Super Mario Bros is Nintendo's timeless 1985 side-scrolling platformer created by Shigeru Miyamoto that single-handedly rescued the home video game industry and established Mario as the world's most recognizable cultural mascot. In Super Mario Bros, players control the plucky Italian plumber Mario—or his brother Luigi in two-player mode—as he journeys across the colorful Mushroom Kingdom to rescue Princess Peach from the wicked clutches of King Bowser.
The brilliance of Super Mario Bros lies in its intuitive physics, momentum-based jumping mechanics, and legendary level design. Players run, leap across chasms, stomp on Goombas, kick Koopa shells, and shatter question-mark blocks to uncover power-ups. The iconic Super Mushroom transforms Mario into Super Mario, the Fire Flower grants bouncing fireball projectiles to roast enemies, and the glowing Starman grants temporary invincibility. Super Mario Bros spans eight challenging worlds containing hidden warp zones, underground pipe coin vaults, and fiery castle showdowns.
Super Mario Bros established the fundamental grammar of platforming games that developers still study and apply today. The infectious musical score composed by Koji Kondo and the perfectly ramped difficulty curve taught players complex gameplay mechanics purely through visual design and interactive experimentation, turning Super Mario Bros into an immortal masterpiece played by generations of gamers.
To master Super Mario Bros, hold down the run button to build running momentum before attempting wide leaps across perilous gaps. Remember the locations of secret warp zones in World 1-2 and World 4-2 to bypass difficult intermediate stages in Super Mario Bros. Consistently look for hidden 1-Up mushrooms hidden in invisible blocks to build up a healthy reserve of extra lives.