Too Much Info by PES, the Para Entertainment System
My gawd, this is such an old game! Even though Mario and Luigi had a couple games while they were simply 'The Mario Bros.,' this is really the game that threw the series into the amazingly popular status it's been in for the last 17 years. Isn't that good? ^_^ Super Mario Bros. was THE game to own, with simple yet addictive gameplay, good graphics for 1985, and music and sound effects that you just can't get out of your head, says the overplayed Kylie Minogue song. :p
Story:
OMG, this is such a freaking classic story! King Koopa kidnaps Princess Toadstool, and Mario has to save her! That is SO original, isn't it?! Well, there is more of a story, so here it is, Para-style: King Koopa (Bowser), is active in the art of Black Magic(Nintendo just messed themselves by today's standards. :p), and is also a ruler of a group of dastardly turtles known as Koopa Troopas. So anyways, every thing is fine and dandy like sour candy in the Mushroom Kingdom, until Bowser decides he wants to take over and rule it himself. Many of the Mushroom Kingdom citizens, cowards that they are, immediately ditch the Kingdom and join up with Bowser (Goombas). He uses his magic to turn the remaining residents of Mushroom Kingdom into piles of bricks, and, being ever so smrt like that, knows that Princess Toadstool is the only one who can save her people. So, of course, Bowser snatches Toadstool, and seven of her retainers, and throws them into eight castles scattered along the Mushroom Kingdom. Oh my!
Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, after throwing out the local riffraff known as the Donkey Kong family, Mario Mario moves onto become a plumber, and, since he's so nice like that, he gets his brother Luigi a job as a plumber too. For whatever reason, which I don't remember, Mario and Luigi end up in the Mushroom Kingdom and they feel ever-so nice, so they decide to fight their way through hordes of dangerous enemies, to rescue Peach and save the Mushroom Kingdom. Maybe they were hoping to get laid. :p
Gameplay:
Well, this is obviously the reason why the game became so popular. There are eight different worlds, which amazingly all look similar, with 4 levels a world. There are five types of terrian;
1. Overworld, which has you run across brick foundation, stomp Goombas, and listening to the perky classic Mario Bros. theme.
2. Underworld, where everything is blue on purpose, and there are many pits and lifts around.
3. Underwater, where Mario and Luigi must fight off psychotic Cheep Cheep and Bloober, while avoiding coral stems and drains.
4. Sky Worlds, where Mario and Luigi run across bridges avoiding Cheep Cheeps that can fly (O_O;), OR they must jump from tree top to tree top and catch lifts.
5. Lastly, the Castle world features fire pits and the meanest traps Bowser can throw at you for NES's limited file space. :p
At the end of the first seven castles, you pummel a decoy Bowser, and save a Toad, because the Bros. are noble enough to go save the Toads before Peachie. Or maybe they're just stupid. :p For the final castle, it's Mario vs. Bowser to decide who walks off with the prized Princess Peach. Alliteration rocks. :p
So anyways, we have our worlds, our terrians, but what's the main point? The main point is to simply fight your way across each level, until you reach the flagpole at the end of the level and enter the little fortress house. To do this, Mario and Luigi need to collect power-ups, use their spectacular freakishly unrealistic, 1980s runs and jumps, pummel enemies that are stupid enough to get in their way, and to collect points, silly! Sheesh, don't ALL NES games' replay value come from getting Hi-Scores? Pfft. Oh well, it WAS the 1980s, so I'll give them credit. :p
Enemies
Bowser has collected about a dozen or so nasty (pathetic) creatures to keep Mario and Luigi from reaching the end of the level, and advancing more. Here's where you can read about them:
Goomba: Ah, the faithful punching bag of the game. They guys don't do much, as they're so retarded, they'll walk right off cliffs. They don't even have a real attack, they hurt Mario by walking into him! Gawd! :p If you can defeat these nuisances(and if you can't, I pity you), you win 100 pts each.
Strategy: None. Jump on them, hit them with Koopa Shells or Fireballs, let them walk off cliffs... pathetic.
Green Koopa Troopa: Second only to Goomba in patheticness, these guys really look bad in this game. As Pyra says, they look like retarded ducks! :p They're basically a variation of Goomba in terms of how they act. They only have one difference, and that's when you jump on them, they withdraw into their shell, making it easy for you to smash many enemies and get high points. Stomp them into their shell for 100 pts.
Strategy: Handle them like Goomba. When they retreat into the shell, they will pop back out after a while.
Green Paratroopa: Good lord, it's getting more pathetic as we go! Green Paratroopas are just as stupid as the previous two enemies. They have the ability to 'fly', though. Pfft, right. Flying is them hopping up and down pitifully. It takes these guys an extra hit to reduce them to nothing, though, because after you jump on them, they revert to Koopa Troopas. Jumping on them twice gets you 200 pts total.
Strategy: Predict where they will jump, and clip their wings. You can jump on them twice, or hit them with Koopa Shells or Fireballs for a one-kit KO. They'll usually just jump off a cliff, though.
Red Paratroopa: While they still have the attack power of a vegetable, these guys are at least intelligent. They won't just walk off cliffs like the green ones do. Still, usual tactics of the first four enemies kills them. 100 pts.
Strategy: See Green Koopa Troopa, except that they don't walk off cliffs.
Red Paratroopa: Like Red Koopa Troopa, Red Paratroopa isn't as retarded as the Green one. Actually, Red Paratroopa is the smartest of the four, because he's actually able to fly, instead of hop. They also don't jump off cliffs. Even though they're smarter than their family, they're still easily dispatched. 200 pts.
Strategy: See Green Paratroopa. Be careful when you try to hit a flying one, because if you miss, you usually fall to your death. They also don't jump off cliffs.
Pirahna Plants: Ah, a classic. They're very easy to avoid. They only stay in the pipes you see them in, and Mario can stand on the pipe to keep them from coming up. He can even stand on the edge of the pipe while one has emerged! If you beat them, you get 200 pts.
Strategy: The only way to beat them normally is to use Fireballs.
Buzzy Beetle: This guy has the characteristics of a Koopa Troopa, except there's no way to completely beat him when you're Mario or Super Mario. Use can still use the shells to rack up easy points, though.
Strategy: These guys can't die, unless you can get a Starman.
Hammer Bros.: Oh god, these guys are a pair of bastards. They throw dozens of hammers at you, and jump like hell. Thankfully, they're relatively rare, as they're one of the most dangerous enemies in the game. You usually face off against them in pairs of two, too! If you're regular Mario or Luigi, you better be careful, or you're screwed. They're worth 1000 pts each though, so go for it!
Strategy: Usually, you get a pair of platforms to help you. They'll usually jump around on them, so you can KO them from below. You have to watch out for the hammers though, they're a real pain. If you don't have the twin platforms, you need to have perfect timing to squash them when they stop throwing hammers. Of course, Fire Flowers are a HUGE help here. Good luck!
Lakitu: Ugh, another nuisance. This annoying guy follows you for a whole level at a time, floating up at the top of the level, and throwing endless amounts of Spiny Eggs at our heroes. Luckily, they appear rarely, and if you bother beating them, you get 200 pts.
Strategy: Don't even bother going after Lakitu. Even if you beat him, another will come after you. Just run away from him, and don't look back. It's also hard to try and jump on him, because he'll lift a Spiny Egg and that will kill you. x.x;
Spiny Egg: These are things Lakitu throws at you. They don't do much but fall, and when they hit the ground, they turn into *gasp* Spiny! If you bother even trying to kill them, you get 200 pts.
Strategy: Like Lakitu, don't even bother. You can only hit them with Starman or Fire Mario, and then, it's just a waste of time to go out of the way and hit them. Predict where they fall, and avoid them.
Spiny: This is the reason Lakitu is such an annoyance. The Spiny Eggs turn into these guys, and the spikes they have on their back prevent you from jumping on them. They often get in your way, and as regular Mario or Luigi, that spells death. You get 200 pts for beating them.
Strategy: If you're Fire or Star Mario and pretty fast at shooting Fireballs, or running, take out the ones that will get in your way. Otherwise, just avoid them, because if you're slow, Lakitu will just throw more at you.
Bullet Bill: Oy, another nuisance. There are levels that feature these coming at you in an endless supply, which sucks, because you can easily mess up and get hit by them. Especially the black and white stage in World 6 where they come at you in all directions. 200 pts.
Strategy: Listen to the noise of them being shot, then get ready to jump on them. You can always just evade or run away from them. Standing right in front of their cannons gives you a Pirahna effect, and they don't get shot out at you.
Cheep Cheep: These guys are like the Goombas of the Underworld levels. They can be dangerous though, because of the drains, or other obstacles, you can swim right into one. Oy. ~_~; They also fly in some sky stages, and screw up your mid-air jumps, causing you to fall to death. UGH. 200 pts.
Strategy: Just avoid them. If you have a Fireball, you can fry them... underwater. o.o; In sky stages, jump on them.
Bloober: The only other Water enemy. These guys like to chase you, and they seem to be able to swim right through obstacles that Mario and Luigi can't, so be careful against them. 200 pts.
Strategy: Trying to avoid Cheep Cheep and obstacles make it hard to get away from this guy. If you have a fireball, fry him. If not, swim as quick and as carefully as you can.
Podoboo: These things are those annoying fireballs that jump out of the lava at Bowser's castles. There's not much else to say, because you can't beat them. Just predict when they will jump, and cross the pit.
Fire Sticks: These things are the wands of four or five fireballs at Bowser's Castle. Like Podoboo, they can't be beaten, so just time your jumps and cross their territory.
Pits: The pits in the stages can be your worst enemy, especially in level 8-1, when you need to make a running jump onto a single ground brick. You better master your jumping and landing!
Bowser: There are eight 'Bowser's in the game, one at the end of each castle. The first seven are decoys, and hold the Mushroom Retainers, while the last one is the true Bowser and has Peach. They can jump, blow fireballs, and in later levels, throw hammers. If you beat Bowser with Fireballs, you get a whopping 5000 pts.!
Strategy: In most early levels, this is a cinch. Just jump on the platform above Bowser and jump to the axe. In later levels, do a running jump. Soon, Bowser will have learned how to throw hammers though, so the best way to take care of him is with Fireballs. FYI, Fireballs can kill every single Bowser in the game.
Allies
Well, they don't actually help you, but what the hey, they're there:
Mushroom Retainers/Toad: Mario and Luigi save these guys as they advance through their quest. All they do is jump out of sacs in Mario All-Stars, and laugh at you 'cuz Peach ain't in the current castle. :p The first six are Mushroom Retainers who no one cares about, and the seventh is probably the real Toad. Isn't strange how regular Mario and Luigi are shorter than these guys? o_O;
Princess Toadstool: The girl you save at the end of the game. Peachie needed a huge make-over in this game, as she looked disgusting, she was even uglier than *gag* Pauline.
Items
For 1985, Mario and Luigi have a fair amount of items to help them fight through Bowser's forces and save Peachie. Here's the various items of Super Mario Bros.:
Coin: Probably the most common item in the game. Collect one for 200 pts each, and getting 100 coins means you get another life. Whoohoo!
:D
Super Mushroom: This item is crucial to your success. It lets Mario or Luigi take another hit before dying, lets him destroy plain bricks, and let's him jump farther. Worship it! :p
Fire Flower: Probably the best item in the game. You can only get it as Super Mario or Luigi, and it allows them to shoot fireballs and take out the local annoyances. If you get hit as Fire Mario or Luigi, you turn back into regular Mario or Luigi! Grr! I'm glad they fixed this in Mario 3. ^_^
Starman: This item makes you invincible for a limited time. It would be a good time to take out as many enemies as possible when you get this! :p
1-Up: These yellow and green Mushrooms give Mario and Luigi an extra life. Basic enough. :D
Jumping Board: This is just there for no real reason. It's in the game maybe twice, and the only time you benefit from it is in World 3-1, where you can reach the Bonus level. It lets Mario or Luigi jump really, really high.
"?" Blocks: These ALWAYS have goodies like Mushrooms, Flowers, Stars, or Coins in them. When in doubt, or regular Mario/Luigi, hit the "?" Block! :p
Bricks: They can hold secret items, like 10 coins, vines to Bonus stages, one coin, or Starmen. If you see a suspicious set-up of bricks or something, don't be afraid to check it out, you may get a nice reward!
Extra Help:
Time is Forever?: Don't waste time dawdling around the same area, especially in the LONG stages of World 8. You have a Time Limit, and if you take too long, Mario and Luigi will lose a life.
Piping: Many Pirahna Plant pipes lead to secret areas where you can pick up some extra coins. For example, the second pipe in the first level takes you to a Bonus Level, and cuts off a good part of the main level. To check for these pipes, just go onto a pipe and press down.
Invisible Block?! Where?!: The game has many secret blocks you can't see. For example, after the aforementioned pipe in level one, and before the pit, there's a hidden block with a 1-UP Mushroom. If you're ever poking around one day, look out for them. If that makes any sense. :p
Koopa Bulldozer: To easily kill groups of enemies, stomp a Koopa Shell and run after it. In stages like 3-2, you can kill enough enemies in a row to earn yourself a 1-UP! I think it's somewhere around eight enemies in a row, so it's pretty rare.
Boing, Boing, Boing: Stomp on groups of enemies with one jump for extra points. For example, a group of three Goombas equals 100-200-400 if you hit them without landing on the ground.
And for the Unobservant One: As I said before, many bricks hold secret items like vines to the Bonus Stage, 10 coins, or Starmen. Breaking Bricks also adds 50 points to your score, so if you have extra time, break some stuff! :D
Time Traveling in the Mid-1980s: In the Underworld levels of Worlds 1 and 4, there are Warp Zones, which take Mario, and throw him into the next world, or three worlds away. In Level 1-2, at the very end of the Underground area, hop on a lift and jump to the right when Mario is off screen. You can pick to go to World 2, 3, or 4. There are two in Level 4-2, the first is before the Pipes with the Koopa Troopa/Buzzy Beetle scuttling around between them. Hit the inivisible blocks under the left platform, and release the Vines. Once you reach the sky, get over the freaky disturbing Mushroom platforms, and run to your right until you reach Warp Zone, which will take you to World 6, 7, or 8. If you choose to stay underground, a Warp Zone to World 5 is available near the end of the Underground area.
So concludes my info page for Super Mario Bros. Now, this HAS to be a classic, memorable game, because I remembered ALL of this info off the top of my head. SMB: A Legacy is Born! God, now if that's not corny... :p