Retro Profile: Super Mario World (SNES)
Sunday, January 27th, 2008 at 9:30am by Jamie
Things were going very well for Nintendo from 1985 to 1988, as they had virtually no threatening competition. But all of that was about to change when NEC and Sega ushered in the start of the 16-bit generation. NEC had their TurboGrafx-16 system, while Sega introduced the Genesis console to the world. The Genesis in particular was the system that made Nintendo sit up and pay attention, as older (and younger) gamers fell in love the console’s arcade game upon its release in North America. Now granted, while the NES still had plenty of life left in it, Nintendo knew that they couldn’t afford to drag their feet any longer on creating a new console that could keep up with the Genesis’ hardware. So two short years later in 1991, “the big N” Released their Super Nintendo Entertainment System here in the States. It was only fitting that Super Mario World would be the game to premier as a pack-in game with the console. It truly took the Super Mario universe to the next level.
Mario and crew truly made quite an entrance when they returned for a new adventure on Nintendo’s new 16-bit console. Seeing that huge Bullet Bill in one of the first levels gave you a taste of what could be expected in terms of the overall scope of the game. In addition to his usual jump, Mario can now also perform a spinning jump, which allows him to break certain yellow bricks that can’t be smashed through any other means. As far as power-ups go, you have your usual Mushroom, Fire Flower, and Starman along for the ride. In time, you’ll come across the Cape Feather which allows Mario to fly briefly if he can gain enough speed by running. It can also be used to whip enemies around and hit “?” boxes that are at ground level (which Mario can’t break by stomping).
Each time you complete a stage, a path is progressively carved out which always leads you to the next area. Also, Mario can hold extra power-ups, but he can hold only one at a time. The good thing about it is that you can use these items while actually playing through the levels, instead of having to wait until you’re on the world map again (like in SMB 3).
Travelling through these worlds wouldn’t be much fun without a cast of interesting enemies to battle, now would it? Well, Super Mario World has plenty of them! Standing in your way this time around are a colorful array of new foes like the ghastly Eeries, tricky Magikoopas, thunderous Sumo Brothers, pesky Chargin’ Chucks, and many more new, but treacherous hazards. At the same time, Nintendo didn’t leave out those fan-favorite characters either. You’ll face off against the red & green Koopas, flying Super Koopas, Lakitus, Goombas, and of course, Piranha Plants. Thankfully, even these enemies have been updated a bit and can be clearly seen either in their character design, or some have been given new attack patterns. For instance, instead of every Piranha Plant merely being confined inside pipes, some are bold enough to jump out, hoping for a bite of Mario or Luigi. When riding with Yoshi, the Koopa shells can serve multiple purposes depending on which one he eats.
The graphics in this game, to put it simply, are wonderful. The colors are bright and solid, as had been the case with every Mario game before this one. The graphical capabilities of the Super NES were shown off pretty well here, with the screen blurring into little pixels each time you start a level or enter a pipe. Some scaling techniques, better know as “Mode 7”, can be seen the most when you reach the final battle with Bowser riding in his smiley face blimp. One of his attack patterns calls for him to fly “into” the screen creating a graphical effect that was pretty impressive to look at before polygons became the next major means of animating game characters.
Super Mario World had some of the most creatively designed worlds of its time. The huge backgrounds, the secret pathways to be found, the wide range of characters both old and new– everything about this game just feels so…big. Even by today’s standards, the game’s visual style still has the ability to draw the player in and get immersed in the not-so-small 2-D world of Mario and crew. Not a bad effort at all, considering the potential to get so much wrong when producing a game to launch with a system.
The audio for this game was top notch as well, having some very memorable tunes to offer. Although not sounding like any past Mario game, the music still has that kind of sound that can’t be mistaken for anything else. If you’re riding on Yoshi during any level, the area’s tune is accompanied by bongos in the background to give it a heavier flare. There’s not much in way of negative remarks that can be said about the sound quality. Sure, the world map tunes are a little repetitious, but it rarely gets tiring to listen to if you happen to leave the game on the map screen for whatever reason.
The sound effects also play a nice roll in the game as well. When you enter and underground cave, the sounds of Mario jumping or kicking a shell will echo—as if you were really in a cave. Also enjoyable is the little drum roll after completing each level. It feels like a talent show of sorts. As you play through the game, you’ll likely find something that catches your ears with either the music or sound effects…or both.
Play or Stay? It’s not often these days that a game is released with a system…let alone a game that happens to be well-crafted and loved by many 15 years later. In short, Super Mario World was good back then, and it still is now. This is a game that I definitely recommend to any SNES owner out there. And hey, if you don’t own one, you can still enjoy Super Mario World on the Wii via the Virtual Console service. Take it from me—you won’t regret it.
January 27th, 2008 at 10:09 am
Don’t forget about the cartridge version for the GBA/Wii. I will be playing this timeless game for many years to come.
January 27th, 2008 at 10:14 am
This game is absolutely my favorite of all the Mario games. When I was a kid this game was setup as a demo at our “local” kmart. Whenever we went to town to head to kmart I’d be sure to play some more on the demo system. When I was given an SNES I played this game non-stop. It was also the first game where my little brother was able to play AND keep up with me.
While 3D is king today, I think SMW demonstrates how great 2D games can be. The colors in SMW are bright and vibrant, there are decorative elements everywhere. The music is also incredible. Compare this to Mario 64 where the color seems much more muted and dirty. There is less decorative graphical elements because the idea of a 3D world was so new, nobody cared. While there are some memorable music from Mario 64, it doesn’t seem to match SMW in quality. Mario 64 is a great game, don’t get me wrong. It brought in a lot of new game play elements that are still in use today. Super Mario Sunshine, and more so Super Mario Galaxy, finally bring back to 3D Mario games that SMW introduced, bright colorful graphics, great sound and music.
January 27th, 2008 at 10:53 am
i still play my GBA version of this game on my DS. i’m still missing one secret level but i’ve found most of them, including the top secret area and all of the special levels in the star world.
January 27th, 2008 at 11:51 am
great post
January 27th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
I hate to be the grammar police, but you guys really need to hire an editor.
January 27th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
This game is amazing. It was my first VC download, and probably the best.
January 27th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
I got it on VC a while ago now and played through to 100% witht he gamecube controller, that was very uncomfortable, much better with the classic controller. Always the game I go back to when I’m bored and need a quick gaming fix.
January 27th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I still think Yoshi’s Island tops it in every way except offering an expansive overworld. Greatest 2D game of all time in my opinion. Of course I was heavily into that show ‘Stickin’ Around’ at the time.
January 27th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
OK, I’ve never played either Super Mario World or SMB3. (Never touched a SNES except a couple times at K-mart or something. I was an Amiga or PC guy and my roommates had a Genesis.) I have a thousand Wii points burning a hole in my…. uh, Wii flash memory, and I think it’s going toward one of those two. Which one do I need to play first?
January 27th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
@raindog469
That’s a tough call because SMB3 is fun as well. I don’t think either needs to be played “first.” I find SMW to be more interesting and up-to-date feeling.
January 27th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
raindog469: This is a conflict I’ve had for years. SMW vs. SMB3. Which is the best 2D Mario platformer? I’m still not sure how to answer that question. Both have their charms. But I guess if I was FORCED to pick one over the other…
SMW > SMB3. Barely…the multitude of secrets and hidden worlds/passages gives it the slight nod. Maybe by a pixel’s width, or something. Either way, these are two of the best 2D games ever made. Period.
January 27th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
plus, the NES emulation on SMB3 causes a lot of flicker on the right side of the screen
January 27th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Haha I just played this game today!
January 28th, 2008 at 6:48 am
@ raindog469 If you still haven’t decided, I’d go with SMW and wait until you can get at the SNES version of SMB3 or Super Mario All Stars (which has the SNES version on it). I played the NES version of SMB3 a while back and I think the SNES version is far better. ’s one game that should have waited for the SNES to be released.
January 28th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
This is the only game that I have played side-by-side with my wife for hours until we beat it. No other game company has ever been able to do that. Yay Nintendo!
January 28th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
being 12 years old and getting the snes and smw for xmas in 91 was like being the king of the neighborhood. the visuals and sounds are pure nostalgia for me. i loved this game then and still do now. it has stood the test of time and many new consoles and still is a great game to play. when i had my snes i beat it with 100% star worlds and all. now i suck
January 28th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I’m with actraiser. My step-father got my sis and I (well, for himself too) the snes against my mother’s wishes. And boy am I glad because Super Mario World is still to this day my favorite game. My only real complaint is that I know every nook and cranny and find the game too easy anymore. I can get 100% in two sittings. One if I was really bored, which I tend not to be, so . . .
Pure, platforming greatness that was never surpassed. Yoshi’s Island is good, but not better. Same with SMB3.
January 28th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Ahhh, Super Mario World, my first video game… I can’t even begin to count the hours I’ve put into it, or how many times I’ve completed the entire game. I can still remember the first time I played it, at the tender age of four… together with Zelda: A Link to the Past (my second video game), this is the reason I’ve come to love the Big N so much.
Haha, this post has just encouraged me to go hook up my SNES and pop SMW in. Or find my GBA and pop SMA2 in, whichever I can find first.
January 28th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
Good point about Mario All-Stars…. I don’t know if they’d ever put it on the Virtual Console, but I’d definitely pay 800 or a thousand Wii points to have all four NES Mario games with improved graphics and added gameplay. SMW it is.
January 29th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
I remember playing this game so many times, but never actually beating it.