Review: Super Mario World

I decided since I seemed to have a bunch of free time today, and since I will be gone for the next week starting Sunday, I am going to write another review tonight. Tonight's super special review covers Super Mario World for the SNES.

The system that I used to review Professor Layton seemed to work very well, so I will leave that as the standard for all of my reviews.

Gameplay: 7/10
This game is basically just another tried and true Mario game. Run left. Jump. Stomp on an enemy. Repeat. However, what was new for this game was that it introduced Yoshi, Mario's new dinosaur...horse...pet...thing? Ah, whatever. All Yoshi really did was eat and serve as a jump pad in some sticky situations.

Story: 2/10
In Japan, this game was named Super Mario Bros. 4. That means that this princess has been kidnapped at least two other times. (She was actually a playable character in SMB2.) Anyway, Mario and Luigi go on vacation to Dinosaur Land with Princess Toadstool. The princess gets captured (surprise, surprise) and Mario has to go rescue her yet again. As fun as this game was back in the era of the SNES, it hasn't aged well; there are at least twenty other games that are just like it.  As much as I love stomping the crap out of Bowser until he has arthritis, it gets old after a while.

Controls: 9/10
Sometimes, tried and true is actually a good thing. With the new controller of the SNES came some new abilities for Mario, such as spin jumps and even flying. Most all of these abilities are in modern Mario games, and they have held up quite well.

Graphics: 8/10
Back when the SNES was just taking off, the graphics were considered some of the greatest things anyone had ever seen. Super Mario World had a lot of vibrant colors and quirky sprites which I personally love to this day.

Music: 9/10
Mario games have always had beautiful scores, and this game is certainly no exception. From the quirky Title Screen to the depressing Game Over jingle, every song and noise in this game just adds to the effect.

Replay Value: 7/10
As is the norm with many games, there is not much of a postgame in Super Mario World. However, the game has just the touch of magic and nostalgia that keeps gamers of all ages coming back for just one more playthrough.

OVERALL: 7/10
Super Mario World is a title that really changed the way Nintendo made Mario games. From new abilities to vibrant graphics, it really set the stage for later titles like Super Mario Galaxy. Even though the story is a bit dry and overdone, this game is definitely a must for gamers, young and old.