Game profile
Super Mario World
This SNES launch title introduced Yoshi and remains one of the most polished 2D platformers ever made. The original, complete with hidden exits, can be revisited today via the Nintendo Switch Online app.
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What kind of game this is
At its core this is Platformer, set in a fantasy world. Visually it is built on pixel art, and the overall tone stays light and upbeat. The structure is guided rather than open, so you are moved along instead of dropped into a map. It is built around short sessions, which makes it easy to pick up for half an hour.
The difficulty is moderate and fair, demanding attention without punishing you for it. There is no story to speak of, the systems carry everything. It is a single player experience from start to finish. It is available on one platform. It sits in the budget bracket.
What stands out
- Yoshi's debut
- Hidden level exits
- Cape feather powerup
This fits you if
- you want to wind down rather than be tested
- you usually have thirty to sixty minutes and want that to be enough
- cutscenes annoy you and you just want to play
- you play alone and want a complete experience without other people
- you are watching your budget
- you like a deliberate retro look over photorealism
Look elsewhere if
- you play mainly for narrative
- you want something that lasts, this is over after 7 hours
- pixel art puts you off
- you want to play it side by side with someone
How long is Super Mario World?
About 7 hours in total. At two hours per evening that is around 4 evenings, so about a week of casual play.
How the rating ranks
Critics settled on 96 out of 100, which puts it above 99 percent of the 1276 games here and at rank 16 overall. That is top tier. Only a handful of games here score higher.
For comparison, Platformer averages 83 points across the database, so this one sits 13 points above its own genre. The figure rests on 2051 collected ratings.
Released in 1990, which makes it 36 years old. A genuine classic, and worth checking how the version you buy holds up today.
The facts
- Release year
- 1990
- Genres
- Platformer
- Playtime
- approx. 7 hrs.
- Difficulty
- Moderate, fair
- Story weight
- None, pure gameplay
- Play with
- Solo
- Setting
- Fantasy
- Visual style
- Pixel art
- Price bracket
- Budget
- Platforms
- Switch
- Critic rating
- 96 / 100
Direct comparison
| Genres | Release year | Playtime | Critic rating | Price bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario World | 1990 | approx. 7 hrs. | 96 | Budget |
| Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island | 1995 | approx. 8 hrs. | 92 | Budget |
| Super Mario Bros. 3 | 1988 | approx. 6 hrs. | 91 | Budget |
| Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest | 1995 | approx. 8 hrs. | 92 | Budget |
If you liked this, try these
- 92/100 Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Shared: Platformer, Fantasy
- 91/100 Super Mario Bros. 3 Shared: Platformer, Fantasy
- 92/100 Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest Shared: Platformer, Fantasy
- 82/100 Islets Shared: Platformer, Fantasy
- 86/100 Kirby Super Star Shared: Platformer, Fantasy
- 83/100 New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe Shared: Platformer, Fantasy, longer