I like the amount of replay value it’s got too especially in regards to discovering all 96 exits (or just discovering secrets in general, like procuring the key and holding it until you reach the keyhole) and how certain blocks or paths would be accessed the moment you stepped on the colored switch in the switch palace, it’s fun gliding in midair with the magic cape (after a bit of practice learning the timing of each alternate directional button press), and Yoshi is one of the best things to come from Super Mario World; Koji Kondo’s music is really memorable, too, and incredibly and charmingly bouncy (I love the ending credits polka music, the underwater music is soothingly atmospheric, and the castle theme always stuck with me for how intensely foreboding it was)

Yeah, I don’t really have much to say that hasn’t been said already, except maybe this: one thing I only noticed years ago was how Super Mario World had a recurring red-blue-yellow-green theme going on throughout. The four different Yoshis you encounter have these colors, the Koopas you face have shells that are any one of these colors, the special switches you have to activate share these colors, the letters of the title are formed up of red and blue and yellow and green, the Super Famicom’s logo has these colors, and the Super Famicontroller’s face buttons are colorful and really complement the color theme of this game–too bad the North American console design and controllers don’t complement Super Mario World’s red/blue/yellow/green theme AS much as the controllers had two different hues of purple for its buttons (and made to be concave and convex as opposed to sharing the same feel) and the console removed the colorful flavor and had to change shape because if I recall correctly I read how someone at Nintendo of America feared how the flat-topped original shape of the console would’ve been “treated as a coaster” so they had to alter the design. I mean, alright, that sounds awful but I can sort of see how because of this fear they felt the need to change the shape for the American SNES console so it’s a bit justified in this regard… what was NOT justified was the need to sap out the color of the console and controller and replace them purple (and yet despite the NTSC SNES console treatment, the PAL SNES in Europe more or less shared the same shape and color as Japan… doesn’t make sense)

Also, the Goomba design was bizarre in hindsight as he barely resembled how he appeared in Super Mario games before and after this one (why is it not triangular?) and more resembled an apple, but that’s just a nitpick

If I had to say what my favorite 2D Super Mario platformer was it would be this one, and while I much prefer Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario World 2 I personally consider that to be more of a Yoshi platformer than a Mario one

Thirty years old, amazing! =D Still one of the best platformers in the system and one paved the way for subsequent Nintendo 16-bit platformers to come

To each their own

In my eyes, SMW is the single best traditional 2D Mario game. Now, it’s not my favorite 2D platformer ever (although it is a very close #3, right behind Diddy’s Kong Quest, and the pinnacle of 2D platforming, Yoshi’s Island). It’s not even my favorite mainline Mario game (Super Mario 64 will forever be my favorite game of all time, period). But in terms of pure, old school Mario fun, this simply can’t be beat. Fully deserving of the perfect 10 you awarded it.

I can’t wait for the eventual Yoshi’s Island review. Truly the crowning achievement of the 2D platforming genre.