Editing Super Mario Land

{{FA}}
{{italic title}}
{{about|the video game for the [[Game Boy]]|other uses of the name|[[Super Mario Land (disambiguation)]]}}
{{game infobox
|image=[[File:SarasalandBoxArt.png|250px]]<br>North American box art
|developer=[[Nintendo Research & Development 1|Nintendo R&D 1]]
|publisher=[[Nintendo]]
|platforms=[[Game Boy]], [[Virtual Console]] ([[Nintendo 3DS]]), [[Game Boy - Nintendo Switch Online]]
|release='''Game Boy:'''<br>{{flag list|Japan|April 21, 1989<ref>{{cite|url=www.nintendo.co.jp/n02/dmg/mla/index.html|title=スーパーマリオランド|publisher=Nintendo Co., Ltd.|language=ja|accessdate=May 31, 2018}}</ref>|USA|August 1, 1989<ref>{{cite|date=December 5, 2017|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171205225853/https://mario.nintendo.com/history/|title=The official home of Super Mario™ – History|publisher=mario.nintendo.com|accessdate=September 3, 2020}}</ref>|Europe|September 28, 1990|Australia|November 21, 1990<ref>{{cite|url=www.imdb.com/title/tt0204660/releaseinfo|title=Super Mario Land (Video Game 1989) - Release info|publisher=IMDb|language=en|accessdate=May 31, 2024}}{{better source}}</ref>}} '''[[Player's Choice]]:''' <br>{{flag list|USA|October 1996<ref>{{cite|title=''[[Nintendo Power]]'' issue 89|date=October 1996|page=96|accessdate=November 19, 2024}}</ref>}} '''Virtual Console (Nintendo 3DS):'''<br>{{flag list|USA|June 6, 2011|Japan|June 7, 2011|Europe|June 7, 2011|Australia|June 7, 2011|South Korea|February 3, 2016}} '''Game Boy - Nintendo Switch Online:'''<br>{{flag list|USA|May 14, 2024<ref name=NSO>{{cite|author=Nintendo of America|date=May 14, 2024|url=youtu.be/LeYLP5uerGQ|language=en-us|title=Game Boy – May 2024 Game Updates – Nintendo Switch Online|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=May 14, 2024}}</ref>|Japan|May 15, 2024<ref>{{cite|author=Nintendo 公式チャンネル|date=May 14, 2024|url=youtu.be/T4czuDKwgc8|title=ファミリーコンピュータ & スーパーファミコン & ゲームボーイ Nintendo Switch Online 追加タイトル <nowiki>[2024年5月15日]</nowiki>|publisher=YouTube|language=ja|accessdate=May 14, 2024}}</ref>|Europe|May 15, 2024|Australia|May 15, 2024<ref>{{cite|author=@NintendoAUNZ|date=May 15, 2024|url=x.com/NintendoAUNZ/status/1790577966042194310|title=Three classic games are now available to play for #NintendoSwitchOnline members! #GameBoy: ☑️ Super Mario Land ☑️ Alleyway ☑️ Baseball|publisher=X|accessdate=May 15, 2024}}</ref>|South Korea|May 15, 2024|HK|May 15, 2024<ref>{{cite|author=任天堂（香港）有限公司|date=May 15, 2024|url=https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ANhJSbQWZ/|title=【香港資訊】 加入「Nintendo Switch Online」就可遊玩的「Family Computer - Nintendo Switch Online」、「Super Famicom Nintendo Switch Online」、「Game Boy™ - Nintendo Switch Online」，現已新增4款可以遊玩的作品《アレイウェイ》、《カエルの為に鐘は鳴る》、《超級瑪利歐樂園》、《ベースボール》。 #NintendoSwitchOnline|publisher=Facebook|accessdate=March 7, 2025}}</ref>}}
|languages={{languages|en=y}}
|genre=2D [[Genre#Platform|platformer]]
|ratings={{ratings|acb=g|esrb=e|pegi=3|cero=A|usk=0|rars=0+|grac=all}}
|modes=Single-player
|format={{format|gb=1|3dsdl=1|switchdl=1}}
|input={{input|gb=1|3ds=1|joy-con=1|joy-con-horizontal=1|switchpro=1}}
|serials={{flag list|Japan|DMG-MLA|USA|DMG-ML-USA|USA|DMG-ML-USA-1 (Player's Choice)|Europe|DMG-ML-EUR|Australia|DMG-ML-AUS}}
}}
'''''Super Mario Land''''' is a 2D action-adventure [[Genre#Platform games|platform game]] for the [[Game Boy]], first released as a {{wp|launch title}} in [[List of games by date#1989|1989]]. It is the first ''[[Super Mario (series)|Super Mario]]'' game released for a handheld console and the fifth entry in the series. In Japan, it is recognized as the fourth.<ref name=encyclopedia>{{cite|author=Sakai, Kazuya (Ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors|title=『[[Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia|スーパーマリオブラザーズ百科: 任天堂公式ガイドブック]]』|language=ja|location=Tokyo|publisher=Shogakukan|date=2015|page=11–13|isbn=978-4-09-106569-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite|author=[[Nintendo|Nintendo Co., Ltd]]|title=HISTORY → Series → ''Super Mario''|url=www.nintendo.com/jp/character/mario/en/history/index.html|publisher=Mario Portal|accessdate=6 Nov. 2024|archive=web.archive.org/web/20241003115239/https://www.nintendo.com/jp/character/mario/en/history/index.html}}</ref> Unlike previous installments, the game was not developed by [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] and [[Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development|Nintendo EAD]], but by Nintendo R&D1, with [[Gunpei Yokoi]] as guiding producer. ''Super Mario Land'' takes place in [[Sarasaland]] rather than the [[Mushroom Kingdom]], and introduces [[Princess Daisy]], a new character serving as the damsel-in-distress in place of [[Princess Peach]]. [[Tatanga]], a malevolent alien with powers of hypnosis, serves as both the main antagonist and final boss.

In addition to being the first of the three ''Super Mario Land'' games, this game is also the shortest, comprising of only twelve levels spanning four different worlds. It was succeeded by ''[[Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins]]'', which introduced [[Wario]], and ''[[Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3]]'', which is also the first installment in the ''[[Wario Land (series)|Wario Land]]'' series. ''Super Mario Land'' and its sequel were initially excluded from the main ''[[Super Mario (series)|Super Mario]]'' series,<ref>{{cite|title=''[[Nintendo Power]]'' volume 92|page=7|language=en-us|publisher=Nintendo of America|date=January 1997|quote=Oh yeah, Princess Daisy from the Game Boy "Land" series is another princess altogether.}}</ref> but were later included alongside the more traditional games in material for the [[Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary|''Super Mario Bros.'' 30th Anniversary]]<ref>{{file link|Super Mario Bros 30th Anniversary - JP Artwork.jpg|Official Japanese artwork for the 30th Anniversary of ''Super Mario Bros.'' illustrating the games part of the ''Super Mario'' series.}}</ref> and [[Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary|''Super Mario Bros.'' 35th Anniversary]], as well as the history pages on the Mario Portal and "The official home for Mario" websites.<ref>{{cite|url=www.nintendo.com/jp/character/mario/en/history/index.html|title=History (''Super Mario Land'' appears when filtering for the ''Super Mario'' series)|publisher=Mario Portal website}}</ref><ref>{{cite|url=mario.nintendo.com/history|title=The official home of Super Mario™ – History|language=en-us|publisher=Nintendo of America|accessdate=May 22, 2024}}</ref>

This game is notable for its inclusion of different or unrelated enemies and sound effects compared to traditional titles. Additionally, though the game did not receive critical acclaim, mainly due to its graphical capabilities and shortness in length, it sold extremely well, eventually totaling over 18 million copies sold, making it the fourth best-selling game for the Game Boy overall.

The game was re-released for the [[Nintendo 3DS]]'s [[Virtual Console#Nintendo 3DS|Virtual Console]] in 2011, and for [[Game Boy - Nintendo Switch Online]] for the [[Nintendo Switch]] in 2024 in celebration of the Game Boy's 35th anniversary.<ref name=NSO/> The Virtual Console release requires 42 blocks (5.3 MB) of memory to be installed.

A board game adaptation of this game was released exclusively in Germany, titled ''[[Das Super Mario Spiel]]''. Although the board game does not explicitly state its theming after ''Super Mario Land'', it features the same characters, worlds, and story.
==Story==
[[File:SML Sarasaland Artwork.png|thumb|250px|[[Mario]] in [[Sarasaland]], surrounded by various enemies in the game]]
'''''The following text is taken directly from the instruction booklet.'''''
<blockquote>''Once upon a time, there was a peaceful world called [[Sarasaland]]. In this world there were 4 kingdoms named [[Birabuto Kingdom|Birabuto]], [[Muda Kingdom|Muda]], [[Easton Kingdom|Easton]] and [[Chai Kingdom|Chai]]. One day, the skies of Sarasaland were suddenly covered by a huge black cloud. From a crack in this cloud, the unknown space monster [[Tatanga]] emerged to try to conquer Sarasaland. Tatanga hypnotized the people of all the kingdoms so that he could control them in any way he liked. In this way he took over Sarasaland. Now, he wants to marry [[Princess Daisy]] of Sarasaland and make her his queen. [[Mario]] came to know of these events, and he has started on a journey to the [[Chai Kingdom]] where Princess Daisy is held captive, in order to restore peace to Sarasaland. Can Mario defeat Tatanga, release people from his interstellar hypnosis, and rescue Princess Daisy? It's all up to you and Mario's skill. Go for it Mario!''</blockquote>

In this game, [[Mario]] is tasked with saving [[Princess Daisy]] and the inhabitants of [[Sarasaland]] from [[Tatanga]]. To do so, he must travel across and conquer all four kingdoms - the [[Birabuto Kingdom]], a desert kingdom based on ancient Egypt, the [[Muda Kingdom]], an aquatic kingdom, the [[Easton Kingdom]], a kingdom partially based on Easter Island, and the [[Chai Kingdom]], a kingdom inspired by mythical ancient China.

The first three kingdoms are each guarded by a boss Mario must defeat to rescue an enemy disguised as Princess Daisy. These three kingdoms are led by the [[Gao]]-like [[King Totomesu]], [[Yurarin Boo]]-like [[Dragonzamasu]], and [[Tokotoko]]-like [[Hiyoihoi]]. A cloud known as [[Biokinton]] is fought in the fourth kingdom. In the end, Mario must board the [[Sky Pop]] to battle and defeat Tatanga himself in his heavily armed airship, [[Pagosu]]. After he is defeated, Mario rescues Daisy and the two ride off together in a spaceship.

It is revealed in the sequel, ''[[Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins]]'', that [[Wario]] took advantage of the events in this game to take over [[Mario's castle]]. In this game, Tatanga guards a [[Golden Coin]], presumably working under Wario.

==Gameplay==
[[File:MarioSML.png|thumb|250px|[[Mario]] traversing the first level of the game, [[World 1-1 (Super Mario Land)|World 1-1]]]]
''Super Mario Land'' is very similar to previous ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' platformer games. {{button|gb|a}} allows the player to jump, while {{button|gb|b}} serves as the action command, allowing [[Mario]] to run faster. {{button|gb|pad}} controls where Mario walks or runs. The player may also pause at anytime with {{button|gb|start}}. Jumping on an enemy usually defeats it and earns the player points. When Mario is [[Superball Mario]], or if he is driving the [[Marine Pop]] or [[Sky Pop]], {{button|gb|b}} fires out projectiles at Mario's enemies.

Most of the bosses can either be beaten via physical attack, or by jumping on a switch behind the boss. Collecting one hundred [[coin]]s earns Mario an [[extra life]], and if he manages to earn 100,000 points, he gains an extra continue to use in the event all lives are lost.

Mario is vulnerable as [[Small Mario]]. When he gets a [[Super Mushroom]], he grows slightly in size and is able to take damage once without losing a life, instead reverting back to his small state. If Mario collects a [[Superball Flower]], he becomes Superball Mario, and is able to shoot Superballs at his enemies. If Mario happens to find and collect a [[Super Star|Star]], he becomes invincible, and is able to defeat any enemy just by touching it. These effects are temporary and last a short time.

At the end of every non-boss level, the player reaches a [[goal (Super Mario Land)|goal]] tower with two entrances. The lower entrance takes Mario directly to the next stage, while the upper entrance sends him to a [[bonus game (Super Mario Land)|bonus game]] for the chance to win a Superball Flower or one, two, or three extra lives.

After the main game is beaten, the Mushroom icon on the title screen changes to an icon of Mario's head. This allows the player to play through the game once more, with additional enemies spread throughout the levels, though no further changes occur to increase the difficulty. Beating this game unlocks a level select option.  As the game has no battery backup, the title screen reverts to the standard version upon switching the Game Boy off, resetting the game, or having the batteries run out.
===Controls===
<center>
{|class="wikitable"style="width:65%;text-align:center"
|-
!rowspan=2 width=20% style="background:red;color:white;--darkbg:#600"|Action(s)
!colspan=4 style="background:red;color:white;--darkbg:#600"|Input(s)
|-style="background:red;color:white;--darkbg:#600"
!width=20% |Game Boy
!width=20%|Nintendo 3DS
!width=20%|Dual Joy-Con / Nintendo Switch Pro Controller / Nintendo Switch Lite
!width=20%|Horizontal Joy-Con
|-
|Move
|{{button|gb|pad}}
|{{button|3ds|pad}}
|{{button|switch|Pad}} / {{button|switch|controlpad}} / {{button|switch|leftstick}}
|{{button|switch|stick}}
|-
|Run, throw [[Superball Mario|Superball]], fire torpedo, fire missile
|{{button|gb|b}}
|{{button|3ds|b}}
|{{button|switch|B}} / {{button|switch|X}}
|{{button|switch|jc-bottom}} / {{button|switch|jc-top}}
|-
|[[Jump]]
|{{button|gb|a}}
|{{button|3ds|a}}
|{{button|switch|A}}
|{{button|switch|jc-right}}
|-
|Pause
|{{button|gb|start}}
|{{button|3ds|start}}
|{{button|switch|plus}}
|{{button|switch|plusminus}} + {{button|switch|SR}}
|}
</center>

==Worlds and levels==
''Super Mario Land'' utilizes [[Sarasaland]] as the main setting rather than the [[Mushroom Kingdom]]. The land is divided into four kingdoms serving as the corresponding worlds of the game - the [[Birabuto Kingdom]], the [[Muda Kingdom]], the [[Easton Kingdom]], and the [[Chai Kingdom]], respectively. Each world consists of three levels. These levels normally feature music, backgrounds, and enemies relevant to the themes of their respective worlds. Due to the length of the game, as well as the amount of enemies featured in the game, most enemies are indigenous to one world, while some only appear in one level. At the end of the first two levels of each world, Mario reaches a [[goal (Super Mario Land)|goal]] allowing him to advance to the next level immediately, or complete a [[bonus game (Super Mario Land)|bonus game]] for an item beforehand. At the end of the third and final level of each world, Mario fights and defeats a boss to rescue an enemy disguised as Daisy, with the exception of the Chai Kingdom, where he must defeat two bosses, including Tatanga, to rescue the real Daisy.
<center>
{|width=65% class="wikitable"
!colspan=2 style="background:red;color:white;--darkbg:#600"|Kingdoms
|-
!width=16% style="background:#F73;--darkbg:#400"|[[Birabuto Kingdom]]
!width=34% style="background:#F73;--darkbg:#400"|Areas
|-
|rowspan=3 align=center style="background:white"|[[File:Super Mario Land Empty Block Screenshot.png]]
|[[World 1-1 (Super Mario Land)|World 1-1]]
|-
|[[World 1-2 (Super Mario Land)|World 1-2]]
|-
|[[World 1-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 1-3]]
|-
|colspan=2 align=center|The first world in the game – a desert kingdom based on ancient Egypt. Pyramids occur in the background of the first two areas, while the third one takes place within one. This world introduces a number of recurring enemies such as [[Goombo]]s, [[Bombshell Koopa]]s, and [[Piranha Plant]]s. [[King Totomesu]], a large [[Gao]], is fought at the end of the third area. Defeating him leads to a [[Fighter Fly|Fly]] disguised as Princess Daisy.
|-
!width=16% style="background:#F73;--darkbg:#400"|[[Muda Kingdom]]
!width=34% style="background:#F73;--darkbg:#400"|Areas
|-
|rowspan=3 align=center style="background:white"|[[File:Muda.png]]
|[[World 2-1 (Super Mario Land)|World 2-1]]
|-
|[[World 2-2 (Super Mario Land)|World 2-2]]
|-
|[[World 2-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 2-3]]
|-
|colspan=2 align=center|Muda Kingdom is a water-themed world. Its name is invocative of {{wp|Bermuda}} and the mythical {{wp|Mu (mythical lost continent)|Mu}}. Muda is the only kingdom to feature the [[Marine Pop]] submarine. The first two areas are beaches, while the third is entirely underwater. Most of the local enemies are based off of seahorses, carnivorous fish, and other marine animals. [[Dragonzamasu]], a large [[Yurarin Boo]], is fought at the end of the third area. The Daisy found here is a [[Gunion]] in disguise.
|-
!width=16% style="background:#F73;--darkbg:#400"|[[Easton Kingdom]]
!width=34% style="background:#F73;--darkbg:#400"|Areas
|-
|rowspan=3 align=center style="background:white"|[[File:SML World 3-1 Screenshot.png]]
|[[World 3-1 (Super Mario Land)|World 3-1]]
|-
|[[World 3-2 (Super Mario Land)|World 3-2]]
|-
|[[World 3-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 3-3]]
|-
|colspan=2 align=center|This world is invocative of {{wp|Easter Island}}. Large {{wp|moai}} occur in the background, and a few of the local enemies resemble the statues. [[Hiyoihoi]], a large [[Tokotoko]] who attacks by hurling [[Ganchan]], is fought at the end of the final area. The Daisy lookalike here is a [[Kumo]].
|-
!width=16% style="background:#F73;--darkbg:#400"|[[Chai Kingdom]]
!width=34% style="background:#F73;--darkbg:#400"|Areas
|-
|rowspan=3 align=center style="background:white"|[[File:SML World 4-1 Screenshot.png]]
|[[World 4-1 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-1]]
|-
|[[World 4-2 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-2]]
|-
|[[World 4-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-3]]
|-
|colspan=2 align=center|The final world – a land based on China. The first area is a dense bamboo forest. The third one takes place above the clouds, and is the only one to include the [[Sky Pop]]. A few of the local enemies seem to be derived from Chinese folklore, while others are affiliates of the local bosses and only occur in the sky. In addition to the cloud boss [[Biokinton]], the final boss [[Tatanga]] occurs in the third area. Defeating him rescues the true Princess Daisy.
|}
</center>

==Characters==
{|class="wikitable col3left" style="--bg1:white;--darkbg1:#D8D8D8;width:100%;text-align:center"
|-style="color:white;background:red;--darkbg:#600"
!width=6%|Image
!width=8%|Name
!Description 
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Mario Standing Sprite.png]]
|[[Mario]]
|align=left|The game's protagonist and the only playable character. Mario ventures to [[Sarasaland]] to rescue Daisy from the space alien [[Tatanga]].
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Daisy Sprite.png]]
|[[Princess Daisy]]
|align=left|The ruler of Sarasaland, who was kidnapped by Tatanga with the intent to marry her.<ref>{{cite|author=Shogakukan editors|date=1994|title=『[[Perfect Edition of the Great Mario Character Encyclopedia|パーフェクト版 マリオキャラクター大事典]]』|language=ja|publisher=[[Shogakukan]]|page=32|isbn=4-09-259067-9}}</ref> Defeating a boss leads to a minion disguised as Daisy: the real princess is only rescued when the alien himself is defeated.
|}

==Enemies and obstacles==
===Enemies===
There are ~25 enemies in ''Super Mario Land'', most of which appear within only one kingdom. These enemies are of designs culturally tied to their native kingdoms and are wholly new to the ''[[Super Mario (series)|Super Mario]]'' series. Examples include Gao, which resembles an {{wp|Sphinx|Egyptian sphinx}}, and Pionpi, which resembles the {{wp|jiangshi}} of Chinese folklore. Only two enemies previously appeared in the [[Super Mario (franchise)|franchise]]: Piranha Plants from ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' and [[Fighter Fly|Fighterflies]] from the ''[[Mario Bros. (game)|Mario Bros.]]'' arcade game. The latter are simply called "Flies" in this game. Like the console ''Super Mario'' games, defeating an enemy awards Mario with a certain number of [[point]]s. The amount of points is dependent on the type of enemy and the means of attack, like ''Super Mario Bros.'' and ''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels|The Lost Levels]]''.

When localized for English-speaking territories in 1989, most enemies were given names that were loose romanizations of their Japanese ones. This included the returning Piranha Plants, which are referred to as "Pakkun Flowers" in the instruction booklet for ''Super Mario Land''. The only major exception are Kumos, whose English name derives from a Japanese word for spiders ({{hover|蜘蛛|クモ}}, ''kumo'') but go by a more [[Kumo#Names in other languages|distinct name]] in the original Japanese release of the game. When rereleased in 2011 for the [[Nintendo 3DS]] [[Virtual Console]], the accompanying eGuide introduced new English names for the enemies that are related to more recurring species in the ''Super Mario'' series. Namely: Chibibo were renamed Goombos; Nokobon were renamed Bombshell Koopas; Pakkun Flowers were clarified to be Piranha Plants; and Gira were renamed Bullet Biffs. These are the names acknowledged below. With the exception of the Piranha Plants, none of these names were incorporated into the Mario Portal Game Archive for ''Super Mario Land'' in 2022, which instead uses the names from the original 1989 instruction booklet.

Enemies are generally listed in the order they are encountered in-game. They are otherwise clustered near their most immediate relatives.
{|class="wikitable col3left sortable" style="--bg1:white;--darkbg1:#D8D8D8;width:100%;text-align:center"
|-style="color:white;background:red;--darkbg:#600"
!class="unsortable" width=5% rowspan=2|Image
!width=8% rowspan=2|Name
!class="unsortable" rowspan=2|Description
!class="unsortable" colspan=2|Levels
!rowspan=2|Pts.
!rowspan=2|New
|-style="color:white;background:red;--darkbg:#600"
!width=8%|First
!width=8%|Last
|-
|style="background:FFFFFF"|[[File:SML Goombo Sprite.png]]
|[[Goombo]]
|align=left|The [[Goomba]] relatives of [[Sarasaland]]. Goombos walk forward and walk off the edge of platforms. They only turn around when they hit opposing walls. Goombos are defeated when stomped.
|[[World 1-1 (Super Mario Land)|World 1-1]]
|[[World 4-2 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-2]]
|100
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Bombshell Koopa Sprite.png]]
|[[Bombshell Koopa]]
|align=left|[[Koopa Troopa]]s with [[bomb]]s for shells. Stomping one makes it recede into its shell, which subsequently explodes. The blast damages Mario. Bombshell Koopas are safely defeated when hit by Superballs or struck from below. They do not detonate in either case.
|[[World 1-1 (Super Mario Land)|World 1-1]]
|[[World 4-2 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-2]]
|100
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Fly.png]]
|[[Fighter Fly|Fly]]
|align=left|Flies bounce along the ground. They are defeated when stomped or struck by two Superballs.
|colspan=2|[[World 1-1 (Super Mario Land)|World 1-1]]
|400
|—
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:Bunbunsprite.png]]
|[[Bunbun]]
|align=left|Flying [[bee]]s that carry arrows. They fly horizontally and periodically pause to drop arrows that phase through terrain. Bunbun are defeated when stomped or struck by a Superball.
|colspan=2|[[World 1-2 (Super Mario Land)|World 1-2]]
|800
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMLPiranhaPlant.png]]
|[[Piranha Plant]]
|align=left|Carnivorous plants that pop out of [[Warp Pipe|pipes]]. Attempting to [[stomp]] Piranha Plants damages Mario. They are defeated only with [[Superball Mario|Superballs]]. Standing next to or directly on their pipes keeps them from emerging.
|[[World 1-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 1-3]]
|[[World 4-2 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-2]]
|100
|—
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Sprite Upside-down Piranha Plant.png]]
|Upside-down Piranha Plant
|align=left|These Piranha Plants extend from overhead pipes and cannot be inhibited.
|[[World 4-1 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-1]]
|[[World 4-2 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-2]]
|400
|—
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:Gao.png]]
|[[Gao]]
|align=left|Sphinxes that breathe fire. The balls are directed at Mario and phase through terrain. Gao are defeated when stomped or struck by Superballs. In [[Hard Mode]], one appears in World 1-1.
|colspan=2|[[World 1-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 1-3]]
|800
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Honen Sprite.png]]
|[[Honen]]
|align=left|Undead Torion. Honen leap vertically from water. They can be defeated with any attack.
|[[World 2-1 (Super Mario Land)|World 2-1]]
|[[World 2-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 2-3]]
|100
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Torion Sprites.png]]
|[[Torion]]
|align=left|Man-eating fish that swim in schools of three. They make a u-turn when they reach the left edge of the screen. Torion are defeated when struck by one of the [[Marine Pop]]'s torpedoes.
|colspan=2|[[World 2-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 2-3]]
|100
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Yurarin Boo Sprite.png]]
|[[Yurarin Boo]]
|align=left| Fire-breathing Yurarin. They move vertically and spit fireballs in Mario's direction. Yurarin Boos are defeated when stomped or struck by two torpedoes.
|[[World 2-1 (Super Mario Land)|World 2-1]]
|[[World 2-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 2-3]]
|400
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Yurarin Sprite.png]]
|[[Yurarin]]
|align=left|Seahorse enemies that either swim right to left or in diagonal patterns. They are defeated when struck by two torpedoes.
|colspan=2|[[World 2-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 2-3]]
|400
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:Mekabonsprite.PNG]]
|[[Mekabon]]
|align=left|Squat robots. Mekabon throw their heads at Mario. Stomping on them the heads break them, but they regenerate after a few seconds. Striking the headless bodies with any attack defeats them. Striking an intact Mekabon as [[Invincible Mario]] defeats it. Unlike Goombos, Mekabon turn around when they reach the edge of platforms.
|colspan=2|[[World 2-2 (Super Mario Land)|World 2-2]]
|data-sort-value=400|{{hover|400|full body}}<br>{{hover|100|head or body}}
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Gunion Sprite.png]]
|[[Gunion]]
|align=left|Octopus enemies. Gunion are defeated when struck by three torpedoes, but doing so splits them into two targeting fireballs.
|colspan=2|[[World 2-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 2-3]]
|800
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:Tamao Sprite.PNG]]
|[[Tamao]]
|align=left|An eyeball creature that occurs around [[Dragonzamasu]]. Tamao bounces against walls and ceilings. It damages Mario on contact.
|colspan=2|[[World 2-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 2-3]]
|data-sort-value=900|{{icon|cross}}
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:Tokotokosprite.PNG]]
|[[Tokotoko]]
|align=left|{{wp|Moai}} enemies that quickly shuffle across the ground. They are defeated when stomped or struck by a Superball.
|[[World 3-1 (Super Mario Land)|World 3-1]]
|[[World 3-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 3-3]]
|400
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:Batadonsprite.png]]
|[[Batadon]]
|align=left|Winged Tokotoko that bounce across terrain. Batadon directly chase after Mario. They are defeated when stomped or struck by three Superballs.
|[[World 3-1 (Super Mario Land)|World 3-1]]
|[[World 3-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 3-3]]
|800
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:Ganchan.png]]
|[[Ganchan]]
|align=left|Living [[boulder]]s that bound around. Ganchan cannot be defeated, but they can be stood on and used as platforms to reach distant areas. The boss [[Hiyoihoi]] tosses Ganchan.
|[[World 3-1 (Super Mario Land)|World 3-1]]
|[[World 3-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 3-3]]
|data-sort-value=900|{{icon|cross}}
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Bullet Biff Sprite.png]]
|[[Bullet Biff]]
|align=left|[[Bullet Bill]] relatives launched from Pipe Cannons and Roketon. Bullet Biffs fly across the screen horizontally. They are defeated when stomped.
|[[World 3-1 (Super Mario Land)|World 3-1]]
|[[World 4-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-3]]
|400
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:Suusprite.png]]
|[[Suu]]
|align=left|Striped spiders. Suu descend from the ceiling on silk to strike Mario. They are defeated when stomped or struck by two Superballs.
|colspan=2|[[World 3-2 (Super Mario Land)|World 3-2]]
|400
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Kumo.png]]
|[[Kumo]]
|align=left|Hairy spiders that bounce across terrain. They are defeated when stomped or struck by two Superballs.
|[[World 3-2 (Super Mario Land)|World 3-2]]
|[[World 3-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 3-3]]
|400
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:Pionpisprite.png]]
|[[Pionpi]]
|align=left|Undead beings that hop along the ground. [[Jump]]ing on Pionpi briefly stuns them. They are defeated only when struck by two Superballs.
|colspan=2|[[World 4-1 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-1]]
|800
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:Pomponsprite.png]]
|[[Pompon Flower]]
|align=left|Walking flowers that release toxic pollen. They are defeated when stomped or struck by two Superballs.
|colspan=2|[[World 4-2 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-2]]
|800
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:Nylolin.png]]
|[[Nyololin]]
|align=left|Snakes that sit still and spit fire, like Gao. Nyololins are defeated when stumped or struck by a Superball.
|colspan=2|[[World 4-2 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-2]]
|800
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Chicken Sprite.png]]
|[[Chicken]]
|align=left|Helmeted birds that fly through the sky and are released by [[Biokinton]]. Contact damages Mario. They are defeated when struck by one of the [[Sky Pop]]'s missiles.
|colspan=2|[[World 4-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-3]]
|400
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:Roketonsprite.PNG]]
|[[Roketon]]
|align=left|[[Tatanga]]'s attack pilots. Roketon fire Bullet Biffs backwards as Mario flies past them. They are defeated when struck by a missile.
|colspan=2|[[World 4-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-3]]
|400
|{{icon|new}}
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Chikako Sprite.png]]
|[[Chikako]]
|align=left|Mid-air, electrical enemies. A Chikako is defeated only when struck by ten missiles, or when touch by Mario in his Invincible form.
|colspan=2|[[World 4-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-3]]
|800
|{{icon|new}}
|}

===Obstacles===
{|class="wikitable col3left" style="--bg1:white;--darkbg1:#D8D8D8;width:100%;text-align:center"
|-style="color:white;background:red;--darkbg:#600"
!width=5% rowspan=2|Image
!width=8% rowspan=2|Name
!class="unsortable" rowspan=2|Description
!class="unsortable" colspan=2|Levels
|-style="color:white;background:red;--darkbg:#600"
!width=8%|First
!width=8%|Last
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:FallingBlockSML.png]]
|[[Falling block]]
|align=left|Slabs that fall from the ceiling when approached.
|[[World 1-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 1-3]]
|[[World 4-1 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-1]]
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:FallingSpikeSML.png]]
|[[Falling spike]]
|align=left|Spikes that fall from the ceiling when approached.
|colspan=2|[[World 3-2 (Super Mario Land)|World 3-2]]
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Sprite Pipe Cannon.png]]
|[[Bill Blaster#Super Mario Land|Pipe Cannon]]<ref>{{cite|author=Pelland, Scott, George Sinfield, Dan Owsen, [[Leslie Swan]], Mike Frazier, Kevin Johnson, Frank Marrone, Chuck Booten, Pete Remine, Jane Hacker, and Fred Nava, editors|date=1991|title=''Nintendo Game Boy Player's Guide''|location=Redmond|publisher=Nintendo of America|page=5}}</ref>
|align=left|Cannons that fire [[Bullet Biff]]s. Pipe Cannons periodically rise from [[Warp Pipe|pipes]] and recede afterward firing. They do this regardless of Mario's proximity to the pipes. Mario can safely stand on top of a Pipe Cannon.
|[[World 3-1 (Super Mario Land)|World 3-1]]
|[[World 4-2 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-2]]
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:Pipe Fist (SML).png]]
|[[Pipe Fist]]
|align=left|These fists emerge from pipes like [[Piranha Plant]]s, though slightly faster. They occur in pairs that alternate their punches. A third Pipe Fist occurs in Hard Mode.
|colspan=2|[[World 4-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-3]]
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Sprite Spikes.png]]
|[[Spike Trap|Poison needle]]s<ref>{{cite|author=Nintendo of America|date=1990|title=''Super Mario Land Instruction Booklet''|location=Redmond|publisher=Nintendo of America|page=12}}</ref>
|align=left|Spikes laid across the ground. Contact makes Mario lose a life. Long stretches of poison needles can be avoided by hopping across bouncing [[Ganchan]].
|[[World 3-1 (Super Mario Land)|World 3-1]]
|[[World 3-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 3-3]]
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMLRoto-disc.png]]
|[[Roto Disc (Super Mario Land)|Roto Disc]]
|align=left|Spinning flames that encircle blocks. The flame damages Mario on contact.
|[[World 4-2 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-2]]
|[[World 4-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-3]]
|}

===Bosses===
Bosses are listed in the order that they are first encountered. All bosses reward Mario with 5000 points when defeated.
{|class="wikitable col3left" style="--bg1:white;--darkbg1:#D8D8D8;width:100%;text-align:center"
|-style="color:white;background:red;--darkbg:#600"
!width=5%|Image
!width=8%|Name
!Description
!width=16%|Level
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:Kingtotometsu.PNG]]
|[[King Totomesu]]
|align=left|This [[Gao]] breathes fireballs horizontally and periodically jumps. He is defeated when struck by five Superballs or when the switch behind him is struck.
|[[World 1-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 1-3]]
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Dragonzamasu Sprite.png]]
|[[Dragonzamasu]]
|align=left|A giant [[Yurarin Boo]] that swims up and down, shooting fireballs. It is defeated when struck by twenty torpedoes or by striking the switch behind it. [[Tamao]] surround the boss.
|[[World 2-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 2-3]]
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Hiyoihoi Sprites.png]]
|[[Hiyoihoi]]
|align=left|Throws [[Ganchan]] at Mario. Hiyoihoi is defeated by ten Superballs or by leaping over it  on Ganchan to reach the switch.
|[[World 3-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 3-3]]
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Biokinton Alternate Sprite.png]]
|[[Biokinton]]
|align=left|A cloud boss the bounces all around the area, releasing [[Chicken]]s at Mario. To defeat Biokinton, he must be hit with twenty missiles.
|[[World 4-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-3]]
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:Tatanga-SML.png]]
|[[Tatanga]]
|align=left|The mysterious alien that kidnapped [[Princess Daisy]]. Tatanga hovers around the right-side of the arena in his spaceship [[Pagosu]], firing round projectiles that split into three smaller ones. It takes multiple missiles to destroy the projectiles, making it harder to shoot the ship. Once the Pagosu is destroyed, Tatanga and the boss room vanish.
|[[World 4-3 (Super Mario Land)|World 4-3]]
|}

==Items and objects==
===Items===
These are collectibles, pickups, and crafts.
{|class="wikitable col3left" style="--bg1:white;--darkbg1:#D8D8D8;width:100%;text-align:center"
|-style="color:white;background:red;--darkbg:#600"
!width=5%|Image
!width=8%|Name
!Description
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMLHeart.png]]
|[[1 UP Heart|1UP heart]]
|align=left|1UP hearts are found in Mystery Blocks and bricks. Collecting one grants Mario an [[extra life]], though it must be collected before it falls through the ground.
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Coin Sprite.png]]
|[[Coin]]
|align=left|Coins may be found in Mystery Blocks as well as in groups. They may also be collected with Superballs. Each coin Mario collects earns him one hundred points, while collecting one hundred coins earns him an extra life.
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:Marinepop.gif]]
|[[Marine Pop]]
|align=left|A submarine found and used only in 2-3. Allows Mario to shoot torpedoes at a number of aquatic enemies, including the boss Dragonzamasu. Super Mushrooms and Stars affect the Marine Pop as well.
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:Skypop SML sprite.png]]
|[[Sky Pop]]
|align=left|An airplane appearing only in the final level, 4-3. It fires missiles, used to defeat both Biokinton and Tatanga. After the real Daisy is rescued, she and Mario ride off in the Sky Pop.
|}

===Power-ups===
Items that transform Mario's appearance and give him unique abilities.
{|class="wikitable col3left" style="--bg:white;--darkbg:#D8D8D8;--bg3:#f5f5f5;--darkbg3:#333333;width:100%;text-align:center"
|-style="color:white;background:red;--darkbg:#600"
!width=5%|Power-up
!width=8%|Form
!Description
|-
|style="background:white"|{{color|black|N/A}}
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Small Mario Sprite.png]]<br>[[Small Mario|Mario]]
|align=left|Mario is in this small-sized form when the player starts a new game. Regular Mario is incapable of breaking bricks and loses a life when he makes contact with an enemy or obstacle. However, he can run across narrow passageways without having to [[crouch]]. Regardless of the form he was in before losing a life, Mario reappears in the level in his regular form. If Mario touches a Super Mushroom or Flower in this small form, he is turned into Super Mario.
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:Super Mario Land Mushroom.png]]<br>[[Super Mushroom]]
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Mario Standing Sprite.png]]<br>[[Super Mario (form)|Super Mario]]
|align=left|The Super Mushroom powers Mario up into Super Mario, allowing him to release Superball Flowers from blocks, break bricks, and take damage once before reverting to his Small form.
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Superball Flower Sprite.png]]<br>[[Superball Flower|Flower]]
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Sprite Superball Mario.png]]<br>[[Superball Mario]]
|align=left|A new item, the Flower can only be found in blocks or the [[Bonus game (Super Mario Land)|bonus game]]. It allows Mario to shoot Superballs, which bounce off surfaces such as floors, walls, and ceilings to collect coins and defeat enemies, similarly to how the [[Fire Flower]] allows him to shoot [[fireball]]s. Mario's Superball form looks the same as his Super form.
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMLStar.png]]<br>[[Super Star|Star]]
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Sprite Invincible Mario.gif]]<br>[[Invincible Mario]]
|align=left|Stars are rare items granting Mario brief invincibility from enemies. Rather than the usual [[Super Star (theme)|invincibility theme]], two loops of an excerpt from the famous "Galop infernal" from ''{{wp|Orpheus in the Underworld}}'' by {{wp|Jacques Offenbach}}, a tune most commonly associated with the {{wp|can-can}}, play while Mario is invincible.
|}

===Objects===
Objects are interactable elements of the environment that cannot be picked up or collected.
{|class="wikitable col3left" style="--bg1:white;--darkbg1:#D8D8D8;width:100%;text-align:center"
|-style="color:white;background:red;--darkbg:#600"
!width=5%|Image
!width=8%|Name
!Description
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Brick Block Sprite.png]]
|[[Brick Block|Brick]]
|align=left|Blocks that break when struck. Some bricks contain rarer items, while some can produce a number of coins.
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Falling Block Sprite.png]]
|[[Dropping lift]]
|align=left|Footholds that fall when stood on for a short time.
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SMLLiftBlock.png]]
|[[Lift Block|Elevator]]
|align=left|Platforms that appear only in Worlds 1-3 and 3-2 in [[Hidden Block]]s. Mario can ride Elevators up to find coins or a pipe to a secret room.
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Sprite Island.png]]
|[[Island]]
|align=left|Terrain of varying heights and widths that occur in [[World 1-2 (Super Mario Land)|World 1-2]]. Their pillars are made of earth.
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Lift Sprite.png]]
|[[Lift]]
|align=left|Thin, moving platforms. They can carry Mario across distant areas.
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Question Mark Block Sprite.png]]
|[[? Block|Mystery Block]]
|align=left|Blocks that produce items or coins when struck. [[Coin Block|Some blocks]] release up to ten coins when hit in rapid succession. A few are [[Hidden Block|invisible]].
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Warp Pipe Sprite.png]]
|[[Warp Pipe|Pipe]]
|align=left|Mario can enter most pipes to reach hidden or secret areas, as well as exit them.
|-
|style="background:white"|[[File:SML Button Sprite.png]]
|[[Switch (Super Mario Land)|Switch]]
|align=left|Switches found in most boss rooms. Touching one defeats the resident boss. The switches provide an alternative way to defeat bosses without directly attacking them.
|}

==Revision==
[[File:GBC SML Title Screen.png|thumb|The title screen seen on Game Boy Color]]
When playing ''Super Mario Land'' on a [[Game Boy Color]], the game will display colors using a unique hardware-coded color palette.

Later printings of the game featured alterations to the soundtrack<ref name="TCRF">[[tcrf:Super Mario Land#Revisional Differences|The Cutting Room Floor's page on ''Super Mario Land'']], ''TCRF.net''. Retrieved August 8, 2016</ref> and fixed the [[List of Super Mario Land glitches#Out of Bounds (Version 1.0 only)|screen wraparound glitch]] of the original release.<ref name="TCRF"></ref>

==Development==
{{see also|List of Super Mario Land staff}}
''Super Mario Land'' was initially set to be the pack-in game for the [[Game Boy]]. However, {{wp|Henk Rogers}} of [[Bullet-Proof Software]] managed to convince NOA president {{wp|Minoru Arakawa}} that ''[[Tetris]]'' would have wider appeal.<ref>{{cite|url=www.ign.com/videos/alexey-pajitnov-stars-video-interview-alexey-pajitnov-pt-1?objectid=919431|title=Alexey Pajitnov Stars Interview - Video Interview: Alexey Pajitnov Pt. 1|date=June 12, 2009|publisher=IGN|accessdate=May 23, 2024}}</ref>

The game was developed by [[Nintendo Research & Development 1|Nintendo R&D 1]] rather than by [[Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development|Nintendo EAD]], making it the first ''Super Mario'' platformer to not be developed by EAD. [[Gunpei Yokoi]] acted as the producer and future R&D manager [[Satoru Okada]] was the director. [[Hirokazu Tanaka]] handled the sound effects and soundtrack.

==[[Nintendo 3DS#Nintendo eShop|Nintendo eShop]] description==
;North American version
<blockquote>''Ancient ruins, giant crabs, Koopa Troopas, flying stone heads, and hungry sharks await you in this rerelease of the 1989 Game Boy™ game. In the beautiful kingdom of Sarasaland, a mysterious alien has appeared and hypnotized the inhabitants while kidnapping Princess Daisy™ for himself! Travel over land, in the air, and underwater as Mario™ runs, jumps, and bounces his way to fortune and glory on his mission to save Princess Daisy and restore peace! Ancient ruins, tempestuous waters, and brand new challenges await!</blockquote>
;European version
<blockquote>''Mario’s acclaimed Game Boy debut brings the plucky plumber to new territory: Sarasaland, where the evil space monster Tatanga has hypnotised the people and kidnapped Princess Daisy!''

''While the gameplay will be at first familiar, with the winning blend of platforming and power-ups, Super Mario Land is unique for introducing vehicles for Mario to ride: the Sky Pop aeroplane and Marine Pop submarine.''

''You'll need all your skills on land, in the sea and through the air, to traverse the four diverse kingdoms of Sarasaland in your quest to defeat the dastardly Tatanga and rescue Daisy.''</blockquote>

==Soundtrack==
''Super Mario Land'' was the first ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' title to support stereo sound, a native feature of the Game Boy via the included 3.5mm headphone jack (previous Nintendo hardware exclusively outputted mono sound). To fit in with this, the game's music features heavy use of both the left and right channels in addition to the center of the soundstage. The Revision 1 reissue would remix the game's soundtrack to adjust the use of stereo sound, centering the percussion in the [[Marine Pop]]/[[Sky Pop]] theme and moving the first percussion hit in the Sarasaland, cave, and credits themes from the center to the right channel.<ref>[https://tcrf.net/Super_Mario_Land#Audio ''Super Mario Land'']. The Cutting Room Floor. Retrieved January 13, 2024.</ref>

To tie in with the game's Japanese release, an [[Super Mario Land (album)|original soundtrack for the game]] was published in that region by Nippon Columbia, featuring arrangements of ten of Tanaka's compositions by Ikuro Fugiwara, and performed by the "Mario Freaks Orchestra."

==''Game Boy'' comic==
{{main|Game Boy (comic)}}
''Super Mario Land'' was the focus of ''Game Boy'', a 4-issues miniseries published by [[Valiant Comics]] as part of its [[Nintendo Comics System]] brand. The series had Tatanga and his minions invade the [[Real World]] after being summoned by disgrunted electronic store worker [[Herman Smirch]], while Mario fought to foil their efforts.

==Reception==
''Super Mario Land'' received mostly positive reviews. The difficulty, the length of the game, the price, and the overall gameplay experience were among the most discussed aspects of the game. The game has received a 77.94% based on 8 reviews.<ref>{{cite|deadlink=y|archive=web.archive.org/web/20191209015004/https://www.gamerankings.com/gameboy/585933-super-mario-land/index.html|title=Score for ''Super Mario Land''|publisher=GameRankings}}</ref>

Corbie Dillard of Nintendo Life noted the successors of the game as superior in both length and quality, praising the sequel, ''Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins'', as the better game, despite the price. However, he recommended playing the game in commemoration of Mario's first portable experience. Adam Riley of Cubed3 scored the game well, also acknowledging the standards achieved by later games, while also recommending the game as a short and sweet adventure.

Additionally, Lucas M. Thomas of IGN, noted the differences between the game and standard titles as odd, focusing on the graphical and other visual capabilities. Nevertheless, he gave the game a good 7.5/10 rating, calling it a "small, singular oddball", though worth the small purchase.<ref>{{cite|author=Thomas, Lucas M.|date=June 15, 2011|url=www.ign.com/articles/2011/06/16/super-mario-land-review|title=Super Mario Land Review|publisher=IGN|accessdate=May 23, 2024|language=en}}</ref>

Ryan Lambie of Den of Geek reviewed the game on a much more positive note, referring to it as both an "underrated classic" and "weird but deeply lovable handheld classic", complimenting the difficulty, music, and simplified graphics, among various other aspects of the game.<ref>{{cite|author=Lambie, Ryan|date=April 22, 2019|url=www.denofgeek.com/games/super-mario-land-underrated-classic|title=Super Mario Land: The Brilliance of an Underrated Classic|publisher=Den of Geek|accessdate=June 22, 2021|language=en}}</ref>

On GameSpot, the game received an average rating of 8.1 out of over 2,000 reviews, with almost half of the ratings being 8/10.<ref>[https://www.gamespot.com/games/super-mario-land/reviews/ Super Mario Land reviews]. Retrieved June 10, 2021.</ref> The more positive reviews praised the simple though memorable elements of gameplay. The neutral or mixed reviews noted the short length of the game and the graphical capabilities, while acknowledging some of the aforementioned positive traits the game had to offer. Various negative or critical reviews heavily or harshly criticized the graphics and length in addition to other aspects such as the controls and inexplicable differences from main games in the series.
{|class="wikitable" style="width:100%;text-align:center"
!colspan="4"style="font-size:120%;text-align:center;background-color:silver;--darkbg:#600"|Reviews
|-style="background-color:#E6E6E6"
|Release
|Reviewer, Publication
|Score
|Comment
|-
|[[Game Boy]]
|Lucas M. Thomas, [https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/06/16/super-mario-land-review IGN]
|7.5/10
|align="left"|"''With history as it is, though, Super Mario Land simply stands alone in time as a small, singular oddball. Its weirdest elements and tiny sense of scale would be brushed aside as Mario moved on, as titles like the sequel Super Mario Land 2 pushed the camera closer and began bringing back more traditional power-ups like the common Fire Flower (instead of the rubber bouncy ball version). If you'd like to experience this moment when Mario first toyed with the idea of becoming a full-time pilot or submarine commander, though, there's no better time than now -- at a price of just $3.99 in the newly-launched 3DS eShop, tickets to visit this small, weird Land are definitely affordable.''"
|-
|[[Nintendo 3DS]]
|Corbie Dillard, [https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2011/06/super_mario_land_3dsvc Nintendo Life]
|7/10
|align="left"|"''Super Mario Land was impressive when it was first released for the [[Game Boy]], but given how the length and overall quality of Game Boy releases increased shortly thereafter, it only made this original seem even more inadequate by comparison. It's not the best launching-off point for the [[Nintendo 3DS#Nintendo eShop|3DS eShop]] — [[Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins]] is by far the better game — and it is the most expensive of the launch [[Virtual Console]] titles at $3.99/£3.60. It's still a very fun Super Mario experience, but just about the time things are really getting good, the experience ends and the credits roll. If you haven't played Super Mario Land before, you owe it to yourself to at least give the game a try. The quest might be fairly short, but it's still worth playing through at least once, if only to see where Mario's portable adventures began.''"
|-
|Nintendo 3DS
|Adam Riley, [http://www.cubed3.com/review/1000/1/super-mario-land-game-boy.html Cubed3]
|8/10
|align="left"|"''Despite not particularly ageing too well, looking graphically rather shabby and not offering a considerable amount of challenge or any replay value, at its heart Super Mario Land is still a fantastic piece of history in the platform genre, and a thoroughly enjoyable romp for [[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]] fans in general.''"
|-
!colspan="4"style="background-color:silver;--darkbg:#600;font-size:120%;text-align:center"|Aggregators
|-style="background-color:#E6E6E6"
|colspan=2|Compiler
|colspan=2|Platform / Score
|-
|colspan=2|GameRankings
|colspan=2|[https://web.archive.org/web/20191209015004/https://www.gamerankings.com/gameboy/585933-super-mario-land/index.html 77.94%]
|}
===Sales===
The game sold very well. It became the fourth best-selling Game Boy game, with over 18 million copies sold.<ref>Radic, Vedran. (Nov 15, 2020). [https://gamerant.com/super-mario-best-selling-games/ 10 Best Selling Super Mario Games, Ranked (& How Much They Sold).] ''GameRant''. Retrieved June 10, 2021.</ref> Additionally, it is currently the tenth ''Super Mario'' game with the most sales overall, as well as the sixth best-selling portable ''Super Mario'' game, being surpassed by ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'' and ''[[Mario Kart DS]]'', both for the [[Nintendo DS]], and ''[[Mario Kart 7]]'' for the [[Nintendo 3DS]], as well as ''[[Super Mario Odyssey]]'' and ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'', both for the [[Nintendo Switch]].

==Pre-release and unused content==
[[File:SMLUnusedHiddenBlockTCRF.png|thumb|250px|The reserved, though unused, tile for a Hidden Block]]
The theme that played when climbing [[ladder]]s lasted much longer, over five seconds longer than necessary.

A tile reserved for a [[Hidden Block]] existed in 3-3, though was ultimately unused, rendering it futile.

Various jingles, including the death and goal themes, originally had less detailed audio, with no background tracks.

Several enemies and platforms were misplaced in certain levels, indicating developmental oversight. For instance, a Bombshell Koopa is placed right above a pit in 3-2, and can only be spotted if quick enough.

==Gallery==
{{main-gallery}}
<gallery>
SML - Mario cover art.png|[[Mario]]
Sky Pop SML.png|Mario in the [[Sky Pop]]
SML Goombo Alternate Artwork.png|[[Goombo]]
SML KingTotomesu Artwork.png|[[King Totomesu]]
Tatanga in Pagosu.png|[[Tatanga]] in [[Pagosu]]
</gallery>

==Media==
{{main-media}}
{{media table
|file1=Overworld Theme Super Mario Land.oga
|title1=Birabuto Kingdom
|length1=0:30
|file2=Easton Kingdom Super Mario Land.oga
|title2=Easton Kingdom
|length2=0:30
}}

==Glitches==
{{main|List of Super Mario Land glitches}}
In 1-1,  Mario must get hit by a Honen at the same time he falls from the bottom side of the screen, causing a glitchy sound to play rather than the regular sound effects. This also happens in 1-3, if Mario auto-fires a wall while turning into Super Mario.

Additionally, while battling Hiyoihoi, Mario may be at the left edge of the boss's platform. If done correctly, every time a Ganchan is thrown, Mario is able to collect it as a coin.

==References to other games==
*''[[Mario Bros. (game)|Mario Bros]]'': Flies appear.
*''[[Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic]]'' / ''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]'': Pompon Flowers behave similarly to [[Panser]]s and are of similar designs.
*''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'': World 1-3 is similar to the [[World 1-3 (Super Mario Bros.)|one of the same name]], and the battle against King Totomesu is analogous to the ones against [[Bowser]]. The revelation that Princess Daisy is an enemy in disguise at the end of the first three worlds is invocative of [[Impostor Bowser|fake Bowsers]]. The music that plays in the Sky Pop and Marine Pop levels is similar to the "[[Ground Theme (Super Mario Bros.)|Ground Theme]]", which can also be slightly heard in the game's credits.
*''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'': Pionpi behave similarly to [[Dry Bones]]. Suu behave similarly to [[Thwomp]]s.

==References in later media==
*''[[Tetris]]'': The font<ref>{{cite|author=Random Talking Bush|url=www.spriters-resource.com/game_boy_gbc/sml/sheet/60789/#:~:text=Tetris%20for%20the%20Game%20Boy%20uses%20the%20same%20font|publisher=The Spriters Resource|title=Spritesheet|accessdate=May 23, 2024}}</ref> and some sound effects such as the pause sound effect are reused in the [[Game Boy]] version of this game.
*''[[Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]]'': In the Calendar feature, ''Super Mario Land''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Japanese release date - April 21, 1989 - is marked by default with the message "A Peaceful Day".
*''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'': One of [[Princess Peach|Peach]]'s alternate costumes is based on Daisy's classic design.
*''[[WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!]]'': The [[microgame]] [[Grow Wario Grow]] features [[Mario]]'s sprite and background graphics from ''Super Mario Land''.
*''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'': A remix of the Underground Theme appears as one of the randomly-collectible music CDs for the [[World 1-2 (Super Mario Bros.)|World 1-2]] version of [[Mushroomy Kingdom]], as well as The Subspace Emissary's [[The Path to the Ruins]] (underground segment), [[The Ruins]], and the parts of [[The Great Maze]] which are based on those two stages.
*''[[Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games]]'': An arrangement of the Main Theme is featured as one of the selectable songs for [[Figure Skating Pairs]].
*''[[Mario Kart 8]]'': In the [[Water Park]]'s [[submarine]] building, there is a sign which says that submarines were first used in 1989, which references the [[Marine Pop]] sections and the release year of ''Super Mario Land''.
*''[[Yoshi's Woolly World]]'': One of [[Sky Pop Yoshi|Yoshi's transformations]] in this game is based on the Sky Pop.
*''[[Super Mario Maker]]'': The Sky Pop appears as a [[Costume Mario]] costume, unlocked by completing the "Southwest Air Adventure" Event Course. All of the costume's sound effects and fanfares are taken from ''Super Mario Land''. Pressing up plays the sound for collecting a coin.
*''[[Paper Mario: Color Splash]]'': A rearrangement of the ''Super Mario Land'' credits theme is present in this game in the [[Roshambo Temple]]s.
*''[[Super Mario Run]]'': The Remix 10 song contains a portion of the Dungeon theme.
*''[[WarioWare Gold]]'': This game contains [[Super Mario Land (WarioWare Gold)|a microgame]] based off of ''Super Mario Land'', which involves Mario throwing Superballs at enemies.
*''[[Super Mario Maker 2]]'': The [[Superball Flower]] is an obtainable power-up for the ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' style. Using it replaces the stage music with a rearrangement of the ''Super Mario Land'' Ground Theme, and the "level clear" and "lose a life" themes with their ''Super Mario Land'' counterparts.
*''[[WarioWare: Get It Together!]]'': There is [[Super Mario Land (WarioWare: Get It Together!)|a microgame]] based on the game where the player must hit a ? Block.
*[[Super Nintendo World]]: To coincide with the Donkey Kong Country expansion to Super Nintendo World, the ''Super Mario'' section of the park was renamed ''Super Mario Land,'' thus making it share its name with this game.

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jpn=スーパーマリオランド
|JpnR=Sūpā Mario Rando
|JpnM=''Super Mario Land''
|ChiT=超級瑪利歐樂園<ref>{{cite|url=www.nintendo.com.hk/switch/mario/history/index.html|title=Official Chinese website for the ''Super Mario Bros.'' 35th Anniversary|publisher=Nintendo HK|accessdate=November 21, 2020}}</ref>
|ChiTR=Chāojí Mǎlì'ōu Lèyuán
|ChiTM=''Super Mario Wonderland''
|ChiS=超级马力欧乐园 (From ''WarioWare: Get It Together!'')
|ChiSR=Chāojí Mǎlì'ōu Lèyuán
|ChiSM=''Super Mario Wonderland''
|Kor=Super Mario Land<ref>From the Korean version of ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''.</ref>
}}

==Notes==
*Both the back of the package and the [[Nintendo eShop]] description for the game state that [[Koopa Troopa]]s appear, when in fact, only Bombshell Koopas appear.
**"Giant crabs" are also mentioned despite no crabs appearing in the game.
*''Super Mario Land'' is the first ''Super Mario'' game to be released during the {{wp|Heisei era}} in Japan, following the death of emperor {{wp|Hirohito}} and ascension of prince {{wp|Akihito}} the previous January.{{Ref needed}}

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
{{NIWA|StrategyWiki=1}}
{{TCRF}}
*[https://www.nintendo.com/jp/character/mario/en/history/land/index.html Mario Portal Game Archive (EN)] [https://web.archive.org/web/20240523165911/https://www.nintendo.com/jp/character/mario/en/history/land/index.html (archive)]
*[https://www.nintendo.com/jp/character/mario/archives/land/ Mario Portal Game Archive (JP)]
*[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n02/dmg/mla/index.html Japanese site]
*[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/titles/50010000006750 Japanese Virtual Console site]
*[https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/super-mario-land-3ds/ North American site]
*[https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Game-Boy/Super-Mario-Land-275902.html Nintendo UK site]
{{SML}}
{{Super Mario games}}
{{GB}}
{{Virtual Console}}
{{NSO}}
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[[Category:Super Mario Land|*]]
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[[Category:Game Boy games]]
[[Category:Platforming games]]
[[Category:1989 games]]
[[Category:1990 games]]
[[Category:Launch titles]]
[[Category:Nintendo Classics]]
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[[Category:Virtual Console games]]