True Redux Review: Super Mario World

The first game I decided to review is Super Mario World. Of course, this was an obvious choice, as it is hailed as one of the greatest SNES games ever, and uh... it came with the console. Mario has become a household name quite quickly throughout most of the world, and is arguably the most popular and most recognizable video game character ever.


First Impressions

The first impression this particular game put out was good. The colours were very bright, and pleasing to the eye, and the music was upbeat and fun. The intro gave a quick look as to how the game operated with a small demon, and really got me into the mood to play. In addition to the effective intro, the game makes two valuable things known right off the bat. Firstly, the game is multiplayer. Secondly, the game has several save files. Both of these options may significantly lower any battles between siblings over the game.

Right off the bat upon starting, you're greeted by a relatively cheesy intro, explaining that the world you are exploring is known as Dinosaur Land, and the reason that you're exploring is to save the recently kidnapped Princess Toadstool from Bowser. This isn't Shakespeare, and no one should be expect it to be; this is a far fetched game based on fun and weirdness, so 'epic storylines' aren't one of the things anyone should be looking for.

The Game!

Your journey begins on a relatively spiffy and colourful world map. It brought me back to the days of Super Mario Bros. 3, though this particular map is far more in depth and detailed. Different levels are represented by a wide variety of symbols, including yellow and red spots, ghost houses, castles, and more. One can move back and forth from level to level, and even replay levels that have already been beaten (though there are some exceptions to this rule). The map is also dynamic in the sense that the environment changes as you proceed, in many different ways. Most importantly, the map allows for the hiding of many secret levels, which must be found and beaten to accomplish completion goals.

Enough about the map, and onto the actual levels. The game follows traditional Mario rules. That is, you kill things by jumping on them. Mushrooms make you large, Flowers allow you to shoot little fireballs, and Feathers give you a cape you can fly with. New to the mix, however, is Yoshi. Yoshi plays a tremendous role in this game, as he provides the means of reaching many secret levels. Basically, you ride Yoshi, and utilize his long tongue to eat enemies and objects. Certain things, such as shells, cannot be swallowed, and can provide special abilities for Yoshi, ranging from fire breathing to flying. If you get hit while riding Yoshi, rather than taking the hit yourself, Yoshi takes it for you and runs away; he can get away, abandoning you, or you could catch up and jump on his back his back again to settle him down.

After completing a varying number of 'normal' levels, you will reach unique areas. One of these areas is the Ghost House, which is swarming with... ghosts. The other is the castle. The castle typically has a mid boss, or area boss within it, usually being one of Bowser's nephews or nieces. You're placed in the boss battle when you reach the end of the castle; the battles themselves are quite different from those in previous Mario games. For instance, the first boss battle you come across is a fight upon a swaying piece of land, over lava; you must knock your opponent into the lava below in order to win. Some battles elaborate upon the previous ones encountered, and just add some new gimmicks throughout, but it's far better than the repetitiveness experienced in the boss battles from Super Mario Bros 3.

After each boss fight, the castle is destroyed. I'm sure many children found these parts quite amusing, as Mario took up the task to destroy the castles himself. Every castle is destroyed in a particularly unique, and usually comical, way. For example, in one destruction segment, Mario hits a detonator, and sends the castle into a sky, like a rocket, which then hits a mountain. From that point on, that mountain on the world map will sport a bandage where it was struck. Though it cannot be considered adult humour by any means, I found that it was a nice touch to add some flavour that did not consist of "Sorry, your Princess is in another castle!"

Of course, the largest and most important castle is Bowser's Castle. The final showdown with Bowser is different from previous encounters. There's no switch you have to push, and there's no hole you have to make him fall into. Bowser floats around in the sky in a creepy clown pod type thing, throwing minions, fire, and boulders at you. You must dodge the plethora of objects thrown your way, while throwing Bowser's Minions back at him. After hitting him a number of times, he will switch his flying tactics, each time making it more dangerous for you to move around, and making it more difficult to throw enemies at him. The music during this particular engagement is fitting, and sets the mood for a showdown. Overall, the entire scenario was well done.

Now, the game itself can be completed in a matter of minutes. There's a secret area containing levels known as Star Worlds. They are interconnected by little star-like portals called Star Roads. They connect to several areas of the world. If one knows where to go, and where to find the secret exits in the Star Worlds, one could find themselves at the Star Road connected to Bowser's Castle. Doing this, however, will still leave the completion factor out of the question.

In addition to the Star Roads, there's a special area connected to the final Star Road. The levels presented there are considerably more difficult than the others, though still beatable. Upon completion of the Special Zone, the environment on the world map will change completely, and many enemies will transform into different beings. It's definitely a fun twist they added to the game to ensure lasting fun.

Overall, the creativity, sound, and playability of this game is outstanding. With so many levels to play through and so many secrets to find, this game was everything a side-scroller fan could hope for.

Score: 9.5/10