Mario’s Game Boy Legacy: The Super Mario Land Series (Part 1)

Exploring Sarasaland and Beyond

Introduction

The Super Mario Land Series is one that I’ve had my eye on for years now—a tempting trio of platforming goodness that I, being the self-proclaimed platforming nut that I am, have always wanted to get into but have just never had the time. Even more so because no one ever seems to talk about this game despite introducing key characters like Princess Daisy and the greed-obsessed Wario? So, do these games deserve more attention than they’ve gotten in recent years, or are they better left in the past? Let’s dive in.

A Whole New World? (Super Mario Land)

The best place to start is usually at the beginning. So, first up we’ll be looking into Super Mario Land. Released in 1989, Super Mario Land was Nintendo’s attempt to bring their mustachioed mascot to the newly released Game Boy.

Super Mario Land takes place in the neighboring kingdom of Sarasaland, ruled by Princess Daisy. Daisy has been kidnapped by the evil alien Tatanga, and it is up to Mario to rescue her. Mario must traverse four worlds: Birabuto, Muda, Easton, and Chai. Each zone brings its own unique flavor—from the pyramids and sphinxes in Birabuto to the Easter Island-inspired Easton.

The game is your standard Mario with many differences, some minor and some major. The first thing I noticed—the controls. They felt…off. Mario feels sluggish and less responsive than his console counterparts. This resulted in many deaths that would have been otherwise avoidable.

The powerups were good but not great. Much of what you would expect is here. That being the Super Mushroom, the Star, and the new Super Ball (not the fire flower). So, what is Superball? It’s an item that allows Mario to fire a projectile that bounces around, decimating any enemy in its path. Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s an ok item. However, it’s just not as good as what already exists, such as the Fire Flower. Its unpredictable bounce made it harder to aim than the Fire Flower’s precision.

This may be why it seemed to disappear after its introductory title, where it wouldn’t reappear until Super Mario Maker 2, a full 30 years later.

Levels, while mostly what you’d expect, do have one surprise waiting at the end. Upon reaching the end of the level, you have the chance to access another level exit, where you can earn goodies such as 1UPs and power-ups. On top of this, Super Mario Land offers more level variety, featuring shoot-em-up stages in addition to the standard platforming we’re all familiar with.

*Super Mario Land* offers more level variety, featuring shoot-em-up stages in addition to the standard platforming we’re all familiar with.

Overall, Super Mario Land was a pleasant albeit short experience. The whole game can be beaten in just under an hour, and today, there is not really a reason to go back and play it today. Its sequel, on the other hand, paints a different story.

What a Sequel Should Be (Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins)

Bigger and better. These are the best words I can use to describe Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. The sequel doesn’t just iterate on what came before; it soars high above (on bunny ears, perhaps?) With improved graphics, sharper gameplay, inventive level design, and so much more, Super Mario Land 2 doesn’t just raise the bar for a sequel—it redefines it.

Graphics and Controls

Two of the biggest criticisms I had of the first Super Mario Land were the graphics and controls. Everything from Mario to the enemies and the levels themselves felt simplistic and boring. This time around, the difference is night and day. It is almost shocking how significant the difference between the two titles is. The art style of Super Mario Land 2 takes many cues from Super Mario World, from the design of Mario himself to enemies like the boos to many of the powerups and levels themselves. To be honest with you, just putting the two side by side speaks for itself far better than I could.

Control-wise, it feels like a Mario game. I realize that sounds kinda stupid. Wow, a Mario game FEELS like a Mario game? Big shocker. But that’s the best way I can put it. Before, he felt sluggish and just bad to play. There were even times that I missed hitting enemies or missed jumps because of this. But now? Everything just feels right. I realize that’s not very detailed but once you play both, you’ll understand.

Story

The story of Super Mario Land 2 is an interesting one. Following the rescue of Princess Daisy from Tatanga in the first game, Mario returns to his private island (yes, private island) named Mario Land. Upon his return, however, Mario finds his castle has been taken over by an old rival, Wario. He has cast a spell upon the island’s inhabitants, causing them to turn on our hero. Now, Mario must gather the six Golden Coins (or the keys to Mario’s castle) from each of the six zones, or stages, spread across the island. Only then can he confront the boisterous brute and reclaim his island, restoring order.

The World

The world of Super Mario Land 2 is one rife with personality and charm. Building on the more linear design of the first game, Super Mario Land 2 employs a world map system, enabling players to explore the world and tackle stages in any order they choose. These stages range from an expedition through a house that must have been built for giants to a large robotic Mario, hoping across clockwork gears and blocks to a showdown with the three little pigs. Each stage feels unique, memorable, and so full of life that it makes it impossible not to have a fun time.

In addition to the six zones, comes something new. Typically, in Mario games, you collect coins that grant an extra life when you reach 100. In Super Mario Land 2, however, these coins are used for a new roulette game where you can spin for a variety of different items, including power-ups and extra lives. In fact, the quality of what you can win increases depending on the number of coins used for the spin. For example, towards the end of the game, I had gathered up to 999 coins. So, I decided to take a chance on the wheel. I walked out of that place with a cool 99 lives.

Gameplay

Gameplay is what makes a Mario game shine, and this one is no exception. Now that we’ve already touched on controls, I’ll move on to the next topic. What I’m not going to move past is the powerups. The traditional power-ups are here and accounted for, with the Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, and Star all making an appearance. However, there is one new addition. There is a new item in the form of a carrot that turns Mario into Bunny Mario! Cute bunny ears and all. This new asset to Mario’s ever-expanding repertoire enables our hefty hero to hover through the air for what seems like an eternity. This paired with Mario’s great controls, makes exploring levels a blast, even if the bunny ears can make levels a little too easy,

Collecting the carrot turns Mario into Bunny Mario! allowing our hefty hero to hover through the air

Struggles

Here we go. Here’s the section everyone wants to see. What struggles did I have? Honestly? There weren’t many. One thing, if you could call it a struggle, was that the game did slow down at times which was noticeable but didn’t hamper the experience. Most of the game was a blast to play through. However, I do emphasize the word MOST. The final level sees you traverse through Mario’s former home to face off against the gold-grabbing gremlin himself, Wario. Sounds simple? Unlike many of the other levels, there are NO checkpoints here. So, if you die in the level leading up to, or fighting Wario, you’re doing it again. This was honestly the most frustrating part of the experience. Almost making it to the end only to die and get sent back is such a demoralizing time that I had to step away at one point to stop myself from getting angry. Other than that? There wasn’t really anything in the way of major struggles.

The vERDICT

So, now I ask the question again. Do these games deserve more attention than they’ve gotten in recent years, or are they better left in the past? The answer is both yes…and no. A cop-out answer, I know, but just hear me out. This series has pleasantly surprised me. The creativity and deviations from the standard Mario formula have yielded two games that could be classified as underrated. From the new locales, powerups, gameplay twists, and more, these titles have lived up to the expectations that come from the Mario Franchise. They both deserve to be remembered for what they contributed to the Mario universe, but as for playing them today? Super Mario Land 2 I could definitely recommend. The first game, however, is not one that I am really aching to go back to. Everything it had to offer, the second game just does so much better. But is it good for one playthrough? Yes, because playing it really helps give something valuable. Perspective. A way to see where we were compared to where we are now and what the future may hold. But this is only part of the story. There’s still one more game to take on. Where will our journey take us next, I wonder? The future is looking bright, but it smells strangely of… garlic?