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Super Mario Land (Gameboy)

Posted: June 24th, 2020, 6:58 pm
by jon
This game is so much better than it's sequel, SML 2: 6 Golden Coins. It's the kind of game I like. Really simple, made for 4 year olds with no attention span. I was thinking about 6 Golden Coins and how they tried to create their own game without keeping anything from the original. All they had to do was stick to the SML formula and it could've been one of the greatest games of all time. But it seems like the head guy wanted it to be as big as possible with a big hub (yuck) and 6 secret levels. Ok, whatever 6 secret levels isn't a big deal, although I never thought of Gameboy games having secret levels. But they had to have 2 secret levels that are found in water levels. Not only that, but you have to go backwards in the water levels to before the level started to get to the secret levels. Why did they do a totally different kind of game, one which wants to be like Super Mario World as much as possible. Actually I think there’s 7 secret levels.

Re: Super Mario Land (Gameboy)

Posted: June 26th, 2020, 7:43 am
by TheEagleXIII
I found this game quite difficult as a kid - but then again I was a Mega Drive/Sonic guy when it came to consoles and only ever played Mario a handful of times. Transitioning to the small Game Boy screen might have been easier with more S/NES experience, or maybe I was just plain bad at it. ;)

I had a distant cousin who had SML2 and I always wished I had that version instead. Probably just because the sprites were bigger and it looked more like the Mario I was used to - being the mid-90s by that point and all.

Re: Super Mario Land (Gameboy)

Posted: June 30th, 2020, 4:03 pm
by jon
I never realized how many different paths there are. There’s a lot of places to go up top sort of reminiscent of Super Mario Bros. Some which I haven’t even figured out how to get to lol. I can’t understand why 6 Golden Coins didn’t keep the fireball thing. It can get coins and bounce high to get enemies. It was ingenious. That game is way too over the top in being like Super Mario 3 & Super Mario World.

Re: Super Mario Land (Gameboy)

Posted: June 30th, 2020, 7:27 pm
by Hagane
I prefer SML over SML2, both great games but I like the simplicity of the first one better, also loved the shumup levels, nice change of pace.

Re: Super Mario Land (Gameboy)

Posted: June 30th, 2020, 11:34 pm
by strat
jon wrote:I can’t understand why 6 Golden Coins didn’t keep the fireball thing. It can get coins and bounce high to get enemies. It was ingenious.


It wouldn't have worked as well with the larger graphics. Plus it was only fun to use in the bonus rooms and a pain on the field.

SML and SML2 are both weird for Mario games in their own way but they're still fun.

Re: Super Mario Land (Gameboy)

Posted: July 1st, 2020, 6:25 am
by MSR1701
Both are good, though I do find myself preferring SML1 for the music and SML2 for the silliness that occurs (Giant Mario Statue, shrunk to fight...ants? and Mario...IN...SPACE...).

I have a nostalgic bias towards the 3rd game in the Mario Land Series (Wario Land 1), which was the first of the three I owned as a kid, though I did eventually obtain the other two.

Re: Super Mario Land (Gameboy)

Posted: July 6th, 2020, 9:02 pm
by jon
I never realized that this game has some replay value. After playing it a few days a while back I didn’t realize the depth it has.
Then I tried to play 6 Golden Coins and boy is it tough to get into. It’s like I have to dedicate hours and hours just to play it. Even the non water levels goes so slow. This might be the slowest paced Mario game ever. I immediately thought maybe SMB 2 but it might be slower. I’m not sure what replay value it really has with the incredibly slow pace. Seven secret levels is such a drag. The good parts get overshadowed imo

Re: Super Mario Land (Gameboy)

Posted: July 6th, 2020, 10:43 pm
by Robotrek
6 Golden Coins is definitely better. I like that Mario has some fluid movement in that game. Mario Land is definitely a product of it's time. The controls just don't work that well. Yes, you can get used to it, but it doesn't have the pick up and play kind of nature that SML 2 has. 6 Golden Coins, if not for the occasional slowdown, would easily be my favorite Mario platformer.

Re: Super Mario Land (Gameboy)

Posted: July 9th, 2020, 7:23 pm
by jon
I’ve been having so much fun playing SML1 that I thought, why not boot up 6 Golden Coins. So I get through the first level, which is ok, although definitely a shock at how slow the game moves compared to the original and really kind of every other Mario game I’ve played. So I get to the hub where you can choose which of the 6 worlds to go to.
Then I was like, boy, I have to do Yoshi’s world. That world has the most tedious boring water levels complete with quasi puzzles and of course the thrill of going backwards as slow as molasses to find the secret level. This takes a long time.
Also, there are water levels everywhere. And the great parts like Space although it’s overrated a little I think just get ruined by the slow pace of parts of the game.
I really think the head programmer was trying to make it as big as possible to help his career.

Re: Super Mario Land (Gameboy)

Posted: September 5th, 2021, 10:01 am
by jon
This game never gets old. What a classic. I remember when I first beat it over a year ago. I thought maybe I'd get tired of it. But let me tell you, the replay value is off the charts.