Super Mario Bros.For other uses, see Super Mario Bros. (disambiguation).Super Mario Bros. is a video game produced by Nintendo in 1985. Universally considered a classic of the medium, Super Mario Bros. was one of the first side-scrolling platform games of its kind, introducing players to huge, bright, expansive worlds that changed the way video games were created. Super Mario Bros. is considered by The Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling video game of all time[1], and was largely responsible for the initial success of the Famicom and Nintendo Entertainment System. It has inspired countless imitators (eventually founding an entire genre) and was one of Shigeru Miyamoto's most influential early successes. The game gave Mario (known as Jumpman in the classic arcade game Donkey Kong), a starring role. Mario, who became Nintendo's mascot, was at one time more recognizable among American children than Mickey Mouse. GameplayMario jumps on a Goomba in World 8-1.Shigeru Miyamoto described his initial idea for Super Mario Bros. as "a character that bounces around. And the background should be a clear, blue sky."[2] The player takes the role of Mario, or in the case of a second player, Mario's brother Luigi. The ultimate object is to race through the Mushroom Kingdom, evade or eliminate King Koopa/King Bowser's forces, and save the Princess Peach/Princess Toadstool. Mario's primary attack is simply jumping on top of his enemies, which kills the mushroom traitors, known as Kuribou/Goombas, and sends the turtle soldiers known as Nokonoko/Koopa Troopas into their shells. Mario can then kick these shells into other enemies, which will conveniently dispatch them; but conversely, kicked shells can bounce back off of walls or other vertical obstructions and hit him. Jumping on enough enemies in succession, or kicking a shell into enough enemies in succession (combos), results in double points earned with each enemy killed, eventually earning Mario a 1-up, an extra life and another chance to pass the level. Aiding him in his quest are several power-ups, including the Super Mushroom, which turns Mario into Super Mario, doubling his size; the Fire Flower, which turns Super Mario into Fiery Mario, allowing him to throw fireballs; Starman, which gives him temporary invincibility; and the 1-up Mushroom. Mario can be hurt if he touches an enemy. If he takes a hit from an enemy as Super Mario or Fiery Mario, he simply reverts back to regular Mario and the game continues. However, if he takes a hit as regular Mario, falls down a pit (regardless of status), or if the time clock runs out, he loses a life, and starts again. The point where Mario continues depends on how far he ran through the level before dying; either from the very beginning, or at an invisible "checkpoint" halfway through the level. There are no checkpoints in castles (#-4) or in world 8 (8-#). Mario taking on Bowser at the end of the game.The game consists of eight worlds with four levels in each. Though each world is substantially different, there are basic similarities: typically the first sub-world is a generic above-ground (overworld) level, the second is in an underground dungeon or underwater (or in the overworld with a unique challenge), the third is a series of platforms suspended high in the sky, and the fourth is a fortress or castle. At the end of each castle level, Mario fights "Bowser" (who, until the final level, is actually a lesser enemy disguised as Bowser) across a bridge over a pool of lava. In the later worlds, Bowser throws hammers as well as occasional fire breaths. Bowser may be defeated in one of two ways; either by touching the axe at the edge of the bridge (thereby dropping Bowser into the lava), or, as Fiery Mario, throwing fireballs at him to defeat him directly. The third and sixth worlds take place at night, and all other worlds take place during the day. After beating the game, the player is given the option to start the game again in "'Hard' Mode," where all Goombas are replaced by Buzzy Beetles (Koopa Troopa-like enemies who cannot be killed by fireballs), and all enemies walk faster. In addition, some of the elevator-style lifts are about 60% their original size. PopularityThe title screen of Super Mario Bros. has gone down in video game history.The game sold approximately 40 million copies worldwide, which still stands as a Guinness World Record. It has been estimated that this game, next to Tetris, is the bestselling game of all time.[3] Although the game was popular enough on its own, mass distribution is attributable to the popularity of the NES itself. Super Mario Bros. was most often packaged with the console (usually in a dual cartridge with the shooting game Duck Hunt), just as Tetris was packaged with the Game Boy. Super Mario Bros. 3 is often cited as the best selling non-packaged game of all time. Super Mario Bros. is often cited as the inspiration for many game designers; an example is the inspiration for the designers at id Software when they developed Commander Keen. (Indeed, Commander Keen began life as a PC port of Super Mario Bros.) It has also been critically acclaimed in retrospect; IGN named it #1 on their top 100 video games list twice (both in 2003 [4] and 2005 [5]), and it is one of only two games (along with Elite) to receive a 10/10 score in their "retro reviews" retrospective series. In February 2006, Electronic Gaming Monthly named Super Mario Bros. number one on its list of the 200 Greatest Games of Their Time. Sequels and spin-offsThe success of Super Mario Bros. led Nintendo to choose Mario to be its mascot and eventually resulted in several TV series and a movie. Mario himself became more recognizable among American children than Mickey Mouse[6]. The game's popularity eventually led to dozens of sequels and spinoffs. There are three direct sequels to this game on the NES platform:
SoundtrackThe soundtrack, composed by long-time Nintendo composer Koji Kondo, is often sampled. While many bands have sampled the Super Mario Bros. soundtrack or otherwise recorded songs inspired by the game and its soundtrack, a Super Mario Bros.-inspired single by Japanese band The Tongari Kids, titled "B-Dash", reached as high as sixth place on the Japanese music charts.[7] Alternate versionsAs one of Nintendo's most popular games, Super Mario Bros. has been rereleased and remade numerous times, ranging from an arcade version released at approximately the same time as the original NES release, to its inclusion as an unlockable game in in the GameCube game Animal Crossing. Vs. Super Mario Bros.The title screen of Vs. Super Mario Bros.The first of these alternate versions, Vs. Super Mario Bros., is nearly a separate game in its own right. This game, one of several games made for Nintendo's NES-based arcade cabinet, the Nintendo Vs. Unisystem (and its variant, the Nintendo Vs. Dualsystem), is based loosely on Super Mario Bros., and has identical gameplay. The stages are different, however; the first stages are subtly different, with small differences like the omission of 1-up mushrooms or other hidden items, but later stages are changed entirely. (Many of these later, changed stages later appeared in the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2.) These changes have a net effect of making Vs. Super Mario Bros. much more difficult than the original Super Mario Bros. As with many older arcade games, it isn't clear exactly when this game was released; while the arcade boards themselves are stamped "1985,"[8] the Killer List of Video Games and the MAME game listing list the game as having been released in 1986.[9][10] All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros.The cover of All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros.All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros. is a version of Super Mario Bros. with graphics based upon a radio show, called 'All Night Nippon', that was very popular in Japan in 1986. It was released for the Famicom Disk System. The game, which was only released in Japan, was a special promotional version that was given away by the Japanese radio station 'All Night Nippon' in raffles in 1986. The game borrows levels from Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japanese version), and Vs. Super Mario Bros. The enemies and the mushroom retainers at the end of Bowser's forts are replaced with Japanese music idols, famous recording artists, and DJs, as well as other people related to 'All Night Nippon.' It was published by Fuji TV, the same company that published Doki Doki Panic (which was later remade into Super Mario USA, a.k.a. Super Mario Bros. 2). Multicart versionsWhile Super Mario Bros. is the best-selling video game of all time, one of the most common versions of the game is actually an alternate version, a multicart including both Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt. This version, first released in North America in November 1988, was only available packed in with the "NES Action Set," a bundle including the NES, two controllers, the Zapper lightgun, and the Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt double cartridge. Later, in December of that year, Nintendo also released a three-game multicart, including Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, and World Class Track Meet. This three-game multicart was only included in the "NES Power Set," a bundle including everything in the "Action Set" above, but with the Power Pad and the triple-game cartridge in place of the double-game cartridge. Super Mario All-StarsTitle screen of SMB in All-StarsIn 1993, Nintendo released an enhanced SNES compilation, titled Super Mario All-Stars, of all of the Super Mario games released for the NES and Famicom. The version of Super Mario Bros. included in the compilation had improved graphics, redrawn to match the SNES's greater graphical capabilities and a save game feature. Several glitches from the original NES release were also fixed. This compilation also includes later Super Mario games, including Super Mario Bros. 3, the North American/European Super Mario Bros. 2 (known as Super Mario USA in Japan), and the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 (known as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels in North America and Europe). A later version of this compilation, sold only as a bundle with the SNES, also includes Super Mario World. Super Mario Bros. DeluxeIn 1999, Super Mario Bros. was released on the Game Boy Color, under the title Super Mario Bros. Deluxe. It featured simultaneous multiplayer, a Challenge mode and also included the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 (which was released on Super Mario All-Stars as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels) as an unlockable. It also was compatible with the Game Boy Printer. However, the game did not feature any upgraded visuals. Classic NES rereleaseThe NES version of Super Mario Bros. was re-released in 2004 on the Game Boy Advance as part of the Classic NES Series.In early 2004, Nintendo rereleased the game on the Game Boy Advance in Japan as part of their Famicom Minis collection and in the U.S. as part of the Classic NES Series. Unlike previous re-releases, these versions contain no graphical updates; indeed, they are running in emulation. Super Mario Bros. was one of the best-selling of these rereleases; according to the NPD Group (which tracks game sales in North America), this rereleased version of Super Mario Bros. was the best-selling Game Boy Advance game in June 2004, and sixth-best-selling game overall.[11] Differences between this and the original are that the screen images appear a bit squashed, due to the smaller GBA screen, and the high score is saved to the cartridge. In 2005, Nintendo released this game again for the GBA as part of its 20th Anniversary with a special edition, selling approximately 876,000 units.[12] Other versionsSuper Mario Bros. is one of the NES games featured in the Gamecube game Animal Crossing. Nintendo released an official way of unlocking it in 2004. Currently the only known way to unlock the game is either by use of a game modification ("cheating") device, such as an Action Replay, or by the use of a special Super Mario Bros. Animal Crossing-e card and the e-reader device. Players could connect the e-reader to a Game Boy Advance, connect this to a Gamecube with a Game Boy Advance to Nintendo Gamecube Cable, go to the E-reader machine at the post office, and swipe the card, allowing the player to recieve the coveted NES game item in the mail. However, the card's rarity has made using an Action Replay or other device much easier to obtain this item, causing a large jump in the popularity of such devices. Minus WorldMinus World is an infinite water level (with a layout similar to that of Levels 2-2 and 7-2). Most likely the result of a glitch rather than intentionally created, this level is sometimes claimed to be a myth. It does exist, although it can be difficult to reach. It is only accessible by performing a certain jumping trick in Level 1-2 at the pipe that leads to the end of the level. This trick allows Mario to move through the wall to where the level's warp zone is located. There, the first pipe leads to the Minus World, but only if the game doesn't scroll to show all the pipes; in which case, the pipes revert to their default locations. (Incidently, the second pipe leads to World 5 if reached in time.) Once Minus World is reached, it is impossible to escape, and Mario is destined to die by running out of time (assuming he survives the standard water-level obstacles as well). The reason for this is because the pipe at the end of the level leads to the very beginning, instead of dry land, and therefore, the level loops, or repeats itself. The name was created by a glitch, and since it is not a normal level, the name is literally (nothing)-1, creating the effect of -1. Technically speaking, the Minus World is world 36. World 36 in the Japanese Famicom Disk System version of the game is considerably different and has three levels, after which the player is returned to the title screen as though he or she completed the game. This glitch has been fixed in the Super Mario All-Stars remake as well as in Super Mario Bros. Deluxe. Cheat CodeA very simple and well-known secret code in Super Mario Bros. is often recognized as one of the very first "cheat codes", or "easter eggs", in videogames. If a player advanced to a higher world, but then received a Game Over, the player could hold A when pressing Start to select the "1 Player Game" option at the main menu, which would allow for them to return to whatever world they left off at instead of starting the game on the very first level. Current world recordThe current world record time for this game has been set by Trevor Seguin, Andrew Gardikis, and Carlos Krueger with times of 5 minutes and 9 seconds. These claims have been confirmed by Twin Galaxies, and a video is available at the Speed Demos Archive [13]. These are both only a few seconds slower than the fastest known tool-assisted speedrun, which currently measures at just under 5 minutes. Trivia
References
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These are both only a few seconds slower than the fastest known tool-assisted speedrun, which currently measures at just under 5 minutes. is often recognized as one of the very first "cheat codes", or "easter eggs", in videogames. Director Michel Gondry filmed a live version of the video, digitized the result, and then recreated it entirely with Lego bricks. A very simple and well-known secret code in Super Mario Bros. Another notable example is the award-winning music video for the song "Fell in Love with a Girl" by the White Stripes. Deluxe. [2]. This glitch has been fixed in the Super Mario All-Stars remake as well as in Super Mario Bros. 'Art Craziest Nation' was shown at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, UK. World 36 in the Japanese Famicom Disk System version of the game is considerably different and has three levels, after which the player is returned to the title screen as though he or she completed the game. The Little Artists have created an entire Modern Art collection in a Lego Gallery. Technically speaking, the Minus World is world 36. Artists have also used Lego sets with one of the more notorious examples being Polish artist Zbigniew Libera's "Lego Concentration Camp," a collection of mocked-up concentration camp-themed Lego sets.[1]. The name was created by a glitch, and since it is not a normal level, the name is literally (nothing)-1, creating the effect of -1. For example, the Monty Python and the Holy Grail Special Edition DVD contained a version of the "Camelot" musical sequence redone with Lego minifigures and accessories. The reason for this is because the pipe at the end of the level leads to the very beginning, instead of dry land, and therefore, the level loops, or repeats itself. They usually use stop-motion animation. Once Minus World is reached, it is impossible to escape, and Mario is destined to die by running out of time (assuming he survives the standard water-level obstacles as well). Such movies are called "Lego movies", "Brickfilms", or "cinema Lego". (Incidently, the second pipe leads to World 5 if reached in time.). One hobby among enthusiasts is to re-create popular scenes from famous movies, using Lego bricks for the scenery and Lego play sets as characters. There, the first pipe leads to the Minus World, but only if the game doesn't scroll to show all the pipes; in which case, the pipes revert to their default locations. Another novel application of Lego bricks is the combination of bricks and electronic components to obtain a Lego Electronic Lab Kit. This trick allows Mario to move through the wall to where the level's warp zone is located. Because of the high degree of uniformity in Lego bricks, they have also been used in fields such as computer vision, in which knowing the exact dimensions and relative positions of objects is useful for creating test data. It is only accessible by performing a certain jumping trick in Level 1-2 at the pipe that leads to the end of the level. A set of software tools called LDraw or Lego Digital Designer can be used to model possible Lego creations in 3D. It does exist, although it can be difficult to reach. The website theory.org.uk (by academic David Gauntlett) features Lego versions of social theorists. Most likely the result of a glitch rather than intentionally created, this level is sometimes claimed to be a myth. Legowars, the generic term for a number of wargames (most notably Brikwars) involving Lego bricks enjoys a cult-like popularity. Minus World is an infinite water level (with a layout similar to that of Levels 2-2 and 7-2). The site features over 2,000 photographs of Biblical scenes. However, the card's rarity has made using an Action Replay or other device much easier to obtain this item, causing a large jump in the popularity of such devices. For example, at The Brick Testament "The Reverend" Brendan Powell Smith has built the Bible in Lego pieces. Players could connect the e-reader to a Game Boy Advance, connect this to a Gamecube with a Game Boy Advance to Nintendo Gamecube Cable, go to the E-reader machine at the post office, and swipe the card, allowing the player to recieve the coveted NES game item in the mail. Lego toys have been used in a number of unexpected ways. Animal Crossing-e card and the e-reader device. A group which calls itself "AFOLs" (for "Adult Fans of Lego") is an important demographic for The Lego Group, which has recently begun reintroducing popular sets from previous years to appeal to this group. Currently the only known way to unlock the game is either by use of a game modification ("cheating") device, such as an Action Replay, or by the use of a special Super Mario Bros. Photos of many fan creations like these can be seen at Brickshelf and at MOCpages. Nintendo released an official way of unlocking it in 2004. One such masterpiece solves a Rubik's Cube through the use of Lego motors and cameras, a task that many humans cannot accomplish. is one of the NES games featured in the Gamecube game Animal Crossing. Large mosaics, fully functional padlocks and pendulum clocks, a harpsichord and an inkjet printer (built by Google co-founder Larry Page while at the University of Michigan) have been constructed from Lego pieces. Super Mario Bros. Some sculptures use hundreds of thousands of pieces and weigh tens of kilograms. In 2005, Nintendo released this game again for the GBA as part of its 20th Anniversary with a special edition, selling approximately 876,000 units.[12]. A cult following of people who have used Lego pieces to make sculptures, very large mosaics and complex machines has developed. Differences between this and the original are that the screen images appear a bit squashed, due to the smaller GBA screen, and the high score is saved to the cartridge. The Lego Group itself has developed a form of business consultancy fostering creative thinking, called Lego Serious Play, in which team members build metaphors of their organisational experiences using Lego bricks, and work through imaginary scenarios using the visual device of the Lego constructions and by exploring possibilities in a 'serious' form of 'play'. Super Mario Bros. was one of the best-selling of these rereleases; according to the NPD Group (which tracks game sales in North America), this rereleased version of Super Mario Bros. was the best-selling Game Boy Advance game in June 2004, and sixth-best-selling game overall.[11]. Lego bricks today are used for purposes beyond children's play. Unlike previous re-releases, these versions contain no graphical updates; indeed, they are running in emulation. As of year end 2005, there are 25 LEGO Brand Retail stores in the USA, a number of stores in Europe, and a franchised LEGO store in Abu Dhabi. as part of the Classic NES Series. There are also several Lego retail stores, including at Downtown Disney in both the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts and in the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. In early 2004, Nintendo rereleased the game on the Game Boy Advance in Japan as part of their Famicom Minis collection and in the U.S. Lego Group operates several Legoland amusement parks in Europe and California. However, the game did not feature any upgraded visuals. It also allows advanced participants an opportunity to modify the Lego Mindstorms platform, adding their own sensors and actuators, as well as other mechanical, electrical, electronic and software related systems. It also was compatible with the Game Boy Printer. Lego Mindstorms provides primary and secondary school aged participants of RoboCup Junior an easy and intuitive introduction to robotics. 2 (which was released on Super Mario All-Stars as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels) as an unlockable. The international RoboCup Junior autonomous soccer competition involves extensive use of Lego Mindstorms equipment which is often pushed to its limits. It featured simultaneous multiplayer, a Challenge mode and also included the Japanese Super Mario Bros. A related competition is FIRST Lego League for elementary and middle schools. Deluxe. The earliest, and likely the largest, is Botball, a national US middle- and high-school competition stemming from the MIT 6270 lego robotics tournament. In 1999, Super Mario Bros. was released on the Game Boy Color, under the title Super Mario Bros. There are several competitions which use Lego bricks and the RCX, among other microcontrollers, for robotics. A later version of this compilation, sold only as a bundle with the SNES, also includes Super Mario World. These programmable bricks are sold under the name Lego Mindstorms. 2 (known as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels in North America and Europe). There are even special bricks, like the LEGO RCX that can be programmed with a PC to perform very complicated and useful tasks. 2 (known as Super Mario USA in Japan), and the Japanese Super Mario Bros. There are also motors, gears, lights, sensors, and cameras available to be used with Lego components. 3, the North American/European Super Mario Bros. LEGO recently announced the procurement of worldwide toy rights with the cable TV channel Nickelodeon for building sets with themes from two hit TV shows such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Avatar: The Last Airbender which will be available Summer of 2006. This compilation also includes later Super Mario games, including Super Mario Bros. Sets containing new pieces are released frequently. Several glitches from the original NES release were also fixed. Since it began producing plastic bricks, the Lego Group has released thousands of play sets themed around space, robots, pirates, vikings, medieval castles, dinosaurs, cities, suburbia, holiday locations, wild west, the Arctic, boats, racing cars, trains, Spider-Man, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Bionicle, and more. The version of Super Mario Bros. included in the compilation had improved graphics, redrawn to match the SNES's greater graphical capabilities and a save game feature. Annual production of Lego bricks averages approximately 20 billion (2 × 1010) per year, or about 600 pieces per second. In 1993, Nintendo released an enhanced SNES compilation, titled Super Mario All-Stars, of all of the Super Mario games released for the NES and Famicom. Brick decorations and packaging is done at plants in Denmark, Switzerland, United States, South Korea and the Czech Republic. This three-game multicart was only included in the "NES Power Set," a bundle including everything in the "Action Set" above, but with the Power Pad and the triple-game cartridge in place of the double-game cartridge. Moulding is done at one of two plants in Denmark and Switzerland. Later, in December of that year, Nintendo also released a three-game multicart, including Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, and World Class Track Meet. Manufacturing of Lego bricks occurs at a number of locations around the world. This version, first released in North America in November 1988, was only available packed in with the "NES Action Set," a bundle including the NES, two controllers, the Zapper lightgun, and the Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt double cartridge. It is thanks to this care in manufacturing that the Lego Group has maintained such a high degree of quality over the decades; this is one of the main reasons that pieces manufactured over 40 years ago still interlock neatly with pieces manufactured today. While Super Mario Bros. is the best-selling video game of all time, one of the most common versions of the game is actually an alternate version, a multicart including both Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt. According to the Lego Group, its moulding processes are so accurate that only 18 bricks out of every million fail to meet its stringent standards. 2). Worn-out moulds are encased in the foundations of buildings to prevent their falling into competitors' hands. Super Mario Bros. Precision-machined, small-capacity moulds are used, and human inspectors meticulously check the output of the moulds, to eliminate significant variations in colour or thickness. Super Mario Bros. The enemies and the mushroom retainers at the end of Bowser's forts are replaced with Japanese music idols, famous recording artists, and DJs, as well as other people related to 'All Night Nippon.' It was published by Fuji TV, the same company that published Doki Doki Panic (which was later remade into Super Mario USA, a.k.a. Since 1963, Lego pieces are manufactured from a strong, resilient plastic known as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or ABS. 2 (Japanese version), and Vs. In order for pieces to have just the right "clutch power", Lego elements are manufactured within a tolerance of 2 micrometres (0.00008 in). The game borrows levels from Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. They cannot be too easy to pull apart, or the result will be Lego creations that are unstable; they cannot be too difficult to pull apart, since the disassembly of one creation in order to build another is part of the Lego appeal. The game, which was only released in Japan, was a special promotional version that was given away by the Japanese radio station 'All Night Nippon' in raffles in 1986. When snapped together, pieces must have just the right amount of "clutch power"; they must stay together until pulled apart. It was released for the Famicom Disk System. Bricks, beams, axles, minifigures, and all other elements in the Lego system are manufactured to an exacting degree of tolerance. with graphics based upon a radio show, called 'All Night Nippon', that was very popular in Japan in 1986. Retail Lego sets for young children are compatible with those made for teenagers. All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros. is a version of Super Mario Bros. Lego pieces from 1963 still interlock with pieces made in 2006, despite radical changes in shape and design over the years. As with many older arcade games, it isn't clear exactly when this game was released; while the arcade boards themselves are stamped "1985,"[8] the Killer List of Video Games and the MAME game listing list the game as having been released in 1986.[9][10]. Since their introduction in 1949, Lego pieces of all varieties have been, first and foremost, part of a system. Super Mario Bros. much more difficult than the original Super Mario Bros.. Nevertheless, such corporate admonitions are frequently ignored as corporate intervention in the use of language, and the word lego is commonly used not only as a noun to refer to Lego bricks but also as a generic term referring to any kind of interlocking toy brick. 2.) These changes have a net effect of making Vs. The company asserts that to protect its brand name, the word Lego must always be used as an adjective, as in "LEGO set," "LEGO products," "LEGO universe," and so forth. (Many of these later, changed stages later appeared in the Japanese Super Mario Bros. "Lego" is officially written in all uppercase letters. The stages are different, however; the first stages are subtly different, with small differences like the omission of 1-up mushrooms or other hidden items, but later stages are changed entirely. Thank you! Susan Williams, Consumer Services. Dualsystem), is based loosely on Super Mario Bros., and has identical gameplay. Please always refer to our bricks as 'LEGO Bricks or Toys' and not 'LEGOS.' By doing so, you will be helping to protect and preserve a brand of which we are very proud and that stands for quality the world over. Unisystem (and its variant, the Nintendo Vs. We would sincerely like your help in keeping it special. This game, one of several games made for Nintendo's NES-based arcade cabinet, the Nintendo Vs. The word LEGO® is a brand name and is very special to all of us in the LEGO Group Companies. Super Mario Bros., is nearly a separate game in its own right. Lego catalogues in the 1970s and 1980s contained a note that read:. The first of these alternate versions, Vs. The Lego Group's name has become so synonymous with its flagship toy that many use the words "Lego" (collectively) or "Legos" to refer to the bricks themselves, and even to any plastic bricks resembling Lego bricks, although the Lego Group discourages this as dilution of their trademark. As one of Nintendo's most popular games, Super Mario Bros. has been rereleased and remade numerous times, ranging from an arcade version released at approximately the same time as the original NES release, to its inclusion as an unlockable game in in the GameCube game Animal Crossing. Over the years many more Lego sets, series, and pieces were created, with many innovative improvements and additions, culminating in the colourful versatile building toys that we know today. While many bands have sampled the Super Mario Bros. soundtrack or otherwise recorded songs inspired by the game and its soundtrack, a Super Mario Bros.-inspired single by Japanese band The Tongari Kids, titled "B-Dash", reached as high as sixth place on the Japanese music charts.[7]. It wasn't until 1958 that the modern-day brick design was developed, and it took another five years to find exactly the right material for it. The soundtrack, composed by long-time Nintendo composer Koji Kondo, is often sampled. Godtfred saw the immense potential in Lego bricks to become a system for creative play, but the bricks still had some problems from a technical standpoint: their "locking" ability was limited, and they were not very versatile. There are three direct sequels to this game on the NES platform:. It was his conversation with an overseas buyer that struck the idea of a toy system. The game's popularity eventually led to dozens of sequels and spinoffs. By 1954, Christiansen's son, Godtfred, had become the junior managing director of the Lego Group. Mario himself became more recognizable among American children than Mickey Mouse[6]. Many of the Lego Group's shipments were returned, following poor sales; it was thought that plastic toys could never replace wooden ones. The success of Super Mario Bros. led Nintendo to choose Mario to be its mascot and eventually resulted in several TV series and a movie. The use of plastic for toy manufacture was not highly regarded by retailers and consumers of the time. In February 2006, Electronic Gaming Monthly named Super Mario Bros. number one on its list of the 200 Greatest Games of Their Time. The blocks snapped together, but not so tightly that they couldn't be pulled apart. (Indeed, Commander Keen began life as a PC port of Super Mario Bros.) It has also been critically acclaimed in retrospect; IGN named it #1 on their top 100 video games list twice (both in 2003 [4] and 2005 [5]), and it is one of only two games (along with Elite) to receive a 10/10 score in their "retro reviews" retrospective series. They had several round "studs" on top, and a hollow rectangular bottom. Super Mario Bros. is often cited as the inspiration for many game designers; an example is the inspiration for the designers at id Software when they developed Commander Keen. A few years later, in 1949, Lego began producing similar bricks, calling them "Automatic Binding Bricks." These bricks, manufactured from cellulose acetate, were developed in the spirit of traditional wooden blocks that could be stacked upon one another; however, these plastic bricks could be "locked" together. 3 is often cited as the best selling non-packaged game of all time. Hilary Harry Fisher Page, a child psychologist. Super Mario Bros. These "Kiddicraft Self-Locking Building Bricks" were designed and patented in the UK by Mr. Super Mario Bros. was most often packaged with the console (usually in a dual cartridge with the shooting game Duck Hunt), just as Tetris was packaged with the Game Boy. In 1947, Ole Kirk and his son Godtfred obtained samples of interlocking plastic bricks produced by the company Kiddicraft. It has been estimated that this game, next to Tetris, is the bestselling game of all time.[3] Although the game was popular enough on its own, mass distribution is attributable to the popularity of the NES itself. It should be noted, however, that the original, Greek verb "legein" actually has the meaning "put together". The game sold approximately 40 million copies worldwide, which still stands as a Guinness World Record. The Lego Group claims that "Lego" means "I put together" or "I assemble" in Latin, though this is a rather liberal translation; the more accepted and widely used application of the word is "I read". In addition, some of the elevator-style lifts are about 60% their original size. The company name Lego was coined by Christiansen from the Danish phrase leg godt, meaning "play well". After beating the game, the player is given the option to start the game again in "'Hard' Mode," where all Goombas are replaced by Buzzy Beetles (Koopa Troopa-like enemies who cannot be killed by fireballs), and all enemies walk faster. Ole Kirk started creating wooden toys in 1932, but it wasn't until 1949 that the famous plastic Lego brick was created. The third and sixth worlds take place at night, and all other worlds take place during the day. The Lego Group had humble beginnings in the workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen, a poor carpenter from Billund, Denmark. Bowser may be defeated in one of two ways; either by touching the axe at the edge of the bridge (thereby dropping Bowser into the lava), or, as Fiery Mario, throwing fireballs at him to defeat him directly. . In the later worlds, Bowser throws hammers as well as occasional fire breaths. The sets are produced by the Lego Group, a privately-held company based in Denmark. At the end of each castle level, Mario fights "Bowser" (who, until the final level, is actually a lesser enemy disguised as Bowser) across a bridge over a pool of lava. High production quality and careful attention to detail ensures that Lego pieces can fit together in myriad ways, which is one of the main reasons for the toy's success. Though each world is substantially different, there are basic similarities: typically the first sub-world is a generic above-ground (overworld) level, the second is in an underground dungeon or underwater (or in the overworld with a unique challenge), the third is a series of platforms suspended high in the sky, and the fourth is a fortress or castle. Cars, planes, trains, buildings, castles, sculptures, ships, spaceships, and even working robots are just a few of the many things that can be made with Lego bricks. The game consists of eight worlds with four levels in each. Lego is a line of toys featuring colourful plastic bricks, gears, minifigures (also called minifigs or mini-figs), and other pieces which can be assembled to create models of almost anything imaginable. There are no checkpoints in castles (#-4) or in world 8 (8-#). The number 102,981,504 (four more than that figure) is the number of six-piece towers (of a height of six). The point where Mario continues depends on how far he ran through the level before dying; either from the very beginning, or at an invisible "checkpoint" halfway through the level. The figure of 102,981,500 is often given for six pieces, but it is incorrect. However, if he takes a hit as regular Mario, falls down a pit (regardless of status), or if the time clock runs out, he loses a life, and starts again. Six eight-stud Lego bricks of the same colour can be put together in 915,103,765 ways, and just three bricks of the same colour offer 1,560 combinations. If he takes a hit from an enemy as Super Mario or Fiery Mario, he simply reverts back to regular Mario and the game continues. "Legot" (or "leegot"), plural form of "lego" (or "leego") is also used as a Finnish slang term for human teeth, because of the rectangular shape of the teeth. Mario can be hurt if he touches an enemy. Aiding him in his quest are several power-ups, including the Super Mushroom, which turns Mario into Super Mario, doubling his size; the Fire Flower, which turns Super Mario into Fiery Mario, allowing him to throw fireballs; Starman, which gives him temporary invincibility; and the 1-up Mushroom. Jumping on enough enemies in succession, or kicking a shell into enough enemies in succession (combos), results in double points earned with each enemy killed, eventually earning Mario a 1-up, an extra life and another chance to pass the level. Mario can then kick these shells into other enemies, which will conveniently dispatch them; but conversely, kicked shells can bounce back off of walls or other vertical obstructions and hit him. Mario's primary attack is simply jumping on top of his enemies, which kills the mushroom traitors, known as Kuribou/Goombas, and sends the turtle soldiers known as Nokonoko/Koopa Troopas into their shells. The ultimate object is to race through the Mushroom Kingdom, evade or eliminate King Koopa/King Bowser's forces, and save the Princess Peach/Princess Toadstool. The player takes the role of Mario, or in the case of a second player, Mario's brother Luigi. And the background should be a clear, blue sky."[2]. Shigeru Miyamoto described his initial idea for Super Mario Bros. as "a character that bounces around. . Mario, who became Nintendo's mascot, was at one time more recognizable among American children than Mickey Mouse. The game gave Mario (known as Jumpman in the classic arcade game Donkey Kong), a starring role. It has inspired countless imitators (eventually founding an entire genre) and was one of Shigeru Miyamoto's most influential early successes. Super Mario Bros. is considered by The Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling video game of all time[1], and was largely responsible for the initial success of the Famicom and Nintendo Entertainment System. Universally considered a classic of the medium, Super Mario Bros. was one of the first side-scrolling platform games of its kind, introducing players to huge, bright, expansive worlds that changed the way video games were created. Super Mario Bros. is a video game produced by Nintendo in 1985. "Japanese Sales Charts, Week Ending October 2", Gamasutra, October 7, 2005, retrieved November 22, 2005. ^ - Jenkins, David. "ChartSpot: June 2004", Gamespot, August 2, 2004, retrieved November 26, 2005. ^ - Thorsen, Tor. ^ - Screenshots V, Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator website, retrieved November 22, 2005. Super Mario Bros., Killer List of Video Games, retrieved November 22, 2005. ^ - Vs. Super Mario Bros., Everything2, December 29, 2001, retrieved November 21, 2005. Vs. ^ - passport. "Mario music bounces up the charts," Gamespot, June 7, 2005, retrieved November 26, 2005. ^ - Nllzumi, Hirohiko. Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children, Random House, 1991. ^ - Sheff, David. ^ - IGN's Top 100 Games, IGN.com, retrieved November 26, 2005. ^ - IGN's Top 100 Games, IGN.com, May 9, 2003, retrieved November 26, 2005. ^ - Best-Selling Video Games, Guinness World Records, 1999, retrieved November 21, 2005. "Meet Mario's Papa", BusinessWeek online, November 7, 2005, retrieved November 26, 2005. ^ - O'Connell, Patricia. 3. With the exception of the "firesticks" seen in the castles, every enemy in the game went on to reappear in Super Mario Bros. 3 (14), Super Mario 64 (6), Super Mario World (88) and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (83). It beat many other Mario titles, including Super Mario Bros. Topped the list of "The Greatest 200 Games of Our Time" feature in Electronic Gaming Monthly's February 2006 issue, as part of a 200-issue celebration. The so-called "growing Mario" sound was used in a Colecovision game Wallbreaker. 3. Super Mario Bros. instead of The Lost Levels and later released in Japan as Super Mario USA. 2 — an adaptation of Doki Doki Panic, a Japanese game unrelated to Mario, released in the U.S. Super Mario Bros. This game would later be released worldwide as The Lost Levels on the Super NES cartridge Super Mario All-Stars. 2. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels — originally released for the Famicom in Japan as Super Mario Bros. |