Mario Bros. is a game about doing one thing well, and then doing it again until you run out of lives. The 1983 arcade original was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi. The Famicom/NES port is the version most people met first, and it is the version that has been re-released the most.
Two Plumbers in the New York Sewers
Mario and Luigi investigate the sewers of New York after strange creatures start appearing down there. The goal in each phase is to defeat every enemy using only running and jumping. You cannot squash an enemy by landing on it. You must flip it onto its back first, then kick it away.
The POW Block and the Wraparound Screen
Each phase is a set of platforms with pipes at the corners and a “POW” block in the center. The screen wraps around, so anything leaving one side reappears on the other. Hitting the platform directly beneath an enemy flips it. Wait too long and it recovers.
The POW block flips everything touching a platform or the floor, but it works only three times before it disappears.
Shellcreepers, Sidesteppers and Fighter Flies
Four enemy types come out of the pipes: Shellcreeper, Sidestepper, Fighter Fly and Slipice. Fighter Fly moves by jumping and can only be flipped while touching a platform. Slipice turns platforms into ice. Fireballs are a fifth threat, floating free instead of sticking to platforms.
Bonus Coins and Falling Icicles
Points come from defeating enemies and from bonus coins that emerge from the pipes afterward. Later rounds add icicles forming under the platforms and dropping off. Touching an un-flipped enemy, a fireball or a fully formed icicle costs a life.
The Famicom Port Adds a Difficulty Setting
The Famicom version follows most features of the arcade game and adds a difficulty setting. It was the first game developed by Intelligent Systems.
What the Flipping Mechanic Actually Got Right
The flipping mechanic is the whole game, and it holds up. It forces patience where later Mario games reward momentum. The POW block is a resource, not a button.
Where Mario Bros. Stands Now
Mario Bros. is a foundation, not a destination. Floating coins, enemy turtles and Luigi all carried into Super Mario Bros. in 1985 and became series staples. Judged as a standalone NES game, the loop is thin and the phases repeat.
| Version | Platform | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Arcade | Arcade | 1983 |
| Famicom/NES | NES | 1983 |
| Virtual Console | Wii, Wii U | — |
| Arcade Archives | Switch | 2017 |
Key facts
– Score: 4.9/10
– Designed by: Shigeru Miyamoto, Gunpei Yokoi
– Enemies: Shellcreeper, Sidestepper, Fighter Fly, Slipice, Fireballs
– POW block uses: three
– First Intelligent Systems game
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