Verdugo

By 1993, the Mario Franchise was flourishing from their groundbreaking and wonderously addictive gameplay and accessablity. From their recent hit Super Mario World, right back to Super Mario Bros for the NES. In a way, you could consider Super Mario All Stars as sort of a Gift Bag for those who just want a lot of the fun in one package.

Super Mario All Stars is a complation of the Super Mario Bros series on one game: Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros 2, and Super Mario Bros 3. Each of these games in their own right are already well done, as a package, having them all in one game is quite fenonminal. But one issue to deal with might be redundance, Super Mario Bros the Lost Levels is pretty much Super Mario Bros expanded onwards, but more of the same great game isn't much of a problem is it?

Since the one game features 4 full length Mario games, the replayability is limitless. Each game (except for Super Mario Bros 2) features 8 worlds with at least three or four levels, and the difficulty increases as you go along, so it's a streightforward progressive set of games. The controls in the game are somewhat fluid and easy to get used to, but if you make a comparison to the feel of say Super Mario 3 to the first, you'll notice that Super Mario 3 works a tad faster, and with more control, but that's just updating.

The graphics for each of these games work like a timeline, Super Mario Bros honestly has a rather simple and colorful look, SMB The Lost Levels is the same, nothing too special. Then as you play SMB 2, you notice the levels and the graphics defnitely feel more detailed and a bit like an acid trip as the developers put more personality and imagination into the levels. SMB 3 then looks like a well painted picture, still original in design and imaginitive, but much more polished and colorful. The graphics in an overall look are pretty well done for the time it was made.

Gamers who haven't really experienced much of the classic Mario games of the late 80s and early 90s should be strangled in front of a mirror by overlooking  this game. It's really the best of all worlds and a great collection for new Mario fans and long time fans alike, besides the abscence of Super Mario World (But chances are you have that game already:P).

5 stars, Review by Verdugo.