Binding: Game Cartridge Brand: Nintendo EAN: 0045496730048 ESRB Age Rating: Everyone Label: SPIG Manufacturer: SPIG Platform: Game Boy Publisher: SPIG Sales Rank: 5812 Studio: SPIG
Rating: - A WONDERFULLY GOOD HANDHELD TITLE 8.5 OUT OF 10
Time is not kind to many games, many games you knew and loved those many years ago have become outdated and forgotten. This is always very sad. But some games miraculously stand the test of time and are never or very rarely effected. Mario games just so happen to fall into those categories, they hardly ever get damaged by time. But is that really a bad thing? Sure, I'm mostly an Xbox or Playstation fan these days, but I still like to whip out my old Nintendo systems and have a great time playing the oldies. This Game Boy title is still remarkably a lot of fun despite the fact it was made almost twenty years ago.
WHAT THE GAME IS: If you've played any of the Mario games on the NES, or ports of the originals on Game Boy, you know it's the standard Italian plumber character you play, platforming, squishing enemies by stomping on them, rescuing the damsel in distress, eating mushrooms for power ups, defeating bosses, and trying to avoid being killed by different enemies.
GRAPHICS: Looks like an uglier NES game, it doesn't really have the graphics and colors of the old games, which is probably the biggest letdown of the game.
MUSIC: Standard cheery Mario music, you know the tunes.
SOUND: The weird jumping sounds, squishing of enemies sounds, and coin-collecting sounds
GAMEPLAY: Platforming works great, jumping is good, it's easy in some parts and frustrating in others, gameplay is very nice, and is still a lot of fun despite the almost two decade-old concepts of Mario.
OVERALL: Very fun, still great to pick up and play no matter who you are. Hardly feels aged, but the main problems consist of save issues and lower-quality NES graphics. But still, who hates the adventures of this Italian plumber? I mean seriously, it doesn't matter what kind of fanboy of what console you are, you just have a natural tendency to like Mario games. And if you don't you're a horrible person.
I still highly enjoy this game, and would recommend it to anyone who likes a good old-fashioned game of Mario, but everyone likes Mario, so I would recommend it to everyone. Oh, and you don't save Peach in this game, you save a chick named Daisy. Buy this game if you still have at least a Game Boy Advance because this game is just too good to pass up.
Rating: - A great start for Game Boy
Originally reviewed at Last-Gen.com:
The Nintendo Game Boy was a huge success thanks to AAA titles like Super Mario Land to boost sales at launch on 1989. The first-ever Mario platformer on a handheld, it is a faithful-yet-quirky game that's a trip down memory lane.
While video games at home were getting much more sophisticated by 1989, handhelds were still in its infancy. Mario had already been a household name by then thanks to Super Mario Bros. on the NES, and Mario was exactly what the budding Game Boy needed to succeed.
Familiar characters and gameplay welcome the player without much of a learning curve, but there are some distinct differences. While the NES counterpart had castles as their main theme, Mario this time around travels to Egypt, China, and even another planet. Goombas and Piranha Plants make a comeback along with the upgraded Koopa Troopas, who now explode upon getting stepped on. Other enemies include aliens, sphinxes, and Chinese ghosts. There are also a couple side-scrolling shooter type levels that keep the game interesting.
The music was memorable and catchy, very fitting for the levels. The ending theme is also nice, but it doesn't feel very "Mario." I also didn't feel that the game ended on a positive note, as the last level was a side-scrolling shooter -- not a very "Mario" way to wrap up a game. As with most Mario games at this era, the story is transparent as usual. The level designs are still creative and fun to play, but game is short with only 4 worlds with 4 levels each -- it's to be expected since there's no saving feature (run out of AA batteries and you're starting over). Also not so surprising is the lack of a 2-player option.
Super Mario Land definitely shows its age, but it's still a very fun game to play. It may only take you one sitting to beat, but the current cheap prices for the game should merit a purchase for the Mario fan.
Rating: - good game ,not great
I bought this game for my son [9yrs old]. He says" that they need to make this game more better". My purchase was fine but they sent the wrong one the first time ,but very promptly sent the right one.
Rating: - Good But Fustrating (Rating: 7 out of 10- -3.5 Stars)
After my success of "Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins", I decided to play the first "Super Mario Land". To me this game is okay, but nothing too exciting to write home about. It's basically like playing the first Super Mario game back when it was on Nintendo. There are four levels to beat, and each end of the level has a boss to beat.
The super powers are origonal. All you get is the mushroom and the fire flower. And when you get hit, you'll turn back small (not Super Mario like most games). Also some of the enemies are very difficult to beat and takes a while to kill. And at times, some levels are too difficult to beat (Like the third level [Easter Island]), so it gets real fustrating. I managed to beat the game, and I believe it stats me over from the beginning and it is much harder to play.
Basically this game is alomst exactly like the first Super Mario that was on Nintendo, but just shorter. If you liked that game, then give this one a try.
Rating: - Mario's very first adventure on GameBoy and yet one of the best!
I still remember that I bought this game along with the GameBoy when they were released in 1989 when I was still a teenager. It has everything a Mario fan could expect! Graphics are very similar to Super Mario Bro. for the NES as well as the gameplay and no saving feature! In addition, there are some new elements like divided road at the end of a stage and could ride an airplane in the sky or a submarine in the deep ocean. That's is why this game is one of my favorites of all time!
- good game ,not great
- Mario's very first adventure on GameBoy and yet one of the best!
