ever especially for a release game. Absolutely timeless and still play it over and over until I get the 97*
@teko totally agree about no smw remakes.
For me, if they are going to go down the route of more updates they should ditch this 2.5D nonsense and use 16/32 bit style old fashioned Sprite based graphics. A bit like sonic mania.
Yeah, SMW is truly awesome. Probably my favorite 2D Mario game, though I really have a soft spot for SMB1 and SML1. SML1 packs so much nostalgia for me.
@Anti-Matter ahh the game gives you ample time to finish.. you don't have to - rush - anything unless you'really really bad at platformers. Even if you can't make it in time there are half-way points that gurantee you can make it in time
Quite possibly the greatest game of all time. The sheer joy and number of surprises and puzzles packed into this game are countless.
Would LOVE to see a reboot of the Mario 2D franchise that brings this kind of innovation back to the genre.
A true master piece on the greatest console ever:) the SNES has such an incredible library of classics!!
@X68000 A new 16 bit style Mario Game would be awesome!
Mario World has been my favourite game ever since I first got it with an imported Super Famicom. In fact I’m replaying it again this weekend, but on my Super NT not the Switch.
I remember actually being a bit disappointed when I played the PAL release (and for once it wasn’t the borders and slower gameplay) because the translation seemed a bit... mundane. The text in the Japanese version is full of exclamation marks, so to my childhood self I assumed it must be telling me the secrets of the universe. When I actually played it on a Super Nintendo in Comet I discovered it was just telling me stuff like “use the B button to jump!”
@Steel76 Yoshi’s Island says hello
@Bunkerneath I actually think it’s aged better in some aspects than Zelda 3.
@Blue_Rover I blame Mario Maker. MM refined the controls even more and so it takes a little bit relearning to feel confident with SMW again. Also some of the later lava and subterranean levels are really mean and require lots of careful stopping and starting
@sanderev The music changing up whenever you rode Yoshi was truly noteworthy stuff back then. Also secrets like waiting in the super secret map for its theme to eventually switch to the classic SMB1 overworld theme.
I remember going to get a snack on that screen, and coming back to a very pleasant aural surprise indeed. Because by that point in my SMW experience I was like, ‘wait a minute, where is the original Mario tune in this game at all?’ Oh, it’s there, but Nintendo really makes you work to hear it. It was such an awesome little reward for finding all those awesome secret exits.
@HexagonSun Oh yeah, that summer of gaming was truly special. Me and my little sis would wake up each morning and rush downstairs to unlock a few more exits, taking turns being Mario (because we didn’t like Luigi. It was an inside joke). We’d wake our pets up, laughing so hard whenever Yoshi got away and... fell off a cliff. It’s the little things like chasing after Yoshi that make this Mario so memorable, that you only realize much later in your gaming life how brilliant that design was. It’s almost like a game within a game, and there are constant examples of this in Super Mario World.
...The splendid upbeat music; the bright, cheerful colors; the buttery smooth controls and highly expressive character animation... They definitely don’t make them this purely good anymore. Of course I’m sure nostalgia plays a big part in me claiming that.
Didn't NL review this game before? (I mean who hasn't lol)
So, so good.
My favourite music is the outro music. Check out this piano version of it... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9IkpUYlOx8
@Antraxx777 You might be right but I tell you when I started playing and mistimed my first jump and died attempting to squish that first Koopa and I knew then I wasn't the same man any more...
@Darlinfan I agree. I find it funny when I read reviews/reactions to games and people say things like.. "This is probably one of the best <insert genre> but I hate that genre so I have it a 3/10." I usually use food as a comparison. A food can be an amazing, expertly cooked, gourmet masterpiece but someone might still hate if they don't like the particular meat or vegetable or grain or seasoning that makes up the primary flavor/texture/etc. But a proper critique of it shouldn't be overwhelmed by your personal enjoyment. If this were the case, all cooking competitions would just have participants cooking the favorite dish of the judges, because that would be all that matters.
@Antraxx777 Nostalgia certainly plays a part in how I view SMW, but it really is something special. I wouldn't say Nintendo doesn't make games like that anymore. BotW and SMO (as just a couple of recent examples) really capture that playfulness and the feeling of a "game within a game". I'm just not a kid anymore, so they don't hit quite the same way. I still get those moments of child-like wonder when playing a great Nintendo game. That's why I'm still such a huge fan after so many years.
Definitely 10/10. This game is a timeless masterpiece. Whatever few minuscule flaws it may have are far outweighed by how great everything else in it is.
@Anti-Matter I can understand why "life simulation" is your favourite genre.
For some reason I find Mario games very difficult. Super Mario World has a bit of slide on landing, which can make some precise jumping frustrating.
From the amount of surprising fun I dare say the perfect 2D platformer is Rayman Legends. It certainly handles multiplayer a lot better than classic Mario games...
The first mario game i Play i even beat the hard easter world but still yes I love this game.
Awesome review Jamie!
Author....what if I told you, that when you are Cape Mario you can hold the jump button down to float down gradually...no tapping needed!
@Corbs Thank you for your kind words about my Super Mario World review, Corbie. It's a real compliment coming from you, because I know how much you love the SNES as a retro console.
Sorry that I'm late in replying to you, but I've only just read your comment now.
It's great to hear from you, mate. I hope that life is treating you well, and that you still gets lots of enjoyment out of retro gaming.
Cheers, from Jamie!
Mario & Luigi team up with Wario & Waluigi.
I'd put the bosses as a con- I thought every single one of them was underwhelming and most even boring. Thankfully they're over quickly. It deserves the 10/10 still, in my opinion
This game and Super Mario Kart got me into gaming in 1992.
I was 18 at the time. Went round my brothers friends house and he was playing Mario kart.
I’d never seen anything like it and on playing it and SMW I was utterly hooked.
Went home and within a month I’d bought a SNES.
I’m now 47 and still love Nintendo and gaming as a hobby.
Thought I’d have “grown out of it” by now but let’s be honest you never grow out of our wonderful hobby.
It’s just too much fun 😁
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