As a child I didn’t have many games, but even then I didn’t complete many of them. Not for lack of interest, but rather lack of ability. I just could not beat some games.
Super Mario Land was going in and out of my Gameboy ever since I got the system. But I could never beat it.
What surprised me, as I beat the game the other day was how short it was. Egypt, Bermuda, Easter Island and China were used as influences for the twelve stages, but at twelve stages that is 3/8 the size of the original Super Mario Bros. To my young mind, however, the game felt so much larger.
It’s a weird entry in the Mario series, but it has exactly what it needs to be a good Mario game. Its simplicity does not prevent it from challenging me. And its length leads to me wanting to replay it. Which is one of the best things any game can make you do.
Especially when it gives you one of the best ending songs ever.
