Super Mario Bros.
1985 · Platform · NES
Overview
Super Mario Bros. is the 1985 NES platformer by Nintendo that single-handedly revitalized the North American video game industry after the crash of 1983. Designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, it follows Mario and Luigi as they traverse the Mushroom Kingdom to rescue Princess Toadstool from King Bowser. With 32 levels across 8 worlds, an iconic musical score, and hidden secrets and warp zones, the game set the standard for platform game design that endures to this day. Super Mario Bros. has sold over 40 million copies, making it one of the best-selling individual games ever produced.
Deep Dive
Super Mario Bros. was designed to showcase the NES hardware and shipped as a bundle with the console, becoming the game that defined a generation. Miyamoto and Tezuka built the game around the principle of teaching through play — the first level, World 1-1, is a masterclass in game design that introduces every core mechanic through environmental cues without a single word of text. The underground pipe shortcuts, flagpole timing bonuses, mushrooms and fire flowers, and the final Bowser-bait switch are all constructed to reward exploration and skill. The game's music by Koji Kondo is among the most recognized musical works in history. Super Mario Bros. established a franchise that has sold over 800 million games total across all titles, making it the best-selling video game franchise of all time.
