Virtual Console Reviews

I remember getting very excited as a kid when I discovered the first warp zone by myself without any help. This game brings back many special memories.

I pop it in for nastalgia reasons but man, this one has not aged well. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy myself playing it, but like Bass X said, SMB 3 and Super Mario World are far better and worth the points. Keep your points and save them for games you'll play more than a week.

When and if they release the Lost Levels, I may get this for the sake of completeness. I already have it on the GBA, but it would be nice to play on a big screen.

Bass X and German have it right. Purchased for nostalgia. Fun for 30 minutes. Haven't accessed it since.

Anyone know how to reset it to "normal"? It saves its state and always plays on "hard" mode now, after having finished the game on "normal" mode.

I have the original PAL NES cart and this downloaded game runs faster. A good thing? Well for me, no. As I'm used to the gameplay speed on the PAL version, this is very off-putting and I now regret downloading it.

It's a shame the VC games don't have a standard option on the Wii menu to alter the general speed of VC games. That would be highly useful and not outside the capabilities of the Wii technology.

Great game. I have the NES game also but got the VC version for simplicity. Recommending DL.

primitiveworker - You have to erase the save file for it. Not the game itself, mind you, but the save state for it. That happened to me, too, and I found it really annoying.

bought this just to try out the nes control style with the remote. quality.

how do you save some one please help.

Just press the home button then exit, when you come back you'll be at the point you left off. This works for all games except N64.

Saves lol in my day we had to play the thing though to the end lol.

What can you say about this game? It's one of the most influential titles in the history of computer games.

Super Mario Brothers is one of the earliest NES games to make it across to Europe and that certainly shows in the visuals. Minimalist would be the kindest way to describe the graphics. Yet in a weird way, the primitive world has a beauty that few modern games can actually reach.

As for the gameplay, it's brilliant! This game is 22 years old and it is still great to play. Very few modern games tap into the fundamental levels of fun and enjoyment that make this game so fun. It's also got a level of 'quick play' value that seems totally devoid in modern games. You are thrown straight into the action from the word go and it never lets up until you rescue that the princess.

In terms of technical quality, it does beg the question of whether or not this game is worth 500 points and viewed from that angle, probably not. Yet it's so much fun. I downloaded a wealth of games in a big glut and this game is one of the three I play the most, so there's got to be something going on there.

LOL people will be telling us all the Sonic level select next little joke.

Anyway I love this first game I ever got first game I ever played 20 years ago. Without this I would not be into gaming I love it and still have the Nes version. I think that the lack of save is great as it was hard like all games where back then and thats how I learned how to play. The addition of a save is ok but I wont be using it.

This is the game you play as the hero Mario on his quest to save the Internet from Bowser and his evil plan to clog up all the tubes.

For all the people complaining about saving the old NES trick works. Hold down the "A" button on the classic controller or the "2" on the Wiimote when you press start after losing your last life. This will start you at the beginning of the last world you died in. (So if you die on 3-3 you can restart at 3-1 instead of 1-1).

This comes highly recommended. The only reason not to buy is if you have it and a working and connected NES right now(as I do).

This is, for me, the game that started my addiction to gaming. I still occasionally hum the BGMs and imitate the sound effects. I still remember the first time I orphaned some Goomba children by stomping on their father......*sniff*

This game sure brings back memories. It's probably the first thing most people think of when they think of NES games. Unfortunately, it hasn't aged as well as some of Mario's more advanced 2D adventures.

If you really want to try this out and don't own Super Mario Bros. Deluxe for the Game Boy Color or Super Mario All-Stars for the SNES, go ahead and download it, it's only 500 Wii points. Otherwise, go for Super Mario World or wait for Super Mario Bros. 3. They're more advanced and a lot more fun.

Four stars, mainly because it's still a fun platformer game but there are still better games out there.

Does anyone know where the save file can be found so I can delete it after completing the game on easy? Only see the channel when I go to the memory manager to delete.

I think this game has not aged that well I mean the controls are tight but there is not that much variety in the stages.

Need I even say anything about this?

To clear the save state, press home and click on reset. It resets the game (the same way your brother or sister reset the game when your were a child) and will take away any and all progress you have made.

This is not a game I played "back then" (my country was a Master System country). This game can be slightly frustrating at times, and the level design is not that brilliant to say the least. If you are just looking for a good solid 8-bit platformer, try something else like the later Marios or Kirby.

With that left behind, this game is a landmark in videogame history and it can be appreciated for just that. I've been slowly working on beating it (well I am a bit far really) and while it's a bit rough on the edges, criticizing it feels beside the point. It's Super Mario Bros, stupid.

If there is one game that should be on everyone's Wii, it would be this game. I've memorized every course by heart, but I still find something new to do in the game, be it give myself a goal to rack up a certain amount of points, or go through all the courses without losing a life. It's cliche, but Super Mario Bros. is indeed a must buy.

this game is not on my Wii but on my Super Mario All-Stars (SNES) and as an NES Classic (GBA). that means more than enough. i prefer the remake Super Mario Bros. DX (GBC) over every other version. So this one gets....

The years have not been kind Super Mario Bros......

BEST CLASSIC MARIO GAME EVER!!
A Excellent game that deserves to be downloaded! More than 20
years old and it still reserves the right to be played!
(People would download this even if they have it on Super Mario All-stars(SNES), the DX version(GBC) and the NES classic itself!
I'm one of them.)I downloaded the game even though I had Super Mario All-stars. The SNES version dosen't have the Minus world.

Amazing and Legendary Game, finally downloaded this because heck, it deserves to be bought

getting a problem downloading this,will only download half the game and won't run properly,then try redownloading and get the same problem!!!!!super mario 64 and opera web browser work sound so why not this?????please if anyone else gets this problem then please let me know cos this game rocks and wanna play it!!!!!

Would anybody believe me if I said that this game's on Animal crossing?
Sorry, but it's true.

The one that saved the video game industry... A legendary game that lasted 20+ years and still is playable today. The first and only game (or should I say pack-in with Duck Hunt) I had with the NES system. I downloaded SMB in the summer and I still can't beat it yet. Luckily, I can continue from the last world I died by pressing 2 on the Wii Remote. SMB is the first game everyone MUST download...

This is a game you must buy. Not should, but MUST. The music, the warp zones, the power-ups, the perfect platforming skills, the secrets, and the very history of the game itself - as alvieao said, the game that single handedly saved the video game industry... everyone owes this game a debt which is too big to be repaid - put simply, video games may not exist if it wasn't for this game. What isn't there to like?!?!?

This is the best mario ever!

Still a great, classic game. Only thing now is where as you used to find yourself concentrating on every single jump nowadays it seems very easy. You can find yourself just staring through the Tv and tapping jump.

i downloaded SMB and when i try and open it on the Wii
i get a blank black screen. If i press the home button i can see the game in the background and i can always hear the background music. Anyone know how to fix this?

There's no denying that this is a classic, or that its significance on gaming history is massive. But for me, playing it today, it just doesn't have the depth to keep you coming back in the way that Mario's other 8-bit adventures do. Platform gaming really matured on the NES, and SMB1 is at the beginning of that curve. It's a nice distraction, and worthwile for its historical value, and it obviously deserves endless respect for the empire it set up but on its own it just doesn't have the epic feel of some of the other Mario classics on the VC. Unless I had points to burn I'd probably skip this and download SMB3 or World.

Is a comment really needed? Super Mario Bros. is a classic and 500 points is a steal.

Honestly this was my first VC buy, and I regret it. This game sure is a classic, and it was great at the time, and inspired tons of great sequels and other games. But it's just not that good for $5.

The graphics are horrible. Compare this game to Tecmo, or Kirby, and it looks like garbage. Hell, compare it to Super Mario 3, which is about 10x of a better game.

The sound and music is fun, until you realize there are only about 5 songs in the whole game.

The difficulty is pretty high, in my opinion, and considering the game's length it can be much more frustrating than games like Kirby, Sonic 3, or Super Mario World, which let you save your progress.

If you are thinking of this game, just get Mario 3 instead. This game is NOT as good as you remember it.

Pfft, why don't you just insult the Mona Lisa while your at it!

re: WiNG - Yeah it is. It's graphics outdo tons of modern games, not in technology but in style and flavour and well done art direction. The frustration level is something we Nintendo fanboys were brought up with, that's how we learned the hard way, back when games were games and not jobs where skill (and a healthy dose of memorized levels), rather than amount of time spent made you win the game.
I mean, this game, like lots of other Nintendo games, require you to have the jumping sequences in the back of your spine.

This game is simply amazing. Even after all those years I still knew most of the secrets. This shows how a game with poor graphics and simple gameplay mechanics still can create amazing experience. Challenging, memorable and a true classic.

i know this is an amzing gane but does it have saving of any kind?

My thoughts echo those of darthmix above. I remember getting a NES for Christmas the first year they were available here and playing through SMB with my dad. Great memories. Classic game, tons of history, plus nostalgia factor are all things to consider, but down to the game itself and whether it's worth 500 points nowadays... maybe not quite. The platforming isn't as tight as it could be (of course not, it's 20+ years old!), some of the stage designs are repetitive, and replay value is pretty low (especially if you've already gone through it a hundred times like us old-schoolers).

I'm of the opinion that these ancient "classic" NES titles should be discounted to 300-400 Wii points. There's no way this game should cost as much as SMB3.

nice game. nice classic gameplay. i think it is something you should get if you can spare the wii points. the only reason i think you should not get it is the difficulty. if your the type of person who does not like hard games that dont have a save or password feature.

I was actually disappointed when i got the original PAL version for my NES and I saw how slowly it ran. And people wonder why the Master System was more popular in europe... still, the VC version fixes that, and is worth a pop. Mind you, my local shop has a SMB/ Duck hunt cart - I may pick that up.

It's weird to see the box art for this game. I don't think I've ever seen just a Mario bros box, I've only ever seen the Mario Bros/Duck Hunt combo.

It's alright, Not the best game not the worst. SMB3 just kinda blows this game away

This is a classic game, and I'm one of the few, it seems, who thinks this is a better game than SMB3. SMB3 didn't have the right feel of controls, I feel. Both are totally excellent, but, I've always felt SMB was superior.

A must have for fans of the old school gamers as well as new.

After all this time it still plays a GEM get it now folks!

Pure exellence, a must have! 5*

Second best NES mario game after SMB3.

It's Super Mario Bros. Download it.

Its an essential download BUT if you're going for the PAL version then be warned... the speed of the music is not right at all, the colour isnt as rich and there are borders. It's annoying because the lost levels runs fine, and comparing the two I'd much rather play the lost levels (even tho its way too hard)
Why can't Nintendo just emulate this in the same way as Lost Levels! It's so annoying! Those of you who aren't Mario veterans probably won't notice or be too put off but be warned anyway.

Wasn't there an arcade version of this game at one time. I remember it had better graphics and sound.

@mysticmight2 - Yeah the NES game was based on the original arcade game. I remember it was a strong pull to tempt me to buy a NES at the time. I don't remember the graphics and sound being too much different to be honest with you.

i dont know anyone who didn't play this game. Come on you have to like the original mario

I love this game. it was magnificent piece of gaming history that i love to go over again and again

No less than 5 stars! This game is Nintendos icon. I miss the Duck Hunt game that I think of when I think of Mario. Maby Wii VC could try Introducing Duck Hunt with the Wii Zapper.

Great NES game. I'm glad that I downloaded it.

i remember wanting this game on gamboy color when i was a kid. it is definitly on of the best games in the mario series

The classic game!

We have this game to thank for saving video games after the crash in 1983. If it wasn't released, who knows what would have happenened? Five stars.

does anyone know where to download this game at?

on the wii shop.

I almost gave this 5 stars. I know its legendary, and I agree it is a very adictive game, but I have to go with 4.5. In comparison to Mario 2 and 3, this is just not in the same league.

Pure bliss... Super Mario Bros 3 is overrated...

The legendary and the original. Must have for 80's nosthalgics.
GRAPHICS: 3/10
SOUND: 5/10
PLAY: 7/10

I finally beat it! Huzzah! I unlocked the harder quest, too. Another reason to buy. I honestly don't know why it took me so many years to beat, but who's counting?

Ive played this game about 30 times,
and I never noticed the extra life at 1-1
Now I HAVE to get this game^^

I've beaten this game only a few times. This is one of the most fun games. Thank god Virtual Console, I hate playing this on my NES, it always glitches. A must have.