There is no more perfect platformer than Super Mario World. Dozens, maybe hundreds have tried. Many have come close, but not even Nintendo has managed to duplicate this game’s formula.
Everything works. Mario handles like a dream. The world map is a flower that blooms as you find normal and secret exits; I constantly pan around it every time I play, marveling at how far I’ve come and how much it’s changed from my actions. The difficulty curve is gradual and fair. You’ll face some seriously challenging levels after the midpoint of the game, but you’ll be ready for them thanks to everything the game took the time to teach you up to that point.
What I appreciate most, however, is the level design. The way platforms of all sorts are spaced out so that you can bound from one to the next to the next to the next, feeling like an expert player even though the experts at Nintendo set you up to feel that way. Mario levels should flow, and these flow better than any levels in any other platformer.
I also appreciate how the game telegraphs secret exits on the world map. A yellow marker means a level has one exit. A red marker means more than one. You go into red-marker levels knowing to keep your eyes peeled for anything that feels out of place. In sequels, especially the New Super Mario Bros. series, levels with alternate exits aren’t marked, so you have to flail around levels trying every pipe, breaking every wall, just to see if there’s an exit waiting to be found. Not in this game. Red markers are a sign that says, “There’s something here, but we won’t tell you where to find it.” All I need is a hint, and that’s all the game gives.
Super Mario World is as great today as it was in the early ‘90s. A true masterpiece.
