Super Mario Bros

The NES classic that defined platformers. Guide Mario through the Mushroom Kingdom, grab power-ups, find secrets, and survive Bowser’s castle traps to rescue the princess. Simple to learn, tough to master, and packed with hidden shortcuts.

Run, jump, and fight your way through the Mushroom Kingdom in one of the most important video games ever made.

Super Mario Bros. drops players into a colorful but dangerous world filled with strange enemies, hidden secrets, and mysterious pipes that may lead anywhere. As Mario, you’ll travel across fields, underground caverns, oceans, sky-high platforms, and fiery castles in a race to stop Bowser and rescue Princess Toadstool.

Easy to pick up but challenging to master, Super Mario Bros. rewards curiosity, quick reflexes, and bravery. Whether you’re discovering a hidden warp zone or leaping over a bottomless pit, every moment pushes you forward into the unknown.

The game is divided into eight distinct worlds, each one made up of four levels that gradually increase in difficulty and complexity.

Overworld Levels
Bright, open landscapes introduce players to the basics—Goombas, Koopa Troopas, pits, and question blocks. These levels teach timing, momentum, and how Mario’s jump really works.

Underground Levels
Dark caverns filled with tight spaces, bouncing shells, and hidden coin rooms. These areas often hide secrets and reward careful exploration.

Water Levels
Slower, more methodical stages where Mario swims instead of jumps. Enemies move differently here, forcing players to adapt their instincts.

Sky & Bonus Areas
Floating platforms, high-risk jumps, and massive coin rewards. These sections feel magical and reinforce that exploration is always worth it.

Castle Levels
Each world ends in a fortress packed with lava pits, moving platforms, and fire-breathing obstacles. At the end waits Bowser… or so it seems.

Gameplay feels incredibly precise. Mario accelerates as he runs, jumps farther with speed, and reacts instantly to player input. Power-ups completely change how you approach danger, turning fear into confidence—or overconfidence.

The game never explains itself. Instead, it teaches through play, trusting the player to learn by doing.

The Mushroom Kingdom has been invaded by Bowser and his army, who have used dark magic to transform its peaceful citizens into blocks and stones. Princess Toadstool is the only one who can reverse the spell—and she’s been captured.

Mario’s journey takes him through wildly different regions of the kingdom, each with its own dangers and atmosphere. While the story is simple, it provides just enough motivation to make the adventure feel meaningful.

Much of the story existed outside the cartridge—in the instruction manual and the player’s imagination. This gave the game a dream-like quality, where the world felt larger than what was shown on screen.

When Super Mario Bros. released in 1985, the video game industry was still recovering from the 1983 video game crash. Nintendo needed a game that didn’t just sell consoles—it needed one that rebuilt trust.

The development team focused on feel over flash. Every enemy placement, jump distance, and level layout was carefully tuned. The famous “World 1-1” level is often cited as one of the best tutorials in game history—without ever using words.

Shigeru Miyamoto – Game Designer
Created Mario and shaped the game’s philosophy around joy, movement, and discovery.

Takashi Tezuka – Level Design
Helped craft the structure and flow of the worlds and stages.

Koji Kondo – Music & Sound
Composed one of the most recognizable soundtracks in gaming history.

Together, they didn’t just make a game—they built a blueprint.