Platformers · 1980s
Super Mario Bros.
The game that turned side-scrolling platforming into a worldwide phenomenon and saved the Nintendo Entertainment System's fortunes in the process. Thirty-two tight levels taught players to run, jump, and take risks without a single tutorial screen.
| First released | 1985 |
|---|---|
| Developer | Nintendo R&D4 |
| Original platform | Famicom / NES |
Why it matters
It established the grammar of level design — introduce a mechanic, test it, combine it, master it — that platformers still follow. Its success made home consoles a mass-market medium again after the 1983 crash.
Play it today
Included in the Nintendo Switch Online NES library, and re-released on most Nintendo systems since.
Start here
The original is short enough to finish in an afternoon, and its difficulty is fair by modern standards. World 1-1 remains the most-studied opening level in game design.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Bros. — release date, developer, design and commercial history
Sources for this page were checked 2026-09-21.