Difference between revisions of "Super Mario Land"

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[[Image:Super Mario Land - GB - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|North American box art.]]
 
[[Image:Super Mario Land - GB - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|North American box art.]]
  
'''''Super Mario Land''''' is a platform action game with scrolling shooter levels developed and published by [[Nintendo]] for the [[Game Boy]] on 1989-04-21. Although part of the [[Mario (Universe)|Super Mario series]], it has several notable differences from the earlier games.
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'''''Super Mario Land''''' is a [[platformer]] video game with [[scrolling shooter]] levels developed by [[Nintendo|Nintendo R&D1]] and published by Nintendo for the [[Game Boy]] on 1989-04-21. Although part of the [[Mario (universe)|''Super Mario'' series]], it has several notable differences from the earlier games.
  
Not owning a Game Boy, I remember watching some friends play it at school and wanting to play it really badly, but, unfortunately, Game Boys were banned in the school before I got a chance. Since I didn't own a Game Boy myself, I only ever got a few chances to play when I was younger, but I remember the game feeling a bit cheap. It wasn't until many years later that I decided to make a serious attempt at the game, and the beat it after a couple hours.
+
The game takes place in a new realm called Sarasaland which is ruled by four kingdoms, however, a dangerous space monster named Tatanga has hypnotized the people of the land in order to conquer it. he's trying to marry Princess Daisy and force her into being his queen, but Mario is on the scene ready to stop him.
 +
 
 +
==Personal==
 +
Not owning a Game Boy, I remember watching some friends play it at school and wanting to play it really badly, but, unfortunately, Game Boys were banned in the school before I got a chance. Since I didn't own a Game Boy myself, I only ever got a few chances to play when I was younger, but I remember the game feeling a bit cheap. It wasn't until many years later that I decided to make a serious attempt at the game, and the beat it after a couple hours. Then, after learning it unlocked a hard mode, I played and beat that too on 2020-08-10.
  
 
==Status==
 
==Status==
I do not own the game, but I have beaten it.
+
I do not own the game, but I have beaten regular and hard mode.
  
 
==Review==
 
==Review==
* '''Overall:''' 5/10
+
{{Video Game Review|5|4|6|8|5|Game Boy}}
* '''Best Version:''' Game Boy
+
 
 +
{{Spoilers}}
  
 
===Good===
 
===Good===
* The game is pretty fun, and the designers did a good job of adding new aspects to the game while still keeping with the Super Mario theme.
+
* The game is pretty fun, and the designers did a good job of adding new aspects to the game while still keeping with the ''Super Mario'' theme.
* I like how each world has a unique theme to it: Egyptian crypts, Easter Island statues, etc.
+
* I like how each world has a unique theme to it: Egyptian crypts, Easter Island statues, Chinese folklore, etc.
 
* The scrolling shooter stages are actually a refreshing change of pace that keeps the game from getting stale.
 
* The scrolling shooter stages are actually a refreshing change of pace that keeps the game from getting stale.
 +
* Even on the weaker audio hardware, [[Hirokazu Tanaka]]'s music is really good.
 +
* The bonus game is a nice reward for ending the stage on the upper platform, even if it's a bit too easy.
 
* I like that the bosses are all unique.
 
* I like that the bosses are all unique.
* Even on the weaker audio hardware, the music is quite catchy.
 
 
* The entire game fits into a shockingly small 64 KB!
 
* The entire game fits into a shockingly small 64 KB!
  
 
===Bad===
 
===Bad===
 
* The game is too short. Even for a Game Boy game, 12 levels isn't enough.
 
* The game is too short. Even for a Game Boy game, 12 levels isn't enough.
 +
* The game is too easy. Thankfully, you [[unlockable difficulty levels|unlock a hard mode]] upon beating it to give a slightly more reasonable challenge, though it would be nice if there were some indication that his happens in the game or manual.
 
* There is too much repetition in the levels. Nearly every level in the game repeats a section or two.
 
* There is too much repetition in the levels. Nearly every level in the game repeats a section or two.
* It's not obvious which block Mario is going to hit due to the size difference between his sprite and the blocks. This causes a fair amount of re-jumping to finally hit the block you intended to hit.
+
* Due to the size difference between Mario's sprite and the blocks, it's often not obvious which block he is going to hit. This causes a fair amount of re-jumping to finally hit the block you intended to hit.
 +
* The Super Ball is a poor replacement for a fireball. While I like the fact that it can collect coins, and having it bounce up into the sky is frequently useful due to the smaller screen size, it sticks around for way too long if you miss, preventing you from throwing another.
 
* Why did the designers create a new princess? Why create Princess Daisy when Peach already existed? Is Mario meant to be a professional princess rescuer?
 
* Why did the designers create a new princess? Why create Princess Daisy when Peach already existed? Is Mario meant to be a professional princess rescuer?
 +
* The manual strangely doesn't translate any of the monster names.
 +
* Without a save feature or password, there is no way to pickup the game where you left off. On consoles this was acceptable at the time, but for a portable game that was meant to be played in car rides, it's a problem since you have to beat the game in a single sitting.
  
 
===Ugly===
 
===Ugly===
* The player controls are pretty bad. Nintendo usually polishes player control really well, but this game is not good. It is very common to under-jump and over-jump in this game and a lot harder to change direction mid-air than it should be.
+
* The player controls are pretty bad. Nintendo usually polishes player control really well, but this game has some serious flaws. You will find yourself under-jumping and over-jumping a lot, and it's harder to change direction mid-air than it should be. There is also an odd problem with forward momentum when hit a wall. Run into a short wall and then immediately jump, and you'll find yourself moving forward over the obstacle even if you're no longer pushing forward.
  
 
==Media==
 
==Media==
 +
===Box Art===
 +
<gallery>
 +
Super Mario Land - GB - Japan.jpg|Original Japanese box features Mario running away from a swarm of the game's enemies. The art is fantastic and really embodies the game, but the lettering is pretty dull.
 +
Super Mario Land - GB - USA.jpg|All other regions use this box design. More of the top and bottom art are visible, but the left is cut off. The lettering a a bit better, but still dull.
 +
</gallery>
 +
 
===Documentation===
 
===Documentation===
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
Super Mario Land - GB - Manual.pdf|Game manual.
+
Super Mario Land - GB - UK - Manual.pdf|UK manual.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
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===Videos===
 
===Videos===
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV0qJd-phvQ youtube.com/watch?v=EV0qJd-phvQ] - Longplay.
+
{{#ev:youtube|GUz7L6PwCRU|256|inline|US commercial.|frame}}
 +
{{#ev:youtube|MGS2xqXtLFc|256|inline|Review - Game Boy Works.|frame}}
 +
{{#ev:youtube|hgBsLBd-GuM|256|inline|Review - Game Boy Works (Remastered).|frame}}
 +
{{#ev:youtube|sAtWQ_xn0kI|256|inline|Brentalfloss music video.|frame}}
 +
{{#ev:youtube|EV0qJd-phvQ|256|inline|Longplay - 1st playthough.|frame}}
 +
{{#ev:youtube|nGNA6GYw5a4|256|inline|Longplay - 2nd playthough.|frame}}
 +
{{#ev:youtube|ff6EUnR_ou4|256|inline|Speedrun.|frame}}
 +
 
 +
==Credits==
 +
{| class="wikitable" |
 +
! Roles !! Staff
 +
|-
 +
| Producers || [[Gunpei Yokoi]]
 +
|-
 +
| Director || [[Satoru Okada]]
 +
|-
 +
| Designer, Graphics || [[Hirofumi Matsuoka]], [[Masahiko Mashimo]]
 +
|-
 +
| Programmers || [[Takahiro Harada]], [[Masao Yamamoto]]
 +
|-
 +
| Music, Sound Effects, Audio Programmer || [[Hirokazu Tanaka]]
 +
|-
 +
| Amida ? || [[Masaru Yamanaka]]
 +
|-
 +
| Special Thanks || Y. Taki, [[Takehiro Izushi]], [[Hideo Nagata]], [[Makoto Kanoh]], Nishizawa
 +
|}
  
 
==Titles==
 
==Titles==
Line 64: Line 104:
  
 
==Links==
 
==Links==
* [http://www.mobygames.com/game/super-mario-land mobygames.com/game/super-mario-land] - MobyGames.
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{{Link|MobyGames|http://www.mobygames.com/game/super-mario-land}}
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Land en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Land] - Wikipedia.
+
{{Link|Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Land}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAtWQ_xn0kI youtube.com/watch?v=sAtWQ_xn0kI] - Brentalfloss music video.
+
{{Link|StrategyWiki|https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Land}}
 +
{{Link|GameFAQs|https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/gameboy/585933-super-mario-land}}
 +
{{Link|VGMPF|2=http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Super_Mario_Land_(GB)}}
 +
{{Link|TCRF|https://tcrf.net/Super_Mario_Land}}
 +
{{Link|TVTropes|https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/SuperMarioLand}}
  
  
 
[[Category: Games]]
 
[[Category: Games]]
 
[[Category: Video Games]]
 
[[Category: Video Games]]
 +
[[Category: 1989 Video Games]]
 +
[[Category: Video Game Prime Order - Action, Adventure, Strategy]]
 +
[[Category: Video Game Genre - Platformer]]
 +
[[Category: Video Game Genre - Scrolling Shooter]]
 +
[[Category: Media Theme - Fantasy]]
 +
[[Category: Game Mechanic - Unlockable Difficulty Levels]]
 
[[Category: Game Boy Games]]
 
[[Category: Game Boy Games]]
[[Category: Action]]
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[[Category: Trope - Damsel In Distress]]
[[Category: Platformer]]
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[[Category: Trope - Women As Reward]]
[[Category: Scrolling Shooters]]
+
[[Category: Video Games I've Beaten]]
[[Category: Games I've Beaten]]
 
 
[[Category: Grayscale Graphics]]
 
[[Category: Grayscale Graphics]]
 +
[[Category: Video Games That Fail the Bechdel Test]]

Revision as of 15:21, 26 August 2020

North American box art.

Super Mario Land is a platformer video game with scrolling shooter levels developed by Nintendo R&D1 and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy on 1989-04-21. Although part of the Super Mario series, it has several notable differences from the earlier games.

The game takes place in a new realm called Sarasaland which is ruled by four kingdoms, however, a dangerous space monster named Tatanga has hypnotized the people of the land in order to conquer it. he's trying to marry Princess Daisy and force her into being his queen, but Mario is on the scene ready to stop him.

Personal

Not owning a Game Boy, I remember watching some friends play it at school and wanting to play it really badly, but, unfortunately, Game Boys were banned in the school before I got a chance. Since I didn't own a Game Boy myself, I only ever got a few chances to play when I was younger, but I remember the game feeling a bit cheap. It wasn't until many years later that I decided to make a serious attempt at the game, and the beat it after a couple hours. Then, after learning it unlocked a hard mode, I played and beat that too on 2020-08-10.

Status

I do not own the game, but I have beaten regular and hard mode.

Review

Video Game Review Icon - Enjoyment.png Video Game Review Icon - Control.png Video Game Review Icon - Appearance.png Video Game Review Icon - Sound.png Video Game Review Icon - Replayability.png
5 4 6 8 5

Best Version: Game Boy

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

  • The game is pretty fun, and the designers did a good job of adding new aspects to the game while still keeping with the Super Mario theme.
  • I like how each world has a unique theme to it: Egyptian crypts, Easter Island statues, Chinese folklore, etc.
  • The scrolling shooter stages are actually a refreshing change of pace that keeps the game from getting stale.
  • Even on the weaker audio hardware, Hirokazu Tanaka's music is really good.
  • The bonus game is a nice reward for ending the stage on the upper platform, even if it's a bit too easy.
  • I like that the bosses are all unique.
  • The entire game fits into a shockingly small 64 KB!

Bad

  • The game is too short. Even for a Game Boy game, 12 levels isn't enough.
  • The game is too easy. Thankfully, you unlock a hard mode upon beating it to give a slightly more reasonable challenge, though it would be nice if there were some indication that his happens in the game or manual.
  • There is too much repetition in the levels. Nearly every level in the game repeats a section or two.
  • Due to the size difference between Mario's sprite and the blocks, it's often not obvious which block he is going to hit. This causes a fair amount of re-jumping to finally hit the block you intended to hit.
  • The Super Ball is a poor replacement for a fireball. While I like the fact that it can collect coins, and having it bounce up into the sky is frequently useful due to the smaller screen size, it sticks around for way too long if you miss, preventing you from throwing another.
  • Why did the designers create a new princess? Why create Princess Daisy when Peach already existed? Is Mario meant to be a professional princess rescuer?
  • The manual strangely doesn't translate any of the monster names.
  • Without a save feature or password, there is no way to pickup the game where you left off. On consoles this was acceptable at the time, but for a portable game that was meant to be played in car rides, it's a problem since you have to beat the game in a single sitting.

Ugly

  • The player controls are pretty bad. Nintendo usually polishes player control really well, but this game has some serious flaws. You will find yourself under-jumping and over-jumping a lot, and it's harder to change direction mid-air than it should be. There is also an odd problem with forward momentum when hit a wall. Run into a short wall and then immediately jump, and you'll find yourself moving forward over the obstacle even if you're no longer pushing forward.

Media

Box Art

Documentation

Maps

Videos

US commercial.
Review - Game Boy Works.
Review - Game Boy Works (Remastered).
Brentalfloss music video.
Longplay - 1st playthough.
Longplay - 2nd playthough.
Speedrun.

Credits

Roles Staff
Producers Gunpei Yokoi
Director Satoru Okada
Designer, Graphics Hirofumi Matsuoka, Masahiko Mashimo
Programmers Takahiro Harada, Masao Yamamoto
Music, Sound Effects, Audio Programmer Hirokazu Tanaka
Amida ? Masaru Yamanaka
Special Thanks Y. Taki, Takehiro Izushi, Hideo Nagata, Makoto Kanoh, Nishizawa

Titles

Language Native Transliteration Translation
English Super Mario Land
Japanese スーパーマリオランド Supa Mario Rando Super Mario Land

Links

Link-MobyGames.png  Link-Wikipedia.png  Link-StrategyWiki.png  Link-GameFAQs.png  Link-VGMPF.png  Link-TCRF.png  Link-TVTropes.png