Oh, Mario, what a dark past you have. You started your career as a hero that saves the girl in Donkey Kong, only to then capture the giant ape that kidnapped her, showing him around like a lowly ringmaster in Donkey Kong Jr. Long before destroying the flora and fauna of the Mushroom Kingdom, the beloved handyman would first help with another anti-nature task, this time in the sewers of New York, where all kinds of creatures have appeared. This time, however, he won’t do the deed alone. Enter Mario’s less chubby partner in crime, Luigi! Here’s a look at the first time Mario Bros. entered the world of gaming, with its original arcade version.
Mario Bros. has that distinctive early Nintendo look, with its pitch-black background, simple but distinctive sprites, and just a few sound effects in an otherwise silent affair, giving it quite the strong retro atmosphere. Gameplay-wise things remain very simple (as expected), but this plays a different ball game than Donkey Kong. Action takes place in a single screen (as was the norm back in the day), but this time, rather than trying to save the girl while avoiding rolling barrels and other hazards, Mario has to deal with a pest infestation in what’s supposed to be the sewers of the Big Apple.
Turtles, crabs, insects, and…ice thingies appear from the pipes (no alligators, sadly), and the heroic plumber will have to dispose of them not through stomping, but by hitting the platform they walk on from underneath, in essence making them fall unconscious for a couple of seconds, before Mario kicks them towards the digital afterlife. Done? Proceed to the next level, with more or faster enemies. Oh, and be a doll and try to do all of it as quickly as possible, as a mean fireball will come into existence after a while to hunt the hero down. One of Bowser’s spells coming through his own dimension? Who knows..?
As is the case with these age-old classics, a neat amount of depth is actually hidden behind the bland exterior, coming in the form of the four types of enemies. Each foe behaves a tad different than the rest. The turtle needs one hit to get out of its shell; the crabs need two, with the first hit simply making them angrier and faster; the fireflies are slow, and not as well armoured, but they move by jumping around, which makes hitting them a bit trickier; and then there’s the ice-thingy, which makes the floor all slippery.
One thing that needs to be mentioned is that the controls are somewhat stiff. This is almost a common thing in these ancient Nintendo titles, but Mario Bros. is probably the stiffest of them all, especially the arcade version, which makes things even more annoying, as arcade titles are almost always the hardest ones. That’s not exactly a flaw, as it’s pretty obvious that it’s there by design, similar to how slow Mario/Jumpman was in his first adventure, but it sure makes this a bit harder for those who can’t stomach super-retro gaming.
Concerning the differences between the arcade and home versions, things are a bit better here than with Donkey Kong, as most ports are pretty much the same, bar some small, insignificant details here and there, mostly in the realm of tiny visual details, alternative colours, or sound volume and pitch. In terms of enjoyability Mario Bros. is probably in the same place as DK, although the two-player mode really sets it apart from the competition. Simply put, don’t play this on your own. This was made for bros.
