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Top 10 Reasons why Super Mario Land is one of the greatest Mario games ever! [top ten]
 
  NW Staff  
All Super Mario games are great. This is pretty much a fact. Can we really name a single Super Mario game that was terrible? NO. Because there has never been one.

But a lot of misinformed people seem to take a stance that Super Mario Land isn't great. And that it's maybe too weird for its own good. But I'm here to show that those people are wrong. And to prove it, here is my Top 10 List of why Super Mario Land for the Gameboy is awesome, and why it's one of Mario's best adventures. Let's-a GO!

08/01/12, 20:48    Edited: 05/29/14, 04:06
 
   
 
The Music!
It's the first thing you'll notice! Mario games have always had great music (Super Mario Sunshine being a possible exception) and Super Mario Land does not disappoint. Fun, unique, bouncy themes accompany each world. They definitely have a "Mario" feel to them, while at the same time are totally new and different. The Chai Kingdom's theme in particular is the most unique theme out of the franchise, but there's no denying it's catchy rhythm. This game's music is great, and sounds even better in stereo sound via the Gameboy's earbuds. (stereo sound was a thing unique to the Gameboy back in the day. The NES was all monaural, yuck!)

Anyway, the music is great and one of the game's standout features. What else would you expect from expert Nintendo composer Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka? Check out some samples:







There was even a remix of the Underground Theme in 2008's Super Smash Brothers Brawl on Wii. Such a treat for old-school Gameboy gamers!


(song really kicks in at around 0:23!)
 
Varied Locales!
This game takes you places you've not seen before, nor will you again. (probably) There is not just your normal "Ice World" or "Fire World" or "Desert World." Oh wait, there is actually a desert world. Never mind about that.

But check these places out!

Easter Island-inspired world!



The China-inspired Chai Kingdom!



UFO landing near water in the Muda Kingdom!



Sarasaland was far more varied than the original Super Mario Bros., and in some ways even gives Super Mario Bros. 2 a run for its money. And that's not even getting into the really unique stages. For those, join me over at spot #8.
 
The Sky Pop!
Mario's a flying ace!

Man, things got taken to whole new heights when Mario hopped into the Sky Pop and started laying waste to his enemies with mid-air combat! This was a great change of pace from the usual platforming, and introduced the first time Mario was able to fly. It's just a joy to control, and Mario's flying abilities allow for some really unique level design.

It's a shame Mario apparently left the Sky Pop back in Sarasaland. I have a feeling that Bowser's flying Clown Car from Super Mario World would be no match. And at the very least, it could have been helpful against the Air Ships from Super Mario Bros. 3!
 
The Underwater Stage is actually fun!
Mario's a Steel Diver!



Speaking of Mario's vehicles, I would be remiss to not mention the Marine Pop. I only make the distinction between this and the Sky Pop (despite them controlling and playing practically the same) because the Marine Pop takes a terrible truth about gaming and throws it out the window. What am I talking about? I'm talking about the underwater stages in video games. Where you're forced to stop your running, jumping and coin-collecting, and partake in some slow, awkwardly controlled swimming stages.

Maybe it's just me and my anecdotal evidence, but by and large swimming stages are like, the least fun stages out of all platforming games. The best we can hope for is great music while we paddle along (thanks DKC!), submerged in H2O, somehow without the need to come up for air. But Super Mario Land says "screw all that" and gives Mario a killer submarine that is fast, responsive, and comes with an unlimited supply of torpedoes. Awesome!

...I'm not sure where Mario got this from, though. Maybe it was Slippy's prototype for the Starfox Team's Blue Marine?
 
Innovative new enemies!
Donut Drop! Spinning discs! Fire-breathing plants! Upside-down plants! Bullet Bills in pipes!


All this stuff we first saw in Super Mario Land. Later this stuff became canon in the console games, but we were first introduced to these baddies/obstacles in Mario's Gameboy debut. We even got new enemies like gigantic jumping spiders (which I assume came from Australia), flying totem poles, exploding Koopa-Troopas, and undead fish. Not to mention nearly unkillable kung-fu ghosts. Mario games nowadays rarely introduce new enemies, and even when they do they are far and few between. But Super Mario Land was chock full of 'em. And it's kind of a shame we haven't seen a return from a lot of them.
 
The Super Ball!
Totally new and completely unique power-up!


Speaking of new stuff, Mario not only faced off against all-new enemies, but he also got a brand-new power-up! The Super Ball! This crazy thing bounced off the ground at 45 degree angles with such velocity that nothing could stop it. It was a great weapon against Mario's foes, but it served double-duty by being able to collect coins as well!

Careful and skilled gamers were able to not only reach otherwise unreachable coins with the Super Ball, but also were able to take out high-flying enemies with carefully thrown balls at the right angles at the right time. It was almost like a 2D, action-platformer version of pool.

Seriously, nothing feels as cool in a Mario game than taking out a pesky, high flying Bun-Bun with a well-aimed Super Ball from far below. You just feel like a genius when you pull that off. (or maybe that's just me - I don't get to feel smart all that often)
 
Portable!
You can play it anytime, anywhere! Except at night, probably. You had to be near a lamp or something. Or have one of those light attachment dongles. But still, this was awesome. No longer were you forced to be tethered to your TV, or have to fight friends or family over what you're using the TV for. You could game on your own time. Mario, anytime, anywhere. And way better than the Game & Watch version of Super Mario Bros.

Though the Game & Watch version of Super Mario Bros. was actually pretty good, too. But it ain't no Super Mario Land!

This is a thing I owned.
 
Princess Daisy!
Hi, I'm Daisy!


Yup, this introduces the yellow-clad Princess that eventually hooks up with Luigi. I guess? She has since become a regular member of the Mario cast, and has shown up to go golfing with the gang, as well as playing tennis, soccer and go-karting. She definitely has her fans, and they can thank this game for bringing her to them.


You don't think she's a big hit? Go do a Google Image search for "Princess Daisy." Yeah. She's popular. If you're at work, I suggest keeping "Safe Search" ON.
 
Brings back classic Mario gameplay!
None of this vegetable throwing silliness introduced in Super Mario Bros. 2 on NES. Gameboy Mario brings the plumber back to his momentum-based platforming, Goomba-stomping roots. Complete with "?" Blocks, Super Mushrooms, free-floating coins and even defeating boss enemies by jumping over them and pressing a button behind them for an insta-kill. (except the last boss(es) but....quiet you)


This is one of the reasons I'm always baffled when people claim the Gameboy game as being weird for a Mario game. This is way more "Mario" than Super Mario Bros. 2 ever was (for obvious reasons we now know of) but you don't really hear people calling foul on the NES sequel. This is Mario doing what Mario does best, and they even added new stuff for him to do, too. Honestly, this is more Super Mario Bros. 2 than even The Lost Levels was.

Oh yeah I went there.
 
Infinitely replayable!
Just like the original Super Mario Bros. on NES, this game is a fantastic romp each and everytime you boot it up. And just like the NES original, gamers have been doing speed runs on this game for years. Can you beat these guys? You better bring your A-game!







Best of all, not only is it fun, and not only can you keep challenging yourself to see how quickly you can beat it... it never outstays its welcome. 12 stages, and you're done! Perfect for on-the-go gaming, and excellent for challenges against friends!
 
  NW Staff  
So yeah. There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Super Mario Land. An excellent portable introduction to Mario, and a verifiable classic that (IMO) stands the test of time.

Thank you so much for-a reading my list!

URL to share (right click and copy)
08/01/12, 20:48   Edited: 05/29/14, 04:06 
 
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  X-pert74  
Super Mario Land is awesome The Muda Kingdom theme is one of my favorite game songs of all time.


I disagree about water levels though. The water level in this one is fine, but I generally like water levels in games; particularly 2D sidescrolling games like Mario and Donkey Kong Country. I think the only water level I've played that really sucked was the water-themed dungeon in Mega Man Legends 2 (whose name I've forgotten), as it basically tried to make you feel like you were underwater by literally slowing the gameplay to a crawl.
08/02/12, 02:38   
  Marsh  
Those were actual balls? I thought they were fireballs.
08/02/12, 02:54   
  Davoid  
@DrFinkelstein, yes it is, the now defunct, Duane & Brando duo. I really like that Super Mario Land song. The video is pretty neat too.
08/02/12, 07:14   
  nacthenud  
Good write-up Grant. I've ne'er played the game but I totally buy your arguments.
08/02/12, 08:02   
  Stephen  
I don't doubt that it's a good game but one of the greatest Mario games? That's a tall order. So if it's one of the greatest, the list for Mario games better than it should be fairly short right? The main titles in the series are (via Wikipedia):

Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japanese version)
Super Mario Bros. 2 (International version)
Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Land
Super Mario World
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Super Mario 64
Super Mario Sunshine
New Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Galaxy
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario 3D Land

Personally, I have played all of these aside from the Golden Coins and Wario Land games and I don't think I would put SML above ANY of them. Even ones I wasn't crazy about like Sunshine and 2 International I think I prefer over Land.
08/02/12, 09:33   
  kriswright  
I can dig it. Good work, Grant. I'm totally on your side. Gotta go back to Chai Kingdom, someday!

@Stephen

I'd put it over The Lost Levels, no problem.

Uh...

Okay, so it's not one of the greatest Marios. That's pretty stiff competition, though. It's still good.
08/02/12, 09:33   
Edited: 08/02/12, 09:35
  roykoopa64  
Very nice list Grant! There's a lot of great things to like about this Game Boy classic. The music is fantastic, like you said. The Sky Pop and Marine Pop are fun diversions from the standard Mario platforming action, a lot of the new enemies are definitely innovative, the Super Ball was a fun power-up that played completely different than the Fire Ball... and we got Daisy!

I played this game many, many times on my old Game Boy (I had the Light Boy to help in dark situations)



and I immediately picked up Super Mario Land again when it was re-released for 3DS VC.
08/03/12, 01:23   
  GameDadGrant  
@X-pert74

That's cool. Everyone's got their preferences! If you dig water-based stages, more power to ya!

@Stephen

I can dig it. As I said to Kurt above, everyone has their own preferences! With a series this great, I'm sure everyone has their own rankings.
08/03/12, 01:26   
  anon_mastermind  
Nice try, but no. This game is rudimentary compared to the Super Mario Bros games on consoles.
08/03/12, 02:38   
  Jargon  
@kriswright

But SMB2 Japan is sooo good. May I should make the top 10 reasons why it is one of the greatest Mario games ever!
08/03/12, 02:48   
  kriswright  
@Jargon

Man, if you can do that, I'd read it.

But, then, aren't you the guy who adores Adventure of Link, too?
08/03/12, 03:22   
  rebonack  
@kriswright That might be me you're thinking of.

Maybe I'LL make a list of why The Adventure of Link is one of the best Zelda games of all time!
08/03/12, 03:42   
  Stephen  
@GameDadGrantOh yeah, I was more asking what your rankings are not necessarily saying that they are wrong (which would be impossible since it's all opinion anyway).
08/03/12, 04:11   
  GameDadGrant  
@Stephen

Ah, my rankings? Hm. I don't really count the Wario games or the Yoshi games as "Mario" games, so that skews my list a bit differently than others. I suppose the list would go something like this:

Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario 64
Super Mario 3D Land
Super Mario Land
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario World
New Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Super Mario Bros. 2 (International version)
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Super Mario Sunshine
Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japanese version)

I really didn't care for the Japanese SMB2, and playing through Sunshine was a chore sometimes. And I only rank the Wii NSMB so low because I didn't really play it all that much. It's probably a much better game than it seems to appear on my list, but I can't personally really say one way or another.

If I counted Yoshi's Island, it'd probably either be right above or right below Super Mario Bros. 3, and if I counted Wario Land then it'd be just below Super Mario World.
08/03/12, 05:09   
  TriforceBun  
Ranking Mario titles! I want to join in.

14. Super Mario Bros. 2 (Lost Levels)
13. Super Mario Land
12. Super Mario Land 2
11. New Super Mario Bros.
10. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
9. Super Mario Bros. 2 (Doki Doki Panic)
8. Super Mario Sunshine
7. Super Mario 3D Land
6. Super Mario Galaxy 2
5. Super Mario World
4. Super Mario 64
3. Super Mario Galaxy
2. Super Mario Bros. 3
1. Super Mario Bros. (This game is the king)

Yoshi's Island would be between 3D Land and Galaxy 2. Not sure where all the Warios would rank.
08/03/12, 05:22   
Edited: 08/03/12, 05:22
  rebonack  
Here's my list that I just made up on the fly and will probably be different tomorrow:

Super Mario World / Super Mario Bros. 3 (I flip flop on which one I prefer, but both are excellent for different reasons)
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario 3D Land
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario 64
Super Mario Bros. 2 (International version)
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Super Mario Sunshine
New Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Land
Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japanese version)
08/03/12, 14:32   
  Jargon  
I'm too lazy to make a list, but here's one of the reasons I would put SMB2J up there: How often do games come out where the difficult curve picks up right where it left off in the last one. I love that! Everyone in the world had played Super Mario Bros. so it made sense to just keep building as if you were entering World 9. Too many sequels start off slow for people who have mastered the originals.

It saddens me that it appears no one else seems to appreciate the game.

It also kind of irks me when people call it Lost Levels, since the version in Super Mario All-Stars isn't even quite the same. We should follow the same rules we use on Final Fantasy and call it Super Mario Bros. 2 and the American one Super Mario USA like they do in Japan.

I'm also really surprised by the love for SM3DL. I thought that game was pretty mediocre. It took parts from both the 2D and 3D games but didn't have the strong suits of either. Seeing it above the likes of Galaxy and Super Mario World is kind of mind boggling. But different strokes for different folks!

@kriswright

I do love Adventures of Link, but I don't think I've been as loud about it here as some others. It's the original Zelda that I am always proselytizing about.
08/03/12, 15:16   
  rebonack  
@Jargon Different strokes indeed. I mean, it boggles my mind that anyone would call Super Mario Land "one of the greatest Mario games ever," so clearly everyone's opinions vary a lot.

(I love Super Mario 3D Land, and it's easily my favorite of the 3D Marios because of the way it blends the 2D and 3D styles.)
08/03/12, 15:36   
  GameDadGrant  
@Jargon

Super Mario 3D Land was phenomenal! The level design was excellent, and IMO the perfect blend of 2D and 3D Mario. Not to mention it was also pretty challenging too. Arguably the hardest 3D Mario game made yet. It was sooo good!
08/03/12, 15:41   
  TriforceBun  
@Jargon

That is cool that Lost Levels is genuinely tough and feels like "World 9 through World" ...uhh... *counts* "21." But unfortunately, the difficulty is really the only interesting thing about it, as it's gotta be the most "same-y" Mario game in existence. All the same enemies, all the same visuals with a handful of minor tweaks, all the same music, same structure, no new level types except for one, no new bosses, etc. The only things new that I can think of are above-ground Bloopers (kinda neat but they function similarly), upside-down Piranhas (ditto), backwards warp pipes (devious, but kinda crummy design), the Poison Mushrooms and the pretty cool wind stages.

That's why I rank SMB2JPN so low--not because of the difficulty, but because of everything else.
08/03/12, 17:51   
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