Super Mario Land

The problem isn’t that it’s a weird game with a surprising fixation on Egyptian imagery and inexplicable sidescrolling shooting levels; heck, those are the best levels in the game. The problem is that “Land” lacks both charm and satisfying game feel. Fireballs, one of the most fun projectiles in Mario games, are laborious to use here. Movement feels consistently imprecise, even for the standards of the time. It’s shockingly short, too, coming in at only twelve levels (the original Super Mario Bros. had thirty-two). The sequel isn’t a perfect game, but it improved on this title by leaps and bounds.

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