Super Mario Bros.

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This article is about the video game originally published for the Nintendo Entertainment System. For further uses, see Super Mario Bros. (disambiguation).
"SMB" redirects here. For the game known in Japan and Europe as Super Mario Ball, see Mario Pinball Land.
"Super Mario Brothers" redirects here. For the microgame from WarioWare: Smooth Moves, see Super Mario Brothers (WarioWare: Smooth Moves).
"Mario 1" redirects here. For the level in Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge, see Mario 1 (level).
Super Mario Bros.
United States box art for Super Mario Bros.
For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer Nintendo EAD
Publisher Nintendo
Platform(s) Famicom/NES
Famicom Disk System
Nintendo PlayChoice-10
Game Boy Advance
Virtual Console (Wii / 3DS / Wii U)
NES Classic Edition/Nintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer
Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online
Release date Famicom/NES
Japan September 13, 1985[1]
USA October 18, 1985[2]
Europe May 15, 1987[?]
Australia July 1, 1987[3]
South Africa (1928-1994) 1993[4]
Famicom Disk System
Japan February 21, 1986[5]
Nintendo PlayChoice-10
USA August 1986[6]
Game Boy Advance
Japan February 14, 2004[?]
USA June 7, 2004[?]
Europe July 9, 2004[7]
Virtual Console (Wii)
Japan December 2, 2006[?]
USA December 25, 2006[?]
Europe January 5, 2007[?]
Australia January 5, 2007[?]
South Korea April 26, 2008[8]
Virtual Console (3DS) (Ambassador Program release)
Japan August 31, 2011[?]
USA August 31, 2011[?]
Europe September 1, 2011[?]
Australia September 1, 2011[?]
Virtual Console (3DS) (full release)
Japan January 5, 2012[?]
USA February 16, 2012[?]
Europe March 1, 2012[?]
Australia March 1, 2012[?]
South Korea February 3, 2016[?]
Virtual Console (Wii U)
Japan June 5, 2013[?]
Europe September 12, 2013[?]
Australia September 12, 2013[?]
USA September 19, 2013[?]
NES Classic Edition/Famicom Mini
Japan November 10, 2016[?]
Australia November 10, 2016[?]
USA November 11, 2016[?]
Europe November 11, 2016[?]
Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online
USA September 18, 2018[?]
Japan September 19, 2018[?]
Europe September 19, 2018[?]
Australia September 19, 2018[?]
HK April 23, 2019[?]
South Korea April 23, 2019[?]
Language(s) English (United States)
Genre 2D platformer
Rating(s)
ESRB:E - Everyone
PEGI:3 - Three years and older
CERO:A - All ages
ACB:G - General
USK:0 - All ages
ClassInd:L - General audience
RARS:0+ - All ages
GRAC:All - All ages
Mode(s) 1–2 players
Format
NES:
Game Pak
FDS:
Disk Card
Wii:
Digital download
Wii U:
Digital download
Nintendo Switch:
Digital download
Game Boy Advance:
Game Pak
Nintendo 3DS:
Digital download
NES Classic Edition:
Built-in
Input
NES:
Wii:
Wii Remote (horizontal)
Wii U:
Wii Remote (horizontal)
Nintendo Switch:
Game Boy Advance:
Nintendo 3DS:
NES Classic Edition:
Serial code(s) Famicom:
HVC-SM
NES:
NES-SM
FDS:
FMC-SMA

Super Mario Bros. is a video game released for the Family Computer and Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985. It shifted the gameplay away from its single-screen arcade predecessor, Mario Bros., and instead featured side-scrolling platformer levels. While not the first game of the Super Mario franchise (the first being Donkey Kong), Super Mario Bros. is the most iconic, and it introduced various series staples, including power-ups, classic enemies such as Goombas, and the basic premise of rescuing Princess Peach from Bowser.

As well as kicking off an entire series of Super Mario platform games, the wild success of Super Mario Bros. popularized the genre as a whole, helped revive the North American gaming industry after the video game crash of 1983, and was largely responsible for the initial success of the NES, with which it was bundled as a launch title. Until it was eventually surpassed by Wii Sports, Super Mario Bros. was the best-selling video game of all time for nearly three decades, with over 40 million copies sold worldwide.

The exact day of the North American release of Super Mario Bros. is heavily disputed, with different sources giving different dates with no way to verify them. Regardless, Nintendo officially pinpoints the release date as October 18, 1985.[2]

A successor named Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan (later renamed Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels in North America) was released on June 3, 1986. Another successor sharing its English name with its predecessor's Japanese name was released on October 9, 1988. A third successor named Super Mario Bros. 3 was released on October 23, 1988.

Super Mario Bros. has been ported to many consoles. It was one of the NES games that could be played on the Nintendo PlayChoice-10 and NES Classic Edition, and it was released on the Wii, Wii U, and Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console and on Nintendo Switch's Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online.

Story

The following text is taken directly from the NES instruction booklet localization.

One day the kingdom of the peaceful mushroom people was invaded by the Koopa, a tribe of turtles famous for their black magic. The quiet, peace-loving Mushroom People were turned into mere stones, bricks and even field horsehair plants, and the Mushroom Kingdom fell into ruin.

The only one who can undo the magic spell on the Mushroom People and return them to their normal selves is the Princess Toadstool, the daughter of the Mushroom King. Unfortunately, she is presently in the hands of the great Koopa turtle king.

Mario, the hero of the story (maybe) hears about the Mushroom People's plight and sets out on a quest to free the Mushroom Princess from the evil Koopa and restore the fallen kingdom of the Mushroom People.

You are Mario! It's up to you to save the Mushroom People from the black magic of the Koopa!

One day, the Mushroom Kingdom was invaded by the Turtle Tribe, whose king was capable of using powerful magic. This magic was used to transform all the Mushroom People into inanimate objects such as rocks, bricks, and even horsetails, thus spelling the kingdom's downfall. Only Princess Toadstool can undo the spell and restore her people to life, but she is being held captive by King Koopa himself. Mario hears of the princess's plight, and sets out on a quest through 32 stages to topple the Turtle Tribe and save the once-peaceful kingdom.[9]

Gameplay

Super Mario in World 1-1.

Super Mario Bros. is divided into eight worlds, each of them containing four levels. Mario[10] has to get to the end of the level by jumping over various gaps and avoiding the enemies on his way. He can use several platforms (some of them collapse when Mario lands on them), stairs in the level, as well as jumping boards. There are also pipes along the way, some of which Mario can enter to visit various secret coin rooms before returning to the level, a bit further ahead than when he left.

Enemies include Little Goombas, Koopa Troopas, Buzzy Beetles, Koopa Paratroopas, Bullet Bills, Hammer Brothers, and leaping Cheep-cheeps. All these enemies can be defeated when Mario jumps on them. Koopa Troopas and Buzzy Beetles cower in their shell when jumped on, which Mario can kick to defeat other enemies with. Koopa Paratroopas lose their wings and fall to the ground when Mario jumps on them. Other enemies include Piranha Plants, and the Spiny-throwing Lakitus, and Mario has to either shoot fireballs at them or just avoid them. Two levels take place underwater. In the water, Mario can swim freely from the top to the bottom of the screen. The enemies in underwater levels are Bloobers and Cheep-cheeps. Mario can only defeat these creatures by shooting them with fireballs.

Mario swimming in World 2-2.

If regular Mario takes a hit, falls down a pit, or if the Time Limit runs out, he loses a life and restarts the level. The point where Mario continues depends on how far he ran through the level before getting defeated; either from the beginning or at one of several invisible "checkpoints" throughout the level. After a Game Over, pressing Start Button while holding A Button on the title screen allows the player to continue from the start of the world.[11] In a 2-player game, if this is done by whoever got a Game Over second, both players will begin in the same world where the second player's game ended.

Mario can get special power-ups out of ? blocks or, uncommonly, bricks. Most of the ?s in which Mario can find these items are visible, but some are hidden and only become visible when Mario hits them from beneath. With the Magic Mushroom, he turns into Super Mario. As Super Mario, he can survive the hit of an enemy one time, at the cost of turning back to regular Mario. He may also destroy empty bricks by jumping beneath them. Additionally, he can also get the Fire Flower. With the Fire Flower, Super Mario turns into Fiery Mario, which allows him to shoot fireballs at enemies to defeat them from a distance. With the 1 up Mushroom, he gains an additional life; he can also get an extra life if he collects a hundred coins. With the Starman, which can only be found in bricks, Mario turns invincible for a short amount of time and can defeat enemies by simply touching them. With the exception of coins, only one item can appear on the screen, and when a new item appears, the previous one will disappear.

At the end of each level, a castle stands with a flagpole nearby. When Mario reaches the flagpole, he takes down the enemy flag and enters the castle, completing the level. The higher the spot that Mario hits the flagpole, the more points he receives. If two players are playing the game, Luigi's turn comes whenever Mario loses a life. Luigi has no special abilities in the game that are different from Mario's.

The fourth level of each world plays inside a castle. They are usually filled with Fire-Bars and Podoboos. At the end of a castle level, Mario is confronted with a fake Bowser in Worlds 1 through 7 and the actual Bowser in World 8. Mario ordinarily has no way to hurt the fake Bowsers or the actual Bowser and has to either use the ax to destroy the bridge, causing either the false or real one to fall into the lava, or pelt him with many fireballs, which produces the same result and reveals the true forms of the fakes. After defeating an impostor, Mario frees one of the seven remaining mushroom retainers from the castle, at which point they say their iconic phrase: "Thank you, Mario! But our princess is in another castle!" At the end of the castle in World 8, Mario frees the grateful Princess Toadstool and completes his adventure, having the choice to continue playing in a "new quest." In this second quest, the player gets to choose a world, and replay some levels. However, all Little Goombas are replaced by Buzzy Beetles, all ground enemies are also considerably faster, some platforms and elevator-style lifts are shortened in length, and the level design is slightly changed for some levels (see below at "Hard mode").

Time clock

The game's levels have a Time Limit in the upper right, which counts down, with the background music speeding up when going below 100. If it reaches 0, the game declares "Time Up", and Mario loses a life. However, the in-game timer runs much faster than in real life; 400 seconds on the timer, which is the default when starting most of the levels, is 160 seconds in real time. The timer countdown speed is the same across NTSC and PAL versions.

amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits starts with a real-time 180 second limit, which is sufficient to finish any level, presuming it is finished without losing any lives, and would have 32 timer seconds (15 real-time seconds) to spare for any follow-up levels. For its seventh scene, this is sufficient to see the game's ending.

Hard mode

Main article: Hard Mode § Super Mario Bros.

After beating the main game, the player is given the option to pick a world (by pressing B Button on the title screen to change the world counter in the upper right) to play in "a new quest"—a harder mode where all Little Goombas are replaced by Buzzy Beetles, and all enemies walk faster. Elevator-style lifts that were originally in their wide forms (Six holes wide) are now in their small forms (Four holes wide) that were used from World 5-1 onwards in the main game. Mario[10] gains no special powers in hard mode, and he receives no extra points when he defeats an enemy.

The story remains the same, as each of the first seven castles contains a mushroom retainer that needs rescuing, while the eighth castle has Princess Toadstool. If the player finishes the game on hard mode, they will not unlock anything new from the previous time the game was finished. However, points can be gained faster by jumping on a Buzzy Beetle and then running with the shell as it hits other Buzzy Beetles and Koopa Troopas. Earlier levels in hard mode that had harder versions later on the in the main game, now have the harder version used for both levels; for instance, 1-3, which is an easier version of 5-3 in the normal game, is identical to 5-3 in Hard Mode.

Controls

The controls can be customized on Wii U Virtual Console and to some extent in Nintendo Switch's system settings.

Action(s) NES Controller / NES Classic Controller / Nintendo Switch Online NES Controller Wii Remote Wii Classic Controller Nintendo GameCube Controller Game Boy Advance Nintendo 3DS Wii U GamePad / Wii U Pro Controller (default) Joy-Con (dual) / Nintendo Switch Pro Controller Joy-Con (sideways)
Move; change position on a beanstalk +Control Pad (left/right) +Control Pad left or right Classic Controller Left Stick (left/right) or +Control Pad left or right Control Stick (left/right) or +Control Pad Left-Right +Control Pad left or right Circle Pad (left/right) or +Control Pad left or right Control Stick (left/right) or +Control Pad left or right Control Stick (left/right) or Left or Right Buttons Control Stick (left/right)
Duck; enter Warp Pipe +Control Pad (down) +Control Pad down Classic Controller Left Stick (down) or +Control Pad down Control Stick (down) or +Control Pad Down +Control Pad down Circle Pad (down) or +Control Pad down Control Stick (down) or +Control Pad down Control Stick (down) or Down Button Control Stick (down)
Climb beanstalk +Control Pad (up/down) +Control Pad up or down Classic Controller Left Stick (up/down) or +Control Pad up or down Control Stick (up/down) or +Control Pad Up-Down +Control Pad up or down Circle Pad (up/down) or +Control Pad up or down Control Stick (up/down) or +Control Pad up or down Control Stick (up/down) or Up or Down Buttons Control Stick (up/down)
Jump; swim upwards A Button Two Button Classic Controller a Button A Button A Button A Button A Button A Button Single Joy-Con Right Button
Dash; throw fireball; restart the game at the end; select a world B Button One Button Classic Controller b Button B Button B Button B Button B Button B Button Single Joy-Con Bottom Button
Pause; confirm selected option on title screen Start Button Plus Button START/PAUSE Button Start Button Start Button Plus Button Plus Button Plus Button or Minus Button
Select number of players on title screen Select Button Minus Button Z Button[note 1] Select Button Select Button Minus Button Minus Button
Continue in the same world after the Game Over screen Hold A Button + press Start Button Hold Two Button + press Plus Button Hold Classic Controller a Button + press Plus Button Hold A Button + press START/PAUSE Button Hold A Button + press Start Button Hold A Button + press Start Button Hold A Button + press Plus Button Hold A Button + press Plus Button Hold Single Joy-Con Right Button + press Plus Button or Minus Button

Characters

Playable characters

Image Name Description
Super Mario's sprite from Super Mario Bros. Mario Mario serves as the main protagonist of the game. Luigi, Mario's brother, appears only as the second player and plays identically to Mario. While Luigi is differentiated by his colors, both Fiery Mario and Fiery Luigi have the same palette.
Sprite of Luigi from Super Mario Bros. Luigi

Non-playable characters

Image Name Description
Princess Peach in Super Mario Bros.. Princess Toadstool The princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser kidnaps her to prevent her from reversing the magic the Koopa used on the Mushroom People. She appears in the final course, 8-4 where she thanks Mario[10] for rescusing her and offers a "new quest" for him.
A Mushroom Retainer from Super Mario Bros. Mushroom retainers Seven Mushroom People that are servants of the princess and prisoners of the Koopa. They appear in every castle except for the final one. Mario can rescue a retainer by finishing a castle in World 1 to World 7. They'll say, "Thank you Mario/Luigi! But our princess is in another castle!"

Enemies and obstacles

Enemies

Enemies are generally listed in the order they appear in the instruction booklet. They are referred to as "bad guys" in-text.

Image Name Description Levels Pts.
First Last
Sprite of a Goomba from Super Mario Bros. Little Goomba Mushroom creatures that walk back and forth. Little Goombas are the most common enemies and can be defeated with any attack. World 1-1 World 8-4 100
Sprite of a green Koopa Troopa from Super Mario Bros. Koopa Troopa (green) Foot soldiers of the Turtle Empire. Stomping on Koopa Troopas make them recede into their shells, which can be kicked to hit defeat enemies. Like Little Goombas, green-shelled Koopa Troopas walk off ledges. World 1-1 World 8-3 100
Sprite of a red Koopa Troopa from Super Mario Bros. Koopa Troopa (red) Red-shelled Koopa Troopas turn around when the reach the corner of a ledge. World 1-2 World 7-3 100
Sprite of a green Koopa Paratroopa from Super Mario Bros. Koopa Paratroopa (green) Winged Koopa Troopas. The green ones bounce across the ground or fly back and forth in set paths. World 2-1 World 8-4 400
Sprite of a red Koopa Paratroopa from Super Mario Bros. Koopa Paratroopa (red) Red Koopa Paratroopas fly up and down in set paths. World 1-3 World 5-3 400
A Buzzy Beetle, from Super Mario Bros. Buzzy Beetle Small Koopas that retract into their shells when stomped. Buzzy Beetles are immune to fireballs and replace Little Goombas in Hard Mode. World 4-2 World 8-4 100
Sprite of Hammer Bro from Super Mario Bros. Hammer Brother Helmeted Koopas that toss hammers. Hammer Brothers periodically hop between rows of blocks. They always occur in pairs. World 3-1 World 8-4 1000
Sprite of a Spiny from Super Mario Bros. Spiny Squat, spiked Koopas. Stomping one damages Mario. World 4-1 World 8-2 200
Sprite of a Spiny Egg from Super Mario Bros. Spiny's egg The spiked eggs tossed by Lakitus. They hatch into Spinies when they make contact with the ground. World 4-1 World 8-2 200
Sprite of Lakitu from Super Mario Bros. Lakitu Cloud-riding Koopas. Lakitus toss Spiny's eggs. They appear towards the top of the screen follow Mario's position. World 4-1 World 8-2 200
Sprite of a Piranha Plant from Super Mario Bros. Piranha plant Carnivorous plants that sit in pipes. Piranha plants emerge and retract from pipes in set internals. If Mario stands directly next to or on these pipes, the plants do not emerge. World 1-2 World 8-4 200
Sprite of a red Cheep Cheep from Super Mario Bros. Cheep-cheep (red) Pudgy pufferfish enemies that swim through water. In some ground-themed courses, red Cheep-cheeps leap over bridges in large numbers. World 2-2 World 8-4 200
Sprite of a gray Cheep Cheep from Super Mario Bros. Cheep-cheep (grey) Grey Cheep-cheeps only occur underwater. They swim slightly faster than the red ones. World 2-2 World 8-4 200
Bullet Bill Bullet Bill Missiles launched from Turtle Cannons. They fly in straight lines. Bullet Bills are unaffected by fireballs. World 5-1 World 8-3 200
Sprite of a Blooper from Super Mario Bros. Bloober Underwater squid sentinels. They swim erratically to strike Mario. World 2-2 World 8-4 200
Sprite of Podoboo Podoboo Balls of lava that guard Bowser's castles. They leap straight up from pools of lava to strike Mario. World 2-4 World 8-4 Template:Chart icon

Obstacles

Image Name Description Levels
First Last
Sprite of a Fire Bar from Super Mario Bros. Fire-Bar Various fireballs stacked together moving either clockwise or counterclockwise. Their length may vary. World 1-4 World 8-4
Sprite of Bowser's Flame from Super Mario Bros. Koopa's fire Flames spewed by Bowser and his imposters. The fire travels horizontally and transcends walls. World 1-4 World 8-4
Sprite tile of lava from Super Mario Bros. Lava Pools of molten rock found within fortresses and castles. Direct contact makes Mario lose a life. World 1-4 World 8-4
Bill Blaster sprite. Turtle Cannon Cannons that launch Bullet Bills. Like the pipes that contain Piranha plants, Turtle Cannons do not fire when Mario is next to or on them. World 5-1 World 8-3

Bosses

Bowser's first appearance
Mario and Bowser in World 8-4.

A boss occurs in the fourth level of each world, specifically located within the final room of the castle. The boss is on a bridge suspended above a pool of lava. Touching the ax at the opposite corner of the bridge makes it fall away and defeats the boss, but striking one with five fireballs as Fiery Mario defeats it as well. Defeating it this way awards the player with 5000 points. Once defeated, Mario transitions to a narrow corridor where captive is held. In the first seven worlds, this captive is a mushroom retainer that directs Mario further along his journey. In World 8, Princess Toadstool is the one rescued, completing the game. As Mario progresses through the worlds, bricks and lifts appear in the boss rooms as well.

Intrinsically, the only boss in the game is Bowser, the fire-breathing King of Koopas who kidnapped the princess and turned her subjects into horsehairs and bricks. However, Bowser himself only appears at the boss of World 8-4. All of the proceeding "Bowsers" are his minions in disguise. They all exhibit the same behavior: the large Koopa shuffles back and forth along the bridge, facing Mario, and jumping in small arches. These arches are just high enough that Mario can move underneath Bowser if the opportunity presents itself.

In the first five worlds, the fake Bowsers spew Koopa's fire. In the sixth and seventh worlds, they toss hammers like Hammer Brothers. The real Bowser is the only boss that actively does both. Like Spinies, Bowser and fake Bowsers have spiked shells. Attempting to stomp them damages Mario.

Items and objects

Items

Image Name Description
SMB 1-up Mushroom Sprite.png 1 up mushroom Green mushrooms that give Mario an extra life when collected. 1 up mushrooms are within invisible blocks near pits. When one is struck, the mushroom travels across the ground in the opposite direction from Mario.
Sprite of a coin from Super Mario Bros. Coin Coins float in mid-air throughout levels and within blocks. Collecting one awards Mario 200 points. Collecting 100 awards him an extra life.
Green Shell SMB Redshell.png Koopa shell Stomping on a Koopa Troopa makes it recede into its shell. Its sent sliding when touched, defeating enemies on contact. Doing so causes the "bulldozer attack", where each enemy defeated grants Mario more points than the last. Launched shells ricochet off collided walls and can damage Mario on contact.
A Buzzy Shell Buzzy shell Stomping on a Buzzy Beetle yields a shell that works like the Koopa ones, but it cannot be cleared away with tossed fireballs.

Power-ups

Items that transform Mario's appearance and give him unique abilities called "power boosts" in the instruction booklet. All of these items are held within blocks and must be jumped under to be released. It is not inherently apparent which block contain which power-ups, and breaking them does not grant Mario their abilities. He must touch the power-ups directly once they are expelled. Touching any power-up also awards Mario 1000 points. Forms that share a column look the same for Mario and Luigi.

Power-up Form Description
Mario Luigi
N/A Small Mario sprite from Super Mario Bros.
Regular Mario
Luigi's death sprite in Super Mario Bros.
Regular Luigi
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.
SMB Supermushroom.png
Magic Mushroom
Super Mario jumping in Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario
Sprite of Luigi from Super Mario Bros.
Super Luigi
The red Magic Mushrooms are within visible blocks and slide across the ground, similar to 1 up mushrooms. They bounce back in the opposite direction when they hit an obstruction. Touching one transforms Mario into Super Mario, a form twice as tall as his regular form and capable of breaking bricks. Subsequent encounters with blocks intended to contain Magic Mushrooms instead release Fire Flowers when struck in this form. Receiving damaging in this form reverts Mario back into his regular-sized state. He retains this form across levels if he reaches flagpoles as Super Mario.
Sprite of a Fire Flower from Super Mario Bros.
Fire Flower
SMB Fire Mario Sprite.png
Fiery Mario / Luigi
Making contact with a Fire Flower transforms Mario into Fiery Mario. In this form, Mario can toss projectile fireballs with A Button that bounce along the ground. Most enemies are defeated when hit. Fiery Mario also has all the benefits of Super Mario, and similarly retains this form if he completes the level in it. Mario reverts to his regular size if hit as Fiery Mario.
Sprite of a Starman from Super Mario Bros.
Starman
Invincible Mario in Super Mario Bros.
Invincible Mario / Luigi
Starmen are rare power-ups often hidden in invisible blocks. When released, they bounce in the opposite direction from Mario. When grabbed, Mario is transformed into Invincible Mario for thirty seconds. In this state, Mario is largely indestructible and defeats enemies on contact. Contact with the Starman does not wholly replace the form Mario was already in (i.e., Mario remains small if one is touched while in his regular form, and he can still toss fireballs if he is in his Fiery form.) Invincible Mario cannot be carried over to subsequent levels.

Objects

Objects are interactable elements of the environment that cannot be picked up or collected.

Image Name Description
Blocks
A static ? Block from Super Mario Bros. (Overworld palette) ? block Floating blocks that contain items. One releases its contents when jumped underneath. Some ? blocks are ten-coin blocks that release up to 10 coins if struck in rapid succession. Others are invisible. A struck ? block becomes an empty block that can be used as platforms. These are the only type of strikable blocks that regular Mario can open.
Sprite of a Brick Block from Super Mario Bros. Brick The most common blocks. Most bricks fall apart when struck, but some are secretly ? or ten-coin blocks. Regular Mario is incapable of directly breaking a brick block, but he can still use a shell if available.
Sprite of Coral from Super Mario Bros. Coral Coral form varyingly sized columns in underwater levels that obstruct Mario.
Sprite of a Cloud Block from Super Mario Bros. Small cloud Cloud-like blocks make up the terrain in Bonus Stages high in the sky.
Sprite of a Hard Block from Super Mario Bros. Stairblock Unbreakable blocks that appear on the ground. Some are stacked or laid next to each other to form climbable staircases or incomplete bridges.
Platforms
Jumping board Jumping board Jumping boards bounce Mario into the air. Pressing A Button when the the spring is fully contracted makes a jumping board launch Mario much higher than it would otherwise.
SMBPlatform.png Lift Thin, moving platforms. They are most common in athletic levels, above bottomless pits. Lifts are of varying widths and movements. There is a paired type of Lifts called Balance Lifts that are a seesaw-like pulley system, where standing on one Lift makes it fall and the other rise. There are also types of Lifts that fall shortly after being stepped on.
Sprite of a Warp Pipe from Super Mario Bros. Pipe Most pipes are columnar platforms of varying height, some of which contain Piranha plants. A few of them are Warp Pipes that bring Mario to a secret underground area by pressing down on +Control Pad.
A Mushroom Platform from Super Mario Bros. Super mushroom Giant mushrooms that occur in athletic levels, high above bottomless pits.
Goals
Sprite of an Axe from Super Mario Bros. Ax Touching an ax causes the bridge it is alongside to collapse. This defeats the boss that was on top of it and completes the level.
A flagpole from Super Mario Bros. Flagpole Flagpoles are the goals at the end of most levels. When one is touched, Mario slides to the base and completes the level. Touching one also rewards him bonus points. The higher he is on the flagpole, the greater the number of points. Grabbing the top rewards Mario 5000 points.
Other objects
Beanstalk Beanstalk Beanstalks rapidly grow from struck vine blocks, ascending skyward. Climbing one brings Mario to a hidden Bonus Stage in the sky.
Sprite of a Firework from Super Mario Bros. Firework Fireworks appear if Mario grabs a flagpole with 1, 3, or 6 as the last digit on the timer. The number of fireworks that go off correlates with this number, and each one rewards Mario 500 points.
A horsehair plant from Super Mario Bros. Horsehair plant Field horsehair plants appear in the background of ground-themed levels. According to the instruction booklet, Bowser transformed some of the Mushroom Kingdom's inhabitants into these plants.

List of levels

World Level Setting Enemies found
World 1 (Super Mario Bros.)
World 1-1 Overworld Little Goomba, Koopa Troopa
World 1-2 Underground Little Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Piranha Plant
World 1-3 Athletic Little Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa
World 1-4 Castle Fire-Bar, fake Bowser (Little Goomba)
World 2 (Super Mario Bros.)
World 2-1 Overworld Little Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant
World 2-2 Underwater Bloober, Cheep-cheep, Piranha Plant
World 2-3 Athletic Cheep-cheep
World 2-4 Castle Fire-Bar, Podoboo, fake Bowser (Koopa Troopa)
World 3 (Super Mario Bros.)
World 3-1 Overworld Little Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant, Hammer Brother
World 3-2 Overworld Little Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant
World 3-3 Athletic Little Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa
World 3-4 Castle Fire-Bar, Podoboo, fake Bowser (Buzzy Beetle)
World 4 (Super Mario Bros.)
World 4-1 Overworld Piranha Plant, Lakitu, Spiny
World 4-2 Underground Little Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Piranha Plant, Buzzy Beetle
World 4-3 Athletic Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa
World 4-4 Castle Piranha Plant, Podoboo, Fire-Bar, fake Bowser (Spiny)
World 5 (Super Mario Bros.)
World 5-1 Overworld Little Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant, Bullet Bill
World 5-2 Overworld Little Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant, Buzzy Beetle, Bullet Bill, Hammer Brother (Bloober, Cheep-cheep)
World 5-3 Athletic Little Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Bullet Bill
World 5-4 Castle Podoboo, Fire-Bar, fake Bowser (Lakitu)
World 6 (Super Mario Bros.)
World 6-1 Overworld Piranha Plant, Lakitu, Spiny
World 6-2 Overworld Little Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant, Buzzy Beetle (Bloober, Cheep-cheep)
World 6-3 Athletic Bullet Bill
World 6-4 Castle Podoboo, Fire-Bar, fake Bowser (Bloober)
World 7 (Super Mario Bros.)
World 7-1 Overworld Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant, Buzzy Beetle, Hammer Brother, Bullet Bill
World 7-2 Underwater Bloober, Cheep-cheep, Piranha Plant
World 7-3 Athletic Cheep-cheep, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa
World 7-4 Castle Podoboo, Fire-Bar, fake Bowser (Hammer Brother)
World 8 (Super Mario Bros.)
World 8-1 Overworld Little Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant, Buzzy Beetle
World 8-2 Overworld Little Goomba, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant, Buzzy Beetle, Lakitu, Spiny, Bullet Bill
World 8-3 Overworld Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant, Bullet Bill, Hammer Brother
World 8-4 Castle Little Goomba, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant, Fire-Bar, Podoboo, Buzzy Beetle, Hammer Brother, Bloober, Cheep-cheep, Bowser

Glitches

Main article: List of Super Mario Bros. glitches

Minus World

Screenshot of Minus World, a Super Mario Bros. glitch.
The Minus World entrance screen
Minus World in the NES version
Main article: Minus World

The Minus World is an endless underwater level, identical to World 7-2, which is accessed through a programming glitch. There is no way to complete the level, as entering the pipe at the end will simply return Mario or Luigi to the one at the beginning. While there is no strategic advantage in performing this glitch, many find it intriguing. The glitch was removed in some remakes of the game, excluding the imports, the Virtual Console port, and Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. The Family Computer Disk System release has a different Minus World with three levels that can be beaten, and once -3 is complete, the player will return to the title screen as if they had beaten the game.

In World 1-2 of Super Mario Bros., Fire Mario runs, lands on the front of the exit pipe, and quickly crouches and jumps to reach a peak where the exit pipe crosses the ceiling. At that moment, Mario stops crouching and is ejected through the wall to reach the warp zone and ducks into the pipe to World 36.
Mario goes through the wall and enters World -1

To perform the glitch, Mario must go to World 1-2 and stand on top of the pipe that leads to the above-ground flag, without going in the pipe. Then he must break the second and third block from the pipe, but leave the one on the far right. Then he must stand on the left edge of the pipe (facing left) and duck. He then has to jump while in a ducking position and move right in mid-air (while still facing left). If done correctly, Mario will go through the block on the far right and the wall to the Warp Zone. Mario must then go through the pipe that would normally lead to World 2-1 or World 4-1, and Mario will enter the Minus World.

If World 2-2 or 7-2 is edited in a ROM editor so that it is possible to beat it during the underwater segment, there is a World -2, an underwater version of 3-4. If World 3-4 is edited in a ROM editor, then there is a World -3. It is also a version of 3-4, but with overworld graphics; beating World -3 takes the player to World -4, a level which is just a blank screen.

Over the flagpole

Video.svg Over the Flag Pole Glitch - Video describing Over the Flagpole glitch in World 1-1, as well as some other glitches
File infoMedia:SMB W1-1 Glitch2.ogv
Help:MediaHaving trouble playing?
The over the flagpole glitch from Super Mario Bros.
Over the Flagpole glitch in World 3-3

In some levels, it is possible to jump over the flagpole. Beyond the flag pole is nothing but an endless path. There is nothing to do; all that can be done is wait for the timer to get to zero. To do this glitch in World 1-1, right after the second pit, Mario needs to wait for the Koopa Troopa to about to fall into the pit and simultaneously jump at the top of the level right above the Koopa. After that, the Koopa will be stuck underneath the level, but the player will still be able to see it. When the Koopa starts to walk under the level, Mario should follow it to the end. Along the way, it is required to grab a Magic Mushroom. When the Koopa is halfway between the staircase and the flagpole, the player must do the glitch again and Mario will jump above the flagpole.

To do this glitch in World 3-3, at the end of the level the player must stand on the last lift until another one has completely lifted, before falling off. After that, the player must accelerate as fast as possible and jump from the far edge of the lift. The lift should not lower while doing so.[12]

There is a brick right after the fortress's or castle's first door, which stops Mario from going past the Fortress at the end of the levels.

In Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, this is exploited to hide Warp Zones. In worlds 3-1 and A-3, there are warp zones placed beyond the goals. In other worlds, while it is possible to go over the flagpole, the edge of the world is a few steps past the fortress, and the player is not able to go far enough for the flagpole to scroll off the screen.

This glitch was fixed in the Super Mario All-Stars version.

Staff

Main article: List of Super Mario Bros. staff

Director

  • Shigeru Miyamoto

Original Music

  • Koji Kondo

Designers

  • Shigeru Miyamoto
  • Takashi Tezuka

Programmers

  • Kazuaki Morita
  • Toshihiko Nakago

Producer

  • Shigeru Miyamoto

Executive Producer

  • Hiroshi Yamauchi

Development

Development for Super Mario Bros. began after Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka finished two other games together beforehand: Excitebike and Devil World. When designing Super Mario Bros., they wanted to use the scrolling screens of Excitebike and the large character sprites from Devil World, to make Super Mario Bros. stand out from other titles. Miyamoto and Tezuka wanted to fit various technologies into the game, comparing it to a puzzle. The name "Super Mario Bros." also came from Mario's new Super form.[13]

Super Mario Bros. was developed at the same time as The Legend of Zelda, and both shared numerous staff members: Miyamoto, Tezuka, Toshihiko Nakago, Koji Kondo, Kazuaki Morita, Yasunari Nishida, and Hiroshi Yamauchi. According to the developers, some aspects of Super Mario Bros. were taken from The Legend of Zelda; Fire-Bars were one example, as they were present in the dungeons in The Legend of Zelda. Miyamoto implemented Fire-Bars into Super Mario Bros. as an obstacle.

The main goal of Super Mario Bros. was to have a character travel through many lands with all different themes to each other and it would feature a diverse terrain, such as land, water, and sky. They also intended for the main character to be twice the size of the final one. At the beginning of developing the game, the placeholder playable character was a 16×32 pixel square.[14] The square could not even jump and as a result, Tezuka suggested making Mario the playable character instead of the square due to the popularity of Mario Bros., which Miyamoto accepted.[15]

Nakago and his team, Systems Research and Development (SRD), colored the background blue in some levels.[16] This was unusual, because video games released during this time usually had a black background, to avoid eye-strain and to avoid getting distracted by the bright colors. After coloring the background blue in some levels, Nakago then started designing maps for this game. Miyamoto wanted the levels to be around a minute long and he told SRD to do so. He then realized that it usually takes about a second to travel across a screen and that numerous screens would have been implemented in one stage. SRD first thought that Miyamoto had requested them to make 60 screens per stage, but Miyamoto then explained that obstacles in each screen would slow down the player's progress, which resulted in an average of about 12 screens per level. The stage with the most screens has only 32, which is about half of what SRD had originally expected.

When designing the stages themselves, because a level creating tool was not available to them at the time, Miyamoto and Tezuka would draw the levels on graph paper, and then Nakago and his team would design and program it into the game; if edits were to be made to the original drawings, a sheet of clear paper was placed over the original drawings.[17] Nakago has stated that a lot of documents were sent to his team every day to change some aspects of stages. Every day, the group would do all they could do of what was stated in the documents and would work until 10 at night.

In two Japanese interviews promoting The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Miyamoto gave insight into the original background for the connection between the story of Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros., stating that the among the pipes in Mario Bros., one of them leads to the Mushroom Kingdom where Super Mario Bros. takes place.[18][19]

According to Toru Iwatani, creator of Pac-Man, Miyamoto told him personally that Super Mario Bros. was influenced by Pac-Land, the pioneer of action games with horizontally running background.[20]

The "Ending" theme in the Famicom Disk System version of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels was first composed as the ending theme of Super Mario Bros., before being shortened due to storage limitations.[21]

Regional differences

The European version of the game adds one pixel to the hitboxes of Little Goombas, Spinies, Piranha Plants, Bloobers, Cheep-cheeps and Bullet Bills.[22]

Pre-release and unused content

Main article: List of Super Mario Bros. pre-release and unused content

The game was far more focused on action than platforming. The game was split between ground and sky segments, which had Mario shooting enemies. Mario could use weapons and the control scheme was different as a result, such as having the up arrow of the +Control Pad used as the jump button.

Reception and legacy

The Super Mario Bros. Avenue in Zaragoza, Spain
The Super Mario Bros. Avenue in Zaragoza, Spain

Super Mario Bros. received critical acclaim and is considered one of the best games of all time. One of the most-praised aspects of the game is the precise controls, which allow players to control how far and high the characters jump and how fast they can run. The game popularized side-scrolling video games, and the game has since received several sequels and spin-offs, and many different ports and alternative versions. All characters, enemies, and items found in the game have become core elements of the Super Mario franchise and the plot of Bowser kidnapping the princess has continued to be used throughout the core Super Mario series.

The game was placed 14th in the 100th issue of Nintendo Power's "100 best Nintendo games of all time" in 1997.[page number needed] It ranked the first spot in Electronic Gaming Monthly's "Greatest 200 Games of Their Time", named in IGN's top 100 games of all time lists in 2005 and 2007, and declared the second-best Mario game of all time. IGN also placed it 3rd in their Top 100 NES Games list.[23]

Super Mario Bros. sold 40.24 million units with its original release,[24] being the second best-selling Super Mario game and among the best-selling video games of all time. It has received several other works such as The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! and the Super Mario Bros. film.

The game's impact on popular culture was so big that in 2010, a street in Zaragoza, Aragón (Spain), was named after it, with a ceremony being held in celebration.[25]

References to other games

References in other games

  • Donkey Kong: For the NES release of this game, Mario's jumping sprite from Super Mario Bros. is used on the box art.
  • Mario Bros.: For the NES release of this game, Mario's jumping sprite from Super Mario Bros. is used on the box art.

References in later games

Fire Luigi / NES Luigi from Super Smash Bros. playing with fire.
One of Luigi's alternate colors from Super Smash Bros.
  • Super Mario Bros. 2: The non-Japanese sequel to Super Mario Bros. Mushrooms, Stars, and Shells appear.
  • Super Mario Bros. 3: Bowser returns along with the rest of the Koopa Troop, as well as elements from the original Super Mario Bros. When Princess Toadstool is saved, she says, "Thank you! But our Princess is in another castle!…Just kidding!" That is a reference to Toad's lines in Super Mario Bros. The original Super Mario Bros. Ground Theme plays when the Music Box is used.
  • Super Mario Land: Mario's sprites in this game is near identical to his sprites from Super Mario Bros. Gameplay is also near-identical.
  • Alleyway: Several sprites from Super Mario Bros. appear in bonus levels.
  • Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island/Yoshi's New Island: The course clear fanfare can be heard after Baby Mario and Baby Luigi return to their home.
  • Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars: If the player goes behind a curtain in Booster Tower, Mario briefly turns into his 8-bit sprite from Super Mario Bros.
  • Super Mario 64: Outside the Warp Pipe that leads to the final boss, carved into pillars are what look like sprites of Mario and Bowser from Super Mario Bros.
  • Paper Mario: If Mario jumps into a huge vase in a room on the first floor of the Boo's Mansion, he will become 8-bit. Unlike in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, his allies will not become an 8-bit form. Goombario also references Super Mario Bros. in the Goomba's Tattle entry.
  • Super Smash Bros.: When Mario performs his taunt, he mimics his standing pose in Super Mario Bros. Also, Mario's and Luigi's victory fanfare is a version of the course clear theme. Mario and Luigi's helpless animations are based on the pose Mario and Luigi take upon defeat in Super Mario Bros. Many items from Super Mario Bros. are usable in this game. One of Luigi's alternate colors bears resemblance to his colors in Super Mario Bros.
  • Game & Watch Gallery 3: Playing Star Mode for the Modern version of Donkey Kong Jr. will have the Goomba enemies being replaced by Spinies, similar to the new quest mode in Super Mario Bros. replacing the Goombas with Buzzy Beetles.
  • Luigi's Mansion: Although not distinctly noted as such, the idea of King Boo using a Bowser decoy (through the magic of his) may be loosely based on the seven fake Bowsers in Super Mario Bros.
  • Super Smash Bros. Melee: Many enemies from Super Mario Bros. appear in this game's Adventure Mode.
  • Super Mario Sunshine: A castle level is seen when Mario first met F.L.U.D.D. Various 8-bit patterns are seen in the background of the secret levels of Ricco Harbor and Sirena Beach.
  • Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3: Some of the available levels for World-e include reproductions of Super Mario Bros.'s Worlds 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, and 2-2 in Super Mario Bros. 3's style. Only World 1-1 was originally made available outside Japan.
  • Game & Watch Gallery 4: Like in Game & Watch Gallery 3 above, playing Star Mode for the Modern version of Donkey Kong Jr. will have the Goomba enemies being replaced by Spinies, similar to the new quest mode in Super Mario Bros. replacing the Goombas with Buzzy Beetles.
  • Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga: At the Border between the Mushroom Kingdom and the Beanbean Kingdom, there's a minigame called Border Jump that uses the level end of most levels in Super Mario Bros. (including the flagpole, fortress, and fireworks for success). Also, there is a 2D obstacle room before Roy's room which ends with Mario getting the ax and burning the Bowser decoy above a lava bridge. A type of Question Block from Super Mario Bros. can be seen among other types.
  • Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door: If the player jumps up into a vent and then comes down into the changing room in the X-Naut Fortress then Mario and all his allies will become 8-bit and similar in style to the Super Mario Bros. sprites.
  • Mario Superstar Baseball: The loading screen has Mario hitting a ? Block in graphics from Super Mario Bros.
  • Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time: Toadsworth the Younger states when Baby Peach flies away "You will save her, won't you? I assure you she's NOT in another castle.", referencing the mushroom retainers' famous line "Thank you, Mario! But our princess is in another castle!".
  • Tetris DS: The first two levels were World 1-1, 3 and 7 were underground based, 8 and 9 are up in heights, and 10 was a castle.
  • New Super Mario Bros.: Many things from Super Mario Bros. return here, such as flagpoles, Warp Zones (in the form of cannons), and the title screen's logo typeface. When connecting to a multiplayer game, Mario can be seen running what looks like World 1-2. Also, a close-up of Mario from Super Mario Bros. as well as a picture from said game are unlockable backgrounds. The sound effect that plays when Mario or Luigi slides down the Goal Pole is reused, albeit in reversed form. One of the multiplayer stages is a truncated looping version of World 1-1. The second level is a cave level with a secret path over the ceiling leading to a secret exit, similar to the secret path over this game's World 1-2. The main boss of World 1 is Bowser, who is defeated by breaking his bridge and dropping him into lava, and the first main boss of World 8 features Dry Bowser, who is defeated in the same way, and throws bones like how Bowser threw hammers in later levels of this game.
  • Mario Hoops 3-on-3: In Mario Stadium, one can see an 8-bit Mario chasing two Goombas. Also, the music for Bowser's Castle is a cover of the Castle Theme.
  • Super Paper Mario: The sprites of Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Bowser appear around said character when they collect the Pal Pills. Also, when any character (including a Koopa Troopa) grabs a Mega Star, they turn into a huge version of their Super Mario Bros. sprites. (Mario and Luigi are their Small forms in both). Portions of Chapter 1-1, Chapter 3-1, and Chapter 5-3 are also identical to Worlds 1-1, 1-2, and 2-1, respectively.
  • Super Mario Galaxy: In Toy Time Galaxy, there's a huge 8-bit Mario/Luigi. Also in Flipswitch Galaxy, the background contains an overworld scene and an underground scene from this game.
  • Super Smash Bros. Brawl: The stage Mushroomy Kingdom is based on Worlds 1-1 and 1-2 of this game. Lakitu and Spinies and Hammer Bro appear as Assist Trophies. Lakitu and Spinies retain their original 8-bit look from Super Mario Bros. Also, many enemies from Super Mario Bros. appear in this game's Subspace Emissary Mode.
  • Wii Fit: Some of the sprites from Super Mario Bros. are hidden across Wuhu Island. Additionally in Wii Fit Plus, the minigame "Basic Run Plus" (called "Jogging Plus" in PAL locales) has the player answer questions about things they saw along the path, which are often about Mario sprites.
  • WarioWare: D.I.Y.: The Crayon Epic microgame features a monster spitting fireballs identical to Lava Bubble's sprite from this game.
  • Wii Sports Resort: In Island Flyover, if the player flies by the Hillside Cabins, the Super Mario Bros. Ground Theme and Game Over theme can be heard.
  • New Super Mario Bros. Wii: The second level of Coin Courses looks exactly like World 1-1 from Super Mario Bros.
  • Super Mario Galaxy 2: In Twisty Trials Galaxy and the second area of the Grandmaster Galaxy, there is a backdrop showing moving sprites of items and an 8-bit Mario and Luigi from this game. Mario Squared Galaxy takes place on an 8-bit Mario, as well as an 8-bit Luigi (during the mission "Luigi's Purple Coin Chaos"), Mario and Luigi's sprites from this game.
  • Super Mario 3D Land: Mario's sprite from Super Mario Bros. is used as the marker of where Mario is in a world. Tail Bowsers are similar to Fake Bowsers, and the first one is a disguised Goomba. The second level has a ledge just out of view that allows the player to walk over the level, and ends in a secret Pipe.
  • Mario Kart 7: Piranha Plant Slide is heavily based on the underground levels of Super Mario Bros. The cloud and bushes in the race course are the same model in different colors, referencing how the clouds and bushes in Super Mario Bros. are the same sprite in different colors.
  • New Super Mario Bros. 2: The first course in Coin Rush's Gold Classics Pack is based on Worlds 1-1 and 1-2. Also, the last course is based on World 1-4.
  • New Super Mario Bros. U: Sprites from Super Mario Bros. are used in the game menus. The second level is an underground course with a secret path over the ceiling leading to a secret exit. The first phase of the final boss involves striking an ax to Bowser's bridge to drop him into lava.
  • New Super Luigi U: Various sprites of Luigi are reused as hidden Luigis.
  • Super Mario 3D World: Mario's sprite from Super Mario Bros. is seen on the saving screen. His sprite can also be seen in a bonus area of Bob-ombs Below. Luigi's sprite can be spotted in some levels and on the button to enter the Luigi Bros. game.
  • NES Remix: Super Mario Bros. is a game remixed in this game.
  • Mario Party: Island Tour: The theme heard in the minigames Xylophone Home and Goomba Tower Takedown is a remix of the Ground Theme.
  • NES Remix 2: A port of the game titled Super Luigi Bros. appears, where the player controls Luigi, and all the levels are mirrored.
  • Mario Kart 8/Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Various sprites of enemies and scenery can be seen on pots in Bone-Dry Dunes. Super Bell Subway has graffiti representing World 1-2. Also, Piranha Plant Slide, which is based heavily on the underground levels of Super Mario Bros., returns from Mario Kart 7.
  • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U: Fire Bars appear as an item in these games. In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, the Mushroomy Kingdom stage from Super Mario Bros., returns from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, though without World 1-2.
  • Ultimate NES Remix: A port of the game titled Speed Mario Bros. appears in which the game runs twice as fast.
  • Yoshi's Woolly World: The Shell Patch enemy greatly resembles a Red Shell's sprite in this game.
  • Super Mario Maker/Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS: The game is used as one of the graphical styles for these games.
  • Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Nintendo 3DS): A structure in the shape of a Castle from Super Mario Bros. made of Brick Blocks and character wall obstacles of Mario, Bowser, Lakitu, Spinies and Goombas using their sprites from Super Mario Bros. appear as obstacles in Golf Plus.
  • Super Mario Odyssey: In some parts of the game, Mario can walk within walls from a 2D perspective that uses sprites and sound effects from Super Mario Bros., as well as altering the music to an 8-bit variation. A scene of Mario confronting Bowser in Super Mario Bros. can be seen when Mario captures Bowser in this game. A replica of World 1-1 can be played in a theater in New Donk City.
  • Super Mario Party: Mario's, Goomba's, Spiny's, Cheep Cheep's, and Bowser's sprites appear in Puzzle Hustle. Dart Gallery's background features neon lights resembling Super Mario Bros.'s overworld levels.
  • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: The Mushroom Kingdom stage from Super Smash Bros. returns in this game, along with Mushroomy Kingdom.
  • Mario Kart Tour: The 8-Bit Jumping Mario, 8-Bit Jumping Luigi, 8-Bit Star, 8-Bit Bullet Bill, 8-Bit Fire Flower, 8-Bit Super Mushroom, 8-Bit Block Glider, and 8-Bit Goomba are re-creations of their sprites in Super Mario Bros. The Super 1 uses the Japanese logo of Super Mario Bros.
  • Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: The sprites for Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, Bowser, Little Goombas, Koopa Troopas, Hammer Bros, Lakitus, and Mushroom Retainers are reused in the 2D Events. In these events differently colored Toads appear which have sprites that are based on the sprite for red Mushroom Retainers in Super Mario Bros.
  • Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope: Whenever Rabbid Mario retrieves a Purified Darkmess Energy Crystal, he plays the Course Clear theme on his mandolin.
  • Super Mario Bros. Wonder: Mario's jumping animation closely resembles the poseMedia:Mario and mushroom SMB1 artwork.png he makes on the Japanese box art of Super Mario Bros. Several notes from the ending fanfare are played at the beginning of the intro cutscene. The secret exit in Piranha Plants on Parade, the second level of the game, shows a pipe configuration identical to the one in World 1-2 shortly after the end-of-level fortress. Shining Falls Special Triple Threat Deluge's first section remakes the beginning of World 1-1 and the lift section of World 1-2. In The Sharp Trial: Launch to Victory, during the Wonder Flower's effect, there is a block formation referencing the Fire Flower sprite.

Alternate versions and re-releases

World 1-1 in the 25th Anniversary Edition of Super Mario Bros. This edition was bundled with specially-marked Japanese and Australian Wii consoles, in which the question mark on the ? Blocks was changed to display the number "25".
25th Anniversary SUPER MARIO BROS., with all the question marks on the ? Blocks changed to number 25's.
The 25th anniversary block that replaced the ? Blocks in the special version of Super Mario Bros.("25th Anniversary SUPER MARIO BROS.")
The cartridge for 3-in-1 Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt/World Class Track Meet
The 3-in-1 Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt/World Class Track Meet cartridge.
Super Mario Bros. being played in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
The playable demo in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Profiles and statistics

  • Wii Shop Channel: "One day, the Mushroom Kingdom was invaded by the Koopas, a tribe of turtles famous for their black magic. The quiet, peace-loving Mushroom People were turned into stones, bricks, and even plants, and the kingdom fell into ruin. The only one who can undo the magic spell on the Mushroom People and return them to their normal selves is Princess Toadstool, the daughter of the Mushroom King. Unfortunately, she is in the hands of evil King Bowser. Mario, the famous plumber, learns of the Mushroom People's plight and sets out to free the Mushroom Princess from the Koopas and restore the fallen kingdom of the Mushroom People. Jump, kick shells, and throw fireballs through eight action-packed worlds in this iconic NES classic!"
  • Nintendo eShop: "Rediscover Mario & Luigi's first great adventure! One day, the Mushroom Kingdom was invaded by the Koopas, a tribe of turtles famous for their black magic. The quiet, peace-loving Mushroom People were turned into stones, bricks, and even plants, and the kingdom fell into ruin. The only one who can undo the magic spell is Princess Toadstool, the daughter of the Mushroom King. Unfortunately, she is in the hands of evil king Bowser™. Mario™ learns of the Mushroom People's plight and sets out to free the Mushroom Princess from the Koopas and restore the fallen kingdom. Jump, kick shells, and throw fireballs through eight action-packed worlds in this iconic NES classic!"

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Sticker
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. artwork sticker in the game Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Artwork from: Super Mario Bros.
Effects in The Subspace Emissary: [Arm, Leg] - Attack +15
Usable by: Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Peach, Bowser

Media

For a complete list of media for this subject, see List of Super Mario Bros. media.
Audio.svg Ground Theme - Excerpt of the overworld theme.
File infoMedia:SMB Overworld Theme.oga
0:30
Audio.svg Underground Theme - The underground theme.
File infoMedia:Under Ground Theme SMB.oga
0:12
Audio.svg Underwater Theme - The underwater theme.
File infoMedia:Under Water Theme SMB.oga
0:25
Audio.svg Castle Theme - The castle theme.
File infoMedia:SMB Castle Theme.oga
0:16
Audio.svg Starman - The Starman theme.
File infoMedia:Invincibility SMB.oga
0:06
Audio.svg Lose a Life - The Life Lost theme.
File infoMedia:Lose a life SMB.oga
0:03
Audio.svg Course Clear - Theme that plays at the end of the levels.
File infoMedia:SMB Victory.oga
0:06
Help:MediaHaving trouble playing?

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Super Mario Bros.

Quotes

  • "We wanted to make a big Mario running around beneath a blue sky. We squeezed as much as we could out of the NES technology." — Shigeru Miyamoto, Super Mario History 1985-2010 Booklet
  • "Developing this game was fun because it felt like we were solving a puzzle as we were making it." — Takashi Tezuka, Super Mario History 1985-2010 Booklet
  • "There was so much enthusiasm on this project because we were trying to create something that had never been done before." — Koji Kondo, Super Mario History 1985-2010 Booklet
  • "Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!" — Mushroom Retainer, Super Mario Bros.
  • "Thank you Mario! Your quest is over. We present you a new quest." — Princess Toadstool, Super Mario Bros.

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese スーパーマリオブラザーズ[?]
Sūpā Mario Burazāzu
Super Mario Bros.
スーパーマリオブラザーズ1[30]
Sūpā Mario Burazāzu Wan
Super Mario Bros. 1
Chinese (simplified) 超级马力欧兄弟[?]
Chāojí Mǎlì'ōu Xiōngdì
Super Mario Bros.
Chinese (traditional) 超級瑪利歐兄弟[?]
Chāojí Mǎlì'ōu Xiōngdì
Super Mario Bros.
Korean 슈퍼 마리오브라더스[?]
Syupeo Malio Beuladeoseu
Super Mario Bros.

Trivia

Back of the Korean edition of a Super Mario Bros. themed board game. Original Japanese version was produced by Bandai.
The original story of Super Mario Bros. (with early character designs) as seen on a board game based on the game. An alternate set of pictures depicting the same events is in How to win at Super Mario Bros.
A comparison of the Super Mario Bros. and Mario Pikachu artwork
A comparison of the Super Mario Bros. and Mario Pikachu artwork
A comparison of the Super Mario Bros. and Mario Pikachu artwork
  • Despite being unmentioned in the Japanese manual,[9] the Mushroom King appears in Asian-drawn strategy guide illustrations.
  • The Guinness Book of World Records 2011: Gamer's Edition states that this game was also remade on the Nintendo 64,[31] which is incorrect.
  • In a 2011 United States Supreme Court case, Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association (which overturned a California law banning the sale of violent video games to children without parental supervision), the Electronic Frontier Foundation submitted an amicus brief citing social research that declared Super Mario Bros. to be a violent video game. In the brief, it was stated that the game contained cartoon violence similar to that found in various Saturday morning television shows, the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote cartoons, and the Mighty Mouse series, which garnered little negative reaction from the public in their own times.[32][33]
  • A promotional artwork for the "Mario Pikachu" line of merchandise, based on the artwork for the Famicom release of Super Mario Bros., replaces the original game's characters and elements with Pokémon and elements from the Pokémon series. The changes are the following:
    • Mario is replaced by Pikachu.
    • Bowser is replaced by Blastoise.
    • Princess Peach is replaced by Diancie.
    • The Toads are replaced by two Foongus.
    • The Koopa Paratroopa is replaced by a Wartortle.
    • The castle is replaced by Bell Tower.
    • A flower is replaced by Flabébé.
    • The Goomba is replaced by a Shroomish.
    • The Bullet Bill is replaced by Beldum.
    • The Super Mushroom is replaced by a Big Mushroom.
    • The Blooper is replaced by an Inkay.
    • The hill is now orange and the Warp Pipe has been replaced by Slowpoke Well.
    • The Koopa Troopa is replaced by a Squirtle.
    • The Cheep Cheep is replaced by a Qwilfish.
    • The Hammer Bro is replaced by a Psyduck.
    • The cliff is now a cave.
    • The Spiny is replaced by a Ferroseed, and the Lakitu is replaced by a Landorus.
  • The South African release in 1993 reuses the European version's packaging, the only NES game to do so in the region; all other South African NES titles feature a red "South African Version" banner on the box art and cartridge label.[34]

Notes

  1. ^ Only applicable by default on Wii Virtual Console. On Nintendo Switch Online the Z Button, X Button and/or Y Button buttons must be remapped in the system settings to Minus Button for this function to work.

References

  1. ^ Super Mario Bros. Japanese website. Nintendo of Japan.
  2. ^ a b Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Masterpieces
  3. ^ Super Mario Bros.. The Mushroom Kingdom (English). Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  4. ^ Rogers, Joshua Alexander (April 16, 2020). Video Games around the World. LinkedIn. Retrieved March 23, 2024. (Archived September 25, 2022, 15:36:58 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  5. ^ Super Mario Bros. (FDS). The Mushroom Kingdom (English). Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  6. ^ August 1986. Cash Box 1986-08-30. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  7. ^ Super Mario Bros. | Game Boy Advance | Games | Nintendo. Nintendo of UK (British English). Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  8. ^ Super Mario Bros. (VC). The Mushroom Kingdom (English). Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Super Mario Bros. Translation Comparison: Manuals - Game Story. Legends of Localization (English). Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Unless explicitly specified otherwise, any mentioning of Mario is equally applicable to Luigi during his playthrough.
  11. ^ Ed Acosta (January 25, 2015). Super Mario Bros a+start level restart. YouTube. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  12. ^ おにくてゃん (April 15, 2007). 神業(?)やり込み・マリオ裏技動画. Nicovideo (Japanese). Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  13. ^ Developer Interview: Super Mario Bros. – Nintendo Entertainment System. NES Classic Edition – Official Site (American English). Archived November 11, 2016, 05:44:27 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  14. ^ rawmeatcowboy (December 11, 2009). Super Mario Bros. main character originally started out as...a huge square. Go Nintendo. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  15. ^ It Started With A Square Object Moving. Nintendo of America (American English). Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  16. ^ Iwata Asks: New Super Mario Bros Wii. Nintendo of America (American English). Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  17. ^ Nintendo of America (June 16, 2015). Nintendo Digital Event @ E3 2015. YouTube. Archived June 16, 2015, 19:52:18 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  18. ^ Shigeru Miyamoto: もともと『マリオブラザーズ』は、土管がいっぱいあるニューヨークの地下で活躍する兄弟、ニューヨークのなかでもたぶんブルックリン、というところまで勝手に決めていて。『ドンキーコング』は舞台がニューヨークですし。その土管が不思議な森(キノコ王国)につながったのが、『スーパーマリオブラザーズ』なんです。 ("Originally, I arbitrarily decided that Mario Bros. has the brothers being active in the underground of New York, which is full of pipes, probably in Brooklyn in New York. Donkey Kong is also set in New York. In Super Mario Bros., those pipes lead to the mysterious forest (Mushroom Kingdom).")」– April 25, 2023. インタビュー マリオ映画公開記念!宮本茂さんインタビュー 制作の始まりから驚きの設定まで. Nintendo Dream Web (Japanese). Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  19. ^ Shigeru Miyamoto: これは映画化とかは一旦別にして、影の設定として決めていたんですよ。実は大昔にライセンスで作られたマリオの映画も、そういうストーリーになってるんです。元々ゲームのストーリーでも「土管がいっぱいある、ニューヨークの地下で活躍する1作目マリオブラザーズ」から、「その土管が不思議な世界に繋がっていく2作目スーパーマリオブラザーズ」に繋いでいました。『ドンキーコング』も舞台はニューヨークですし、そこから「舞台は、ニューヨークの中でもブルックリンやろうな」と決めて行ったり……その辺りの舞台設定やストーリーはすんなり決まっていましたね。 ("I had decided on that as a shadow setting, putting aside the film adaptation for a moment. In fact, the Mario movie that was made a long time ago under license also had such a story. Originally, the stories of the games were connected via 'The first Mario Bros., which takes place underground in New York City, full of pipes', to 'the second Super Mario Bros., in which the pipes lead to a mysterious world'. Donkey Kong was also set in New York, and from there we decided, 'Let's make the setting Brooklyn in New York'... A setting around that area and a story were decided easily.")」– April 28, 2023. 宮本茂はどうやって「ゲームの映画化は面白くない」に立ち向かったのか――『ザ・スーパーマリオブラザーズ・ムービー』がちょっと面白すぎたので、宮本さんに直接訊いてみた. Den-Faminicogamer (Japanese). Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  20. ^ HSALS (May 22, 2015). EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Toru Iwatani, creator of Pac-Man. Geek Culture (English). Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  21. ^ Koji Kondo – 2001 Composer Interview. shmuplations. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  22. ^ Supper Mario Broth (November 19, 2020). The European version of Super Mario Bros. is almost imperceptibly more difficult than the US/Japanese versions due to adding an extra pixel to the hitboxes of various enemies. Details in image.. X. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  23. ^ 3. Super Mario Bros. - Top 100 NES Games. IGN (English). Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  24. ^ Super Mario Sales Data: Historical Units Sold Numbers for NES, SNES, N64.... VG Chartz (English). Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  25. ^ Gigazine (November 9, 2019). "Super Mario Brothers Street" is born in Spain, pictures of Mario pleased at the commemoration ceremony. Gigazine. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  26. ^ December 1, 2001. どうぶつの森+のゲーム内で遊べるファミコンソフトが判明. N-Styles (Japanese). Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  27. ^ October 27, 2003. ファミコン生誕20周年記念第2弾、「ホットマリオキャンペーン」が11月7日より開始!. Dengeki Online. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  28. ^ Niizumi, Hirohiko (October 27, 2003). Nintendo puts original Super Mario on GBA. GameSpot. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  29. ^ Nintendo Entertainment System™ - Nintendo Switch Online. Nintendo Official Site (American English). Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  30. ^ November 13, 2020. 『ゲーム&ウオッチ スーパーマリオブラザーズ』は本日発売。知っているとより楽しめる、”あそびのヒント”をご紹介。. Nintendo (Japanese). Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  31. ^ Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition. PC World from DG. Archived October 30, 2020, 14:38:56 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  32. ^ Hoffman, Gene (September 27, 2010). How the Wrong Decision in Schwarzenegger v. EMA Could Cripple Video Game Innovation. Xconomy. Archived September 30, 2010, 15:09:15 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  33. ^ Supreme Court of the United States Docket No. 08-1448 (PDF). EFF. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  34. ^ Rogers, Joshua Alexander (April 16, 2020). Video Games around the World. LinkedIn. Retrieved March 23, 2024. (Archived September 25, 2022, 15:36:58 UTC via Wayback Machine.)

External links