Vimm's Lair: SNES Reviews - Super Mario World
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Super Nintendo
Super Mario World

Graphics:
Sound:
Gameplay:
Overall:
8.49
8.52
8.73
8.73
Votes: 91
Reviews: 3


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Reviewer: DemonZX Date: Oct 19, 2005
Of all the SNES games I played as a kid, this is probably my favorite. SMW is what a platformer should be. At the time (and still), it sets the standard for the platform genre. It is elegantly simple, yet it will keep adult and child alike glued to their SNES controller for hours. SWM isn't too complex and doesn't involve micromanagement like the FF series, yet it isn't too simple so that a 3 year old can beat it in a few hours. It is just the right mix of simplicity and complication.

Graphics: 9
I cannot complain about the graphics at all. SMW wasn't intended to sell the graphic capabilities of the SNES, it was made for just anyone to pick up the controller and start playing. Although the graphics aren't comparable to Super Mario: RPG, Shigru Myamoto did a great job without a 3D chip. Nicely detailed backgrounds and perfectly drawn enemies and characters make for excellent graphics.

Sound: 9
Much like the graphics, the sound is excellent. SMW has perfectly timed echoes and other sound effects. I cannot complain at all. I mean, it is no Star Wars orchestra but, admit it, when you are playing from time to time you hum the songs...

Gameplay: 10
PERFECT!!! No other word can explain the gameplay. Not too complex, but not too simple. The gameplay is perfectly suits simple and hardcore gamers alike. SMW forms the basis of what all present platformers are built off of. It starts with some simple dodging enemies and then gets into tough jumping and dodging. As long as you have good hand-eye coordination, with a few tries, you can pick up the controller and start playing in some of the last levels. That is the beauty of this game, with the exception of the storyline, you can start playing at any point in the game and still have fun.

Overall: 10
PERFECT, once again. Like I said above, Super Mario World is the highmark of what 99.9% of all platformers are based off of. Complexly simple gameplay. What made this game one of the all-tie greats is it's fun and instantly attention grabbing, simple gameplay. SMW appeals to both new and hardcore gamers. This is one of the only games that appeals to every gamer on the market. SMW has something for everyone.

If your looking for 100 hours of gameplay, SMW isn't for you. But, if you're looking for a game that you can play for 10 minutes or 10 hours, this one is for you.

 

Reviewer: Cybercat Date: Nov 1, 2001
Super Mario World is a game that sets the standards for platform excellence. As with all Nintendo Mario classics, this one is one of those original games that have been with us for a long time. It starts off as all the Yoshis are trapped in eggs and locked in castles guarded by the typical baddies wanting to trap you and take over the Mushroom Kingdom at any cost. It's up to you, the world's most famous plumber, Mario, to save the kingdom and show once more that you can't tamper with what isn't yours. Luckily, you're not alone. The green Yoshi was trapped in a egg but neglected thereafter. Using Yoshi's special abilities like eating enemies and spitting them back at opponents, killing Koopas first-jump, jumping on certain spiked enemies, and even flying (only with a special item), you can ride him through the tough spots that only a green dino with red shoes can handle.

Graphics: 8
The game wasn't meant for people to gawk at, and it didn't show off the SNES's vast graphical 2D capabilities in its opening year, but it DID stay in the premise of the situation and not get off track. The cutsy style is what Mario games try to stay based around so that little kids don't get scared off to their parent's rooms. On the other hand, in some ways it showed off the SNES's capabilities with Mode 7, used to rotate and scale sprites, lots of bright colors (gotta love invincability), and paralax scrolling giving it an intelligent mix of primitive but complexity. The game still managed to be way above the NES (not hard for the 16 bit hardware) which is what people back then were begging for at the close of the NES's life. This game does the trick real well for visual captivation, holding your interest well til the end of the game with color, technique, and variety.

Sound: 8
This is a lot like the graphics because it wasn't an orchestral concert, but fit the job offering echo effects, plenty of crystal clear instruments, and well placed sound effects. The variety gave everyone plenty of charm and the music in many levels has become a classic tune to any old school gamer's ears. I sometimes catch myself listening to the backround music and enjoying all those fond memories of bashing Koopas, riding Yoshi, thwacking item boxes and gaining special abilities, all that excitement...oops...got ahead of myself. Anyway, the music and sound are all very satisfying, and unforgetable.

Gameplay: 10
Holy moly does this game have gameplay! The very charm is in this aspect, and its hard to decide where to begin! Some of the stuff I like best is the classic item getting, enemy crushing, high jumping, adrenaline rushing stradegy and challenge. The levels are made very well and get gradually more difficult perfectly. They have lots of variety, a bit of puzzle, lots of quick thinking type stuff-all good at that. Also one of the things I like is the item reserve feature; remember how in some levels of older Mario games you wish you could store items for later cause you know that up ahead lies troubles it could come in handy for? Well that's exactly what you do here only you have to get the item before it goes away. You see, if you get hit by an enemy and you loose your power up, from a box at the top of the screen (along with your score, how many lives you have left, the level your on, etc.) the item you have in reserve with slowly fall and you have to safely grab it before it goes out of reach. Or, if the item you're currently using isn't as powerful as the one in reserve, press SELECT and it'll fall for you to have...all your own...in your grasp...etc. The graphics and sound fall nicely into the gameplay and did I mention there's lots of challenge, fun, strategically placed obsticals, adrenaline rushing action, and plenty of fun? I did? Well, it's worth mentioning again!

Overall: 10
It's hard to review this game without remembering the fun times I had playing it. Defanitely the best in the short list of the best. Who can criticize the cute Yoshi, smiling clouds, glory of unmerciful killing and gory revenge all in a small puff of cloud with '100' coming out of it? It's my favorite of the 2D Mario classics combining great music, graphics, and gameplay that has Mario fans groveling under its command. So many original ideas and a game to write home about that no gamer has never played. This game was not a port, not a cheap quicky, but a quality masterpiece typical of the game developement god, Shigero Miyamota. This game is what made the SNES a beautiful system to own and had gamers of the 1990s satisfied in every way in their wait for the SNES to release in place of the outdated NES and take the home console thrown leisurely whistling all the way up the red carpet. Many worlds to cross, enemies to defeat, goals to accomplish, and replaced controllers. This game has been around all my gaming life, and was there in the beginning, and will always be here for time to come, remembered as Super Mario World, the game that spoiled us all and set the standard for platform and gaming excellence.

""Mario's adventure is over. Mario, the Princess, Yoshi, and his friends are going to take a vacation."" - The End


Now you're play with power! Super power!

 

Reviewer: pepsibeth Date: Sep 13, 2001
Super Mario World is a good game for all ages - to fully complete it can provide a challenge to experienced users, and for young players, or beginners, it provides an exciting game.

The storyline is pretty much standard for any Mario game. The princess has been kidnapped *Gasp! I'm so surprised!* by Bowser, and you, as Mario have to rescue her. You must navigate through various and progressingly harder worlds, conquering castles and fortresses occupied by Bowser's relatives along the way.

You can play with one player or two, using Luigi as the second player. You alternate playing - it is not done simultaneously. You also have another partner - Yoshi, who joins you as a trusty steed. His favorite meal is berries, coins and Goombas.

Mario can have different forms along the way. He can be small, big, shoot fireballs, or even fly. All of this forms can be useful in various stages of the game.

Super Mario World has a ton of secret levels that aren't mandatory to finish the game. All in all, there are 96 levels to complete, but it is possible to finish the game by only completing 12 of them!

In the game, there are swimming levels, spooky ghost houses with hidden exits, dangerous castles, and other assorted areas. One thing that is different from previous Super Mario games is that in a level, you can go back - the screen does not only scroll forward (except in a few levels). This means that you can re-enter pipes that were at the beginning of the level. You can also do any level over again once completed, including castles! Another nice thing is that if you are in a level previously completed, you can exit it without having to finish it. This is handy if you know an area that is good for building up extra lifes, or if you just want to get a Super Mushroom.

The music in Super Mario World can get a little irritating, as with previous Super Mario games, but then, that's what volume control is for, isn't it? The graphics aren't bad - not exciting, but sufficient. Game controls are easy to learn, there aren't any special tricks, other than learning how to fly.

I would recommend this game to anyone, as it provides good gameplay to diehard Mario fans, as well as to anybody.