Super Mario Bros. classic platformer guide
Also known as: Super Mario Brothers, Mario 1, SMB
A guide to Super Mario Bros., the 1985 platform classic: how to play, power-ups, worlds and warp zones, plus tips and an original jumping game to try here.
- Type
- Video game
- Players
- 1–2
- First released
- 1985
- Designed by
- Shigeru Miyamoto
- Developer
- Nintendo
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Platforms
- Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario Bros. is a side-scrolling platform game designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and released by Nintendo in 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, known in Japan as the Famicom. You guide Mario, a plumber, through the Mushroom Kingdom to rescue Princess Toadstool, later called Princess Peach, from Bowser, the king of the Koopas. The game set the rules that many platform games still follow: run, jump, collect power-ups and reach the end of each level. Its music, level design and tight controls made it one of the most influential video games ever created. A second player can take turns as Mario's brother Luigi.
Our verdict
Super Mario Bros. shows how much depth simple controls can have. The first level teaches you everything without words, and later levels test timing and courage. It is short enough to finish in an afternoon once you know it, yet hard enough to keep you trying. Playing it today is a fun lesson in game design history, and its ideas of running and jumping still feel natural.
What works
- Tight, responsive controls that still feel good.
- Clever level design that teaches by playing.
- Timeless music and characters.
What does not
- No saving in the original, so progress is lost when you stop.
- Two players take turns rather than playing together.
How to play Super Mario Bros.
You move Mario to the right through eight worlds, each with four levels. Pressing one button jumps, and holding the other makes Mario run faster and jump farther. You defeat most enemies by jumping on them: Goombas are flattened, and Koopa Troopas hide in their shells, which you can kick into other enemies. Hitting blocks from below can reveal coins and power-ups. A Super Mushroom makes Mario bigger, so he can take one extra hit and break bricks. A Fire Flower lets him throw fireballs. A Starman makes him invincible for a short time. Collecting one hundred coins gives an extra life. Each world ends in a castle with a bridge and a boss to defeat. Hidden warp zones let skilled players skip several worlds at once. Touching most enemies from the side, falling into a pit or running out of time costs a life.
Tips for new players
- Hold the run button most of the time; longer jumps make many gaps easier.
- Kick a Koopa shell along the ground to clear a line of enemies.
- Hit every suspicious block; some hide extra lives or vines to coin areas.
- Keep the Fire Flower for castles, where fireballs make bosses easier.
Good for
Super Mario Bros.: common questions
How many worlds are in Super Mario Bros.?
There are eight worlds with four levels each, for 32 levels in total.
What are warp zones?
Warp zones are hidden areas with pipes that send Mario forward to later worlds, letting skilled players skip levels.
Can two people play Super Mario Bros. together?
Two players can play, but they take turns. One plays Mario and the other plays Luigi.
Super Mario Bros. belongs to its owners. Playdonya is not connected to them and does not sell this game; the cover is our own illustration.
