Super Mario World: It's Mario's World, You're Just Playing His Game
Written: Sep 08 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: level design, replay value, secrets, gameplay, sound, graphics
Cons: Yoshi can be a little annoying, weak story
The Bottom Line: I have a hard time determining whether this is the best Mario platformer or Super Mario Brothers 3.
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| kjell1979's Full Review: Super Mario World for Super Nintendo |
Just a few weeks ago my wife found a Super Nintendo at the Goodwill for $10. It had 2 controllers, RF and component video cables, and a copy of Super Mario World. Unfortunately, it didn't have an AC adapter. However, as soon as I found a cheap one on Ebay, my wife and I fired up the old console and started playing the same game we both enjoyed when we were younger. Before we knew it, we were hooked. Since I was still sore from moving boxes all weekend, I didn't want to go anywhere once the kids were in bed, so it was Super Mario World that served as our quiet evening activity. It's best to do it this way since I can hardly move at the end of the day and we're both on diets and need our minds taken off of food.
Story
The story continues where it left off in Super Mario 3. Mario and Luigi decide to vacation in Dinosaur Land after defeating Bowser. Well, their vacation is short lived as the Princess is again captured and a new friend, Yoshi, comes along to aid them in the hopes of rescuing the princess and Yoshi's buddies encased in eggs.
The story is nothing special here. It's about as predictable as the cartoons I used to watch when I was a kid. It's not an epic or legendary tale in any unique way, but it's what you do in Super Mario platformers. The addition of Yoshi and Dinosaur Land is simply a plot device to introduce the new gameplay mechanics. It's a weak story, but does it really matter?
Gameplay
Super Mario World follows the basic design of your typical Mario 2D platformer. You run throughout a generally linear staged running and jumping on enemies. Contained in blocks scattered throughout a stage are various arrays of powerups that range from the standard array of Super Mushrooms, Fire Flowers, and Stars; to the newer powerups like feathers, and Yoshi. You move from stage to stage defeating or avoiding various enemies that have wide ranges of strengths and weaknesses. There are minibosses in addition to the major bosses being Bowser's kids.
The gameplay mechanics are only tweaked a little in Super Mario World, instead relying on the tried and true gameplay that has existed from the very beginning of the series (except for the second installment). You navigate to each area on the world map, unlocking new areas as you progress further in the game. Within each area you run and jump along a 2D plane in an attempt to finish each area. A wide variety of enemies stand in your way in each stage. These enemies have certain strengths and weaknesses, most of which remain the same from prior games in the series. Your goal is to navigate each stage without getting hit or falling down a pit or into some hazard placed in the level.
While there are many enemies and hazards, Mario and Luigi have many different powerups and tools to help them find their way to the next area. There are the tried and true Super Mushroom powerups that increase your size, and fire flowers that allow you to throw fireballs. Starmen also make a return to provide invincibility as well as secret 1up mushrooms that give you an extra life. However there are also feathers that turn you into caped Mario and allow you to fly and glide to the ground. You can also ride on the back of a Yoshi. Yoshis can eat enemies, fruit and help grab powerups and coins scattered throughout a level. Yoshis also gain power depending on their own color or the color of the turtle shell they consume. For instance a red Yoshi or a consumed red shell will spit fire when released. A blue yoshi or turtle shell will allow him to fly for a short period of time. And a yellow yoshi or turtle shell allows him to shake the ground. Finally, Mario and Luigi have a new move themselves. Added to the series is now a spin jump that allows you to defeat some enemies and/or avoid their attacks when a normal jump would hurt you. You don't jump as high and the spin jump is harder to control, but it opens up some new options and possibilities as well. These mechanics work well within the stages as they create new possibilities and allow for more creative and challenging ideas to flourish as the game goes on.
What makes the gameplay in Super Mario World so special is the designs of each stage. Each area expands even further than its Super Mario Brothers 3 predecessor. Now more levels stretch the boundaries of where you can go in a particular level. While some levels are pretty linear like Larry's castle, others have multiple secret exits that open up new areas and shortcuts. These hidden exits are hidden in secret pipes, passages, or even in the clouds somewhere. Super Mario World really implements the same switches and mechanics available in Super Mario Brothers 3 in a much better and more creative way. The game isn't harder in any way, but instead the level designs really allows for the creative minds of gamers to really flow in trying to find secret exits and areas. This is far and away one of the best aspects to the game because it adds a lot of replay value and really is rewarding to the gamer when all is said and done.
Getting extra lives in Super Mario World is a breeze. Not only are 1up mushrooms plentiful, but they also appear where yoshi would appear if you already are riding him or have him nearby. You can still get an extra life by collecting 100 coins, but there are also 5 dragon coins in each area whereby if you collect them all you'll get an extra life. There are also minigames and areas hidden within certain stages that can grant a lot of extra lives for the skilled or lucky. Also there's a minigame once you get 100 stars obtained by breaking the tape and the end of each stage. In addition to all of that, you can go back and revisit each stage you have previously finished for chances at easy extra lives.
You can now save your progress throughout your adventure. After finishing a ghost house, or defeating one of Bowser's kids in their respective castle, you can save your game. This allows you more time to go back and try to find all those hidden areas. Also, theres now a mid-way tape that allows you to start in the middle of an area you haven't finished yet. It helps to get through the area without having to worry about re-navigating some of the harder aspects.
Controls
The controls in Super Mario World are good, but they aren't perfect either. You have your typical array of standard Mario controls arranged for convenience rather than convention. That is, Y is now the run button, and B jumps. The X button does the same thing as Y, while the A button does a spin jump. The two shoulder buttons can scroll the screen manually, which is a nice touch despite not having the option to scroll the screen vertically. The real control changes come in the flying mechanics. In addition to pressing the jump button as fast as possible to gain altitude, you have a glider-like descent where you press back on the dpad as you gain more vertical speed to slow your fall. My biggest gripe with the controls is that it's really tricky to control this gliding aspect. Every once in a while a mis-timed pull-back can cause you to lose a lot of altitude and sometime you can die as a result.
Graphics
The graphics for Super Mario World are spectacular. The game takes full advantage of the vast palette of colors available on the Super Nintendo, while maintaining an array of popular base colors like bright reds, and blues. Super Mario World also uses some layering, which only really appeared sparely in its predecessors. The game showcases some of the layering in Iggy's castle in the first world, but unfortunately it doesn't do it as often as it could.
The animations are really smooth and rarely does the gameplay slow down due to multiple objects on the screen. Still, it does happen from time to time, especially when you combine pursuing enemies with large groups of roaming enemies.
Sound
The sound effects in Super Mario World are classic. For a series whose aural expectations are nothing less than perfection, Nintendo delivers yet again with a great batch of sound effects that not only build upon earlier releases of the game, but also raise the bar even higher.
As good as the sound effects are, the music is even better. Like the sound effects, the music also builds upon the foundational Mario themes. From the classic theme, to the underground theme, to the underwater theme, the music is familiar to veterans of the series. However, the way the music is composed is also equally original as it is fantastic. The scores really are composed in such a way to showcase the Super Nintendo hardware to its fullest, while also being a tune you don't mind being stuck in your head all day.
Replay Value
Super Mario World has a ton of replay value for a platformer. Not only are there 96 areas to beat, but you can revisit your favorite level over and over and attempt to find secret areas and exits. The game does lose quite a bit of steam once you've dissected each of the 96 areas, however it's not a game that you'll put down for long. The strong gameplay engine really allows for the game to renew itself. It's really a strong platformer that really provides a strong and memorable experience when you finally set down the controller.
It's without a doubt that for as strong as the Super Nintendo library is, Super Mario World might have been the best game ever to grace that great console. For a game that was bundled with most Super Nintendo systems of its day, you were left with a fantastic game. So anyone who ever picks up a Super Nintendo, don't miss out on this game. It might change your perspective on gaming as it did for my wife and I.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
kjell1979
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Location: Oxford, Mass
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