Classic NES Series: Super Mario Bros.

THE BAD:
Too easy, linier and boring.
Sounds are horrible.
No special touch-ups.
Horrible gaming mechanics, no Special Powers (other than Fire Flower, but that's just boring).

SUMMARY:
I like Mario and I have played Super Mario Advance games. Then I picked this up and to be honest, I was dissapointed. I was expecting some big touch-ups to make the game look more "now"ish and cool. However, they didn't do anything new to this version. Sure, it's the "Classic NES" version, but there should be more added within the game.

Gameplay - As I had said, there are no touch-ups to update this game to the NOW! It plays exactly like the NES version but on a smaller screen, which may disspoint older Mario fans. Anyway, it's all jumping on enemies, dying when an enemy touches you, getting to the flagpole to end the level and getting to the axe to beat a world by passing Bowser. A is to jump and B is to sprint. I find the sprint option to be useful but that's not the case. The levels take a minute or 2 each because there's a time limit. If you don't beat the level in the time limit, you die of getting old. So in short, the gameplay is excessively repetitive. Too much of the same. >_>

Graphics - Eww... 8 bits. The NES could only produce that much in the early 1980's, but really, the GBA version could use some 16-bit touch-ups. Not to mention make a stab at 16-bits and also when Mario is dashing, at a certain time, there should be like a blur coming from behind him. It's not much, but it's still the same visuals as the NES version.

Sound - Again, the early 1980's can manage that, but not any better. Again, it's the same as the NES's sounds. I think the sound Mario makes when he jumps is quite awkward and weird. I think something like a "whoosh" would do as a better jumping sound than the weird sound we're hearing. Also, there's only 4 different tracks. One for overground, one for underground, one for water and one for Bowser's Castle. I liked the underground one more because it was all techy and it fitted with the sort of level but so are the rest of the levels music. All techy and stuff, but at different pitches. Overground version just sounds pretty weird. I think the swimming one could defiantly change since it didn't exactly fit in with the marine style of level. Also, when a cannon launches a bill, it sounds like someone breathing heavily but with pixeled sounds. No shit, I hate hearing myself do that. Try for a few levels and it starts to get on your nerves. Then start with the fact that World 5 is pretty damn hard and you'll be forced to keep hearing that. Ugh, not very good in my opinion.

Value - There's no saves, no bonuses, no nothing. You just go on a quest from world 1-1 to 8-4. Sure, you could go up for a speed run and find all the shortcuts and master all the level's mechanics and that contributes to replay value, but then if we have to see it, it proves you have NO life.

Overall - If your NES is broken and you don't mind needing to look at a small screen, purchase this for about $17.75 or something and enjoy the old times.

Rating - 1.8/5.0