‘Super Mario World’ Still Holds Up

One of my favorite early memories in life was playing on my grandpa’s Super Nintendo as a kid. Sure, there was a pool, a swing-set, and a huge backyard to do pretty much anything, but I was always drawn to the Nintendo. I looked forward to loading up my save files and continuing my journey from last time on the road trip. Super Mario World was one of my favorites. It was such a beautiful world, a side-scrolling game that was simple enough yet challenging at the same time. This game was great back then, and it still holds up today.

The first thing about this game is how amazing it looked for the time. The colors all pop and the graphics on this game are so much better than its Super Mario Bros. 3 predecessor on the original NES. The world is so visually pleasing, and it makes you appreciate all the hard work that went into it, especially considering it came out in 1990. The map itself also looked gorgeous, and it’s cool to explore and check it out sometimes outside of the individual levels.

The soundtrack to this game was fantastic, even on the open-world map. The music on each level just felt right on point. Some songs made you calm and at peace, while others made you frantic and on edge. The boo houses would always creep me out, and I would want out of them as quickly as possible. The little cutscenes after defeating a castle were also entertaining, and made losing life after life in a castle worthwhile.

A huge thing that Super Mario World did was introduce us all to Mario’s pal Yoshi! It’s hard to believe he was never around, but this was Yoshi’s first adventure with Mario. Yoshi has become an integral part of the Mario universe, and hopping on a Yoshi in this game was a big asset. One of my favorite things was finding a Yoshi egg and feeding that Yoshi koopas or other villains until he grew and you were able to ride him. I hate to admit it, but I have sacrificed many Yoshi’s for myself to stay alive and not fall to my death. Yoshi is a loyal partner to the end, and there aren’t many like him out there in the video game world. I’m sorry Yoshi, now you know.

A crucial part of this game was mastering the cape. The cape could take down any enemy and facilitated in taking out dry bones inside the castles and Chargin’ Chuck (the fast football dude who would charge at you non-stop). Learning how to fly with the cape helped out a ton as well. You had to get a running start and then take off for the heavens, floating up and down in the process. You could even slam to the ground and take out some enemies. The cape was a crucial item that made everything easier.

One of the best things about Super Mario World is all of the secrets it held. There were so many hidden secrets, switches, and paths that made playing the game worth it even after completion. I am one of those people who wants to complete everything in a game. I feel like a failure if I haven’t unlocked everything I possibly can. This is one of those games where you can go back and find new secrets every time you play it. The Star World in itself is a secret conundrum, and it took me forever (and some googling) to be able to beat it to and unlock the entire path. There is so much to do and explore in this game, and it truly is as much fun now as it was when I was a little kid.

Getting to play this game with two players as Mario and Luigi made this game better as well. Having to take turns took some stress away from yourself but also kept you in it. I would play alongside brothers, father, or even my grandpa taking turns, learning from the others mistakes. Seeing my grandpa lose his mind and beat himself up over a small mistake was such a humanizing, bonding experience. Every time I think of Super Mario World, I will think of him.

They don’t make games like they used to, bottom line. I often find myself going back to these older, retro games. I don’t know what it is, but it feels like today, game developers are more focused on maximizing revenue through DLC and all these other things instead of merely making a good game that everyone can play and love. That’s why I think Nintendo and especially the Mario franchise has been so successful all this time. They don’t rush things and consistently come out with reliable, quality games that can be played and cherished by all. Their products that they put out are so good in fact, that they can be enjoyed just as much today as they were nearly 30 years ago. Now that’s wild.