Super Mario Bros.

Super Mario Bros. is a video game made by Nintendo in 1985. It is played on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The game is the sequel to the game Mario Bros. and the first in the Super Mario series. It was first released in Japan in September 1985. Then, it was tested in the U.S. and later added to arcades in early 1986. The NES version was released widely in North America that year and in PAL regions in 1987. The music was also made by Kōji Kondō.

Players control Mario, or his brother Luigi in the multiplayer mode, and go through the Mushroom Kingdom to rescue Princess Toadstool from King Koopa (later called Bowser). They move through side-scrolling levels, avoiding dangers like enemies and holes, and use power-ups like the Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, and Starman to help them.

The game was made by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka to bring together everything the Famicom team had learned in three years. They used ideas from older games like Devil World, Excitebike, and Kung Fu, and built on earlier games like Donkey Kong and Mario Bros. The first level, World 1-1, was made to teach players how to play.

Super Mario Bros. was a very important game because it quickly changed how games were made. It was the best-selling video game ever before being beaten by Wii Sports in 2009.^[2] It turned Mario into a famous symbol. It also made the NES successful. This game greatly helped the video game industry.

In the Mushroom Kingdom, turtle-like creatures called Koopa Troopas invade the kingdom and uses magic of their king Bowser to turn the Mushroom People into things like bricks and plants. Bowser and his army also kidnap Princess Toadstool of the Mushroom Kingdom, the only one who can undo the spell. After hearing the news, Mario and Luigi go on a journey to save the princess and free the kingdom from Bowser.^[3]: 2 They fight Bowser's army and face fake Bowsers in different castles. After each defeat of a fake Bowser, a Toad says, "Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!". Finally, they find the real Bowser, where they defeat him by throwing fireballs or by dropping him into lava, freeing the princess and saving the Mushroom Kingdom.^[4]

Super Mario Bros. is a platform game. In the game, Mario must go through the Mushroom Kingdom and save Princess Toadstool (later Princess Peach) from Bowser.^[5] Mario jumps, runs, and walks across each level. The worlds are full of enemies, platforms, and open holes. If Mario touches an enemy, he loses a life (he dies). If he falls down a hole or misses a jump, he will also lose a life. If all lives are gone, the game is over and the player must start over.^[6][7]

Mario starts the game as Small Mario, but has several power-ups he can get from golden floating boxes called "? Blocks". A red and white mushroom called a Super Mushroom will turn him into Super Mario (he gets bigger). If Super Mario touches an enemy, he gets smaller instead of dying. If Super Mario hits a ? Block that has a power-up, a Fire Flower will come out; the Fire Flower will give him the power to throw fireballs, which can defeat enemies. If he gets hit as Fire Mario, he will go back to being Small Mario.

Each world is divided into four levels. Some levels are underground and others are underwater. When Mario is underwater, he cannot jump on any enemy and he will shrink or die if he touches one. The fourth level of every world is a castle. Mario faces lava, fire bars, and other enemies in this level. At the end of the level is Bowser, who stands over a lava pit. Mario can throw fireballs to defeat Bowser. He can also jump over or run under Bowser to an axe. Touching the axe will destroy the bridge and cause Bowser to fall into the lava, defeating him. Toadstool's servant, Toad, will then tell Mario that the princess is in another castle. The eighth boss is the real Bowser and instead of Toad, the princess is there. Saving Princess Toadstool unlocks a hard mode and lets the player choose a world on the title screen.

Super Mario Bros. was both the launch game and a well-liked game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. This and Duck Hunt were bundled with every NES sold, and the game sold 40 million units as a result. There is also a version of the game with Duck Hunt and World Class Track Meet, which is for the NES Power Pad. There is also a cartridge that has only Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt.

The game's main theme, which plays in any level that takes place outdoors, is very well known. It was composed by Koji Kondo, who has been in many other Nintendo games after Super Mario Bros., like The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. 2.

The game would later have updated versions such as Super Mario All-Stars and Super Mario Bros. Deluxe. The second one adds more modes like the Japanese-exclusive sequel Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. The game's design was also usable in the Super Mario Maker series.

• NES cartridge inside the console
• Famicom cartridge inserted the console
• The arcade version, VS. Super Mario Bros.
• Game & Watch version of Super Mario Bros.