Arcade Archives: Mario Bros.

 Switch
  • Publisher: Hamster
  • Release Date: Sep 27, 2017
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 15 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 15
  3. Negative: 3 out of 15

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  1. ekolite82
    Nov 12, 2017
    8
    This is the exact arcade port, but there are two things I wish I would have known before buying. First off, the bad. When you run out of your limited lives (up to 6 lives in the START menu settings) that's it. You start all the way back to the first stage. This is rather unfortunate, they could not make a mode that could resume where you died, because the game gets very challengingThis is the exact arcade port, but there are two things I wish I would have known before buying. First off, the bad. When you run out of your limited lives (up to 6 lives in the START menu settings) that's it. You start all the way back to the first stage. This is rather unfortunate, they could not make a mode that could resume where you died, because the game gets very challenging fairly quickly and I really want to see just how insane it gets in later levels. Another thing is the control takes a while to get used to, jumping requires letting go of all directional buttons to make mario jump left or right. This is how the game was though and deserved to be authentically untouched. It threw me off big time. Took me an hour or two to adjust. However, even with these annoyances I do commend Nintendo for giving us exactly what we payed for, plus some nice video and audio settings. Not too interested in the extra two modes offered, but if you are into high scores over the internet, then it might suit you better. This is a perfect arcade port for a fun arcade game from way back, but better because of the convenience of not carrying around an 800 pound arcade cabinet and also the sound and video settings. Tips. Try the video filter set to off, I personally like it much more than the default setting and it is what I use for Neo Geo games. I found I liked the B1 scanline and scroll filter the best. Looks like a real arcade to me and gives me the warm fuzzies. Also, play with the audio and turn the reverb way up. You will like it.… Expand
  2. JJTX
    Apr 28, 2019
    7
    As it did with Donkey Kong, Nintendo waited almost four decades before it finally released an authorized, direct port of its seminal arcade game Mario Bros. It looks and plays better than the Nintendo Entertainment System version, to be sure, but may feel a bit clumsy to players whose primary exposure comes from the Super Mario Advance versions. Mr. Miyamoto's team had not quite figuredAs it did with Donkey Kong, Nintendo waited almost four decades before it finally released an authorized, direct port of its seminal arcade game Mario Bros. It looks and plays better than the Nintendo Entertainment System version, to be sure, but may feel a bit clumsy to players whose primary exposure comes from the Super Mario Advance versions. Mr. Miyamoto's team had not quite figured out running and jumping physics yet, so everything feels slippery and awkward -- a lot like its Famicom and later NES contemporary, Ice Climber. Mario Bros. is a difficult game, but a rewarding one for those with the patience to adapt to its unusual gameplay.… Expand
  3. pur__0_0__
    Mar 24, 2021
    4
    The only reason why this game gets so much attention is simply because it's a Mario game. We are all well aware of how bad the graphics of 1980's games used to be. So it will not be right to compare this game by the ones made now. However, for a correct comparison, we should judge it by its features from that time.

    To begin with, let's talk about the colour palette. It has a black    The only reason why this game gets so much attention is simply because it's a Mario game. We are all well aware of how bad the graphics of 1980's games used to be. So it will not be right to compare this game by the ones made now. However, for a correct comparison, we should judge it by its features from that time.

    To begin with, let's talk about the colour palette. It has a black background in which the other coloured characters appear. This is meant to simulate the darkness present inside a sewer. The Koopas and other enemies come in from both the sides of the pipe. They have done an excellent job with the ambience. But it could have been better if they occasionally showed a few drops of water spilling out of the pipes to show that the pipes were actually running, otherwise it doesn't make sense for so many enemies to just walk in out of nowhere. Also if the enemies are able to go in through the bottom pipes and come out of the top, what stops the other way round from happening? There is no explanation to it.

    Then let's talk about the sound. Every time a crab comes out of the pipes, it makes a sound that's more suited to a beach view. Such a sound doesn't suit a gutter. There are just a handful sound effects, the most (read only) memorable being the one played when a level begins. The sounds used in the game suit more to an open world game of that era, such as River City Ransom or ET (if it was good).

    Then the levels. Oh my God, this is the one place where this game fails big time. It's the same level repeated over and over again. Don't come up with an excuse of "limited memory at that time" because Pacman also had different levels even though it came one year before. In Mario games itself, Donkey Kong had different level designs every as the game progressed. The level designer of this game had taken a very lazy effort.

    This is by far my most hated Mario game. Even if I was in the 80s I would prefer playing some other game like Super Mario Bros, which came just 2 years after this. Nostalgia doesn't bother me in the least because I played this game just to have tried all popular Mario titles.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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No score yet - based on 3 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. Vooks
    Oct 2, 2017
    80
    While Mario Bros. is one of the less exciting classic games out there, everything else in this release set a new standard for retro re-releases.
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  2. Video Chums
    Sep 28, 2017
    63
    As the first Nintendo Arcade Archives release, Mario Bros. is a solid game that's still fun to play. Here's hoping we get to see the classic Donkey Kong games and more obscure titles like Popeye sometime soon.
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  3. Nintendo Life
    Sep 28, 2017
    70
    Mario Bros. isn’t the best game Nintendo ever made, but the optional Hi-Score and Caravan modes force you into playing it in a way that (surprisingly) makes it far more entertaining. Arcade games of this type were always designed for short, five-minute bursts of play, so the Switch’s handheld nature makes it the perfect platform for this. More importantly, this is a chance for retro Nintendo fans to play and own a flawless rendition of the arcade version for the first time ever, for far less than the hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars an old cabinet would sell for these days.
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