All you can say about this game is that it was way ahead of the program. Gaming would look very different without Mario.

The game is a simple horizontal side-scroller. Cliches start somewhere, and this one started here. You collect powerups to make Mario bigger and shoot fireballs, explore weird and wacky levels (this game has some really excellent underwater levels) and ultimately fight Bowser and rescue the princess.

Even in the small details, Mario delivers innovation. Like how it gives you the option of skipping ahead through the levels by finding a secret pipe, in a primitive form of saving/reloading. Or maybe an advanced form of saving/reloading, since in most games the save mechanism is a part of the interface, while SMB takes the graceful step of incorporating it into gameplay. The pipes are well hidden, meaning only intelligent players will be able to skip levels.

The game is loaded with puzzles and secrets, some of which are really damn obscure (such as the legendary world -1). Whether you rush through the game or explore every level, Mario played and continues to play excellently.

The only thing I don’t really like is the controls. After you’ve been playing for a while they become second nature, but if you’re new to the game you’ll be slipping and sliding all over the place.

In short, great, amazing, classic, etc game. Fill in your own metaphors. This one rules!