Nintendo Delivered a Near-Perfect Game Boy Game That Everyone Forgot About

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The Game Boy is a beloved portable console famous for its easy, on-the-go gaming. While many remember it as the system that popularized Tetris and Pokémon, there are actually a lot of other great Game Boy games that aren’t as well known.

Surprisingly, one of the standout games is Super Mario Land, which was released when the system first launched. While it’s been outshined by later Super Mario Land games and even titles like Donkey Kong, it’s a really good game and deserves to be remembered more fondly.

Super Mario Land Is a Condensed Take On the Mario Formula

If you’ve played any Mario game, you probably know the deal: I gotta rescue Princess Peach from Bowser, and usually that means running and jumping through eight different worlds. But Super Mario Land does things a little differently – it’s a shorter adventure, only taking me through four worlds to save the princess.

The story of Super Mario Land is surprisingly different from most Mario games. Instead of Bowser kidnapping Princess Peach, it’s Princess Daisy who’s been captured – she would later become a regular character in the Mario series. And to make things even more unusual, the villain isn’t Bowser at all, but an alien named Tatanga.

The game also takes place in a new location. Instead of the familiar Mushroom Kingdom, Mario travels through Sarasaland, which has its own set of challenges. While you’ll still find Goombas, you’ll also encounter new enemies, like Koopas that explode, and other unusual creatures unique to this adventure.

Things get really interesting as you start upgrading Mario! You can still grab a Mushroom to become Super Mario, and the Star still makes you invincible for a little while – that’s awesome! But instead of the classic Fire Flowers, they’ve given Mario bouncing balls to throw, which is a totally new twist!

Honestly, none of these tweaks actually hurt the game – if anything, it’s kinda fun figuring out the new stuff as I run through Sarasaland as Mario. The biggest challenge, though, isn’t even the enemies! It’s Mario’s jump – it’s a little wonky and I’ve died way more from misjudging jumps than from any bad guy.

The game is quite forgiving, offering plenty of extra lives, and this is especially noticeable in the bonus levels. To reach these levels, Mario needs to jump to the very top platform at the end of a regular stage. This takes him to a chance-based game where he can earn power-ups or additional lives. These bonus levels are a key feature that help Super Mario Land differentiate itself from other Mario games.

Super Mario Land Is a One-of-a-Kind Nintendo Game

Unlike most Mario games, Super Mario Land was developed by a different team. Gunpei Yokoi and Hirofumi Matsuoka spearheaded the project, and Hirokazu Tanaka created the music instead of the typical composer, Koji Kondo.

The unique setting of Super Mario Land set it apart from other games, just like its gameplay and story did. Because of this, and the fact that it’s surprisingly challenging, many players haven’t continued to play it over the years. It’s often overshadowed, even by its follow-up, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins.

That sequel is most remembered for introducing Wario, the charming troublemaker who later got his own games. Meanwhile, Super Mario Land hasn’t received as much attention over the past 37 years, and has been eclipsed by popular titles like Donkey Kong, Pokémon, and even spin-offs from The Legend of Zelda series.

It’s disappointing, especially since the game is quite short. You can usually finish it in around 30 minutes, or even faster. Strangely enough, the fact that you can’t save your progress actually makes the game feel more classic and replayable today.

Even though the save batteries in Super Mario Land 2 and other later Game Boy games probably don’t work anymore, the original Super Mario Land is still fun to play thanks to its fast-paced action. It might not be the most beloved Game Boy game, but it’s a perfectly enjoyable platformer. While it does have some issues, they’re understandable for a game that came out so early on a handheld system.

Man, I still love booting up Super Mario Land. It’s seriously one of the best games ever made, and it’s a shame so many people seem to forget about it. The Mario series is full of amazing games, but this one really deserves more love.

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2026-04-07 18:12