Super Mario Bros.: Difference between revisions

{{Distinguish|Mario Bros.{{!}}''Mario Bros''}}

{{Nihongo foot|'''''Super Mario Bros.'''''|スーパーマリオブラザーズ|Sūpā Mario Burazāzu|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} is a 1985 [[Platformer|platform game]] developed and published in 1985 by [[Nintendo]] for the [[Famicom]] in Japan and for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (NES) in North America. It is the successor to the 1983 arcade game ''[[Mario Bros.]]'' and the first game in the ''[[Super Mario]]'' series. FollowingIt was originally released in September 1985 in Japan for the Family Computer; following a US test market release for the NES, it was converted to international [[arcade game|arcades]] on the [[Nintendo VS. System]] in early 1986. The NES version received a wide release in North America that year and in [[PAL regions]] in 1987.

Players control [[Mario]], or his brother [[Luigi]] in the multiplayer mode, to exploretraverse the [[Mushroom Kingdom]] in order to rescue [[Princess Peach|Princess Toadstool]] from King Koopa (later named [[Bowser]]). They traverse [[side-scrolling video game|side-scrolling]] stages while avoiding hazards such as enemies and pits with the aid of [[power-up]]s such as the Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, and [[Starman (Mario)|Starman]].

The game was designed by [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] and [[Takashi Tezuka]] as "a grand culmination" of the Famicom team's three years of game mechanics and programming, drawing from their experiences working on ''[[Devil World]]'' and the side-scrollers ''[[Excitebike]]'' and ''[[Kung-Fu Master (video game)|Kung Fu]]'' to advance their previous work on platforming "[[Platform game|athletic games]]" such as ''[[Donkey Kong (arcade1981 video game)|Donkey Kong]]'' and ''Mario Bros.'' The design of the first level, [[World 1-1]], is a [[Tutorial (video gaming)|tutorial]] for platform gameplay.

''Super Mario Bros.'' is frequently cited as one of the [[greatest video games of all time]], and is particularly admired for its precise controls. It has been re-released on most Nintendo systems, and is one of the [[bestsellingbest-selling games of all time]], with more than {{nowrap|58 million}} copies sold worldwide. It is credited alongside the NES as one of the key factors in reviving the video game industry after the [[Video game crash of 1983|1983 crash]], and helped popularize the side-scrolling platform game genre. [[Super Mario Bros. theme|Koji Kondo's soundtrack]] is one of the earliest and most popular in video games, making music a centerpiece of game design and has since been considered [[List of video game soundtracks considered the best|one of the best video game soundtracks of all time]] as a result. Mario has become prominent in popular culture, and ''Super Mario Bros.'' began [[Mario (franchise)|a multimedia franchise]] including a long-running game series, [[The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!|an animated television series]], [[Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach!|a Japanese anime feature film]], [[Super Mario Bros. (film)|a live-action feature film]] and [[The Super Mario Bros. Movie|an animated feature film]].

The player controls [[Mario]], the titular protagonist of [[Mario (franchise)|the series]]. Mario's brother, [[Luigi]], is controlled by the second player in [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]] mode and assumes the same plot role and functionality as Mario. The objective is to quickly explore the Mushroom Kingdom, survive the main antagonist Bowser's forces, and saverescue Princess Toadstool.<ref name="Super Mario Bros. instruction booklet" />{{rp|7}} It is a [[side-scrolling video game|side-scrolling]] [[platform game]] where the player moves to the right to reach the flagpole at the end of each level.

The Mushroom Kingdom includes coins for Mario to collect and special bricks marked with a question mark (''?''), which when hit from below by Mario may reveal more coins or a special item. Other "secret", often invisible, bricks may contain more coins or rare items. If the player gains a [[Super Mushroom]], Mario grows to double his size and gains the ability to break bricks above him. IfThe Marioitem getsprotects hitMario infrom thisa mode,single thenenemy insteador of dying he turns back to regular Mariohazard.<ref name="Super Mario Bros. instruction booklet" />{{rp|12}} Players start with a certain number of [[life (gaming)|lives]] and may gain [[Extra life|extra lives]] by picking up green spotted [[1-up mushroom]]s hidden in bricks, collecting 100 coins, defeating several enemies in a row with a Koopa shell, or bouncing on enemies successively without touching the ground. The player may also spawn hidden bricks with lives by collecting every coin in the previous world's third level, or by warping there.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Super Mario Bros. Hidden 1-Ups |url=https://www.stephenlindholm.com/super_mario_1-up.html |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=www.stephenlindholm.com}}</ref> Mario loses a life if he takes damage while small, falls inoff a bottomlessthe pitscreen, or runs out of time. The game ends when the player runs out of lives, although holding the "A" button can be used on the game over screen to respawn from the first level of the world in which the player died.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2015/1/26/7908265/super-mario-bros-continue-cheat-code |title= Why didn't you tell me about this Super Mario Bros. cheat?|

Mario's primary attack is jumping on top ofonto enemies, though many enemies have differing responses to this. For example, a [[Goomba]] will flatten and be defeated,<ref name="Super Mario Bros. instruction booklet" />{{rp|12}} while a [[Koopa Troopa]] will temporarily retract into its shell, allowing Mario to use it as a projectile.<ref name="Super Mario Bros. instruction booklet" />{{rp|11}} These shells may be deflected off a wall to destroy other enemies, though they can also bounce back against Mario, which will hurt or kill him.<ref name="Super Mario Bros. instruction booklet" />{{rp|19}} Other enemies, such as underwater foes and enemies with spiked tops, cannot be jumped on and damage the player instead. Mario can also defeat enemies above him by jumping to hit the brick that the enemy is standing on. Mario may also acquire the [[Fire flowerFlower]] from certain "?" blocks that when picked up changes the color of Super Mario's outfit and allows him to throw fireballs. A less common item is the [[Starman (Mario)|Starman]], which often appears when Mario hits certain concealed or otherwise invisible blocks. This item grants Mario temporary invulnerabilityinvincibility from all minor dangers.<ref name="Super Mario Bros. instruction booklet" />{{rp|10}}

In the Mushroom Kingdom, a tribe of turtle-like [[Koopa Troopa]]s invade the kingdom and uses the magic of their king [[Bowser]] to turn the Mushroom People into inanimate objects such as bricks, stones, and horsehair plants. Bowser and his army also kidnap [[Princess Toadstool]] of the Mushroom Kingdom, the only one with the ability to reverse Bowser's spell. After hearing the news, the brothers set out to save the princess and free the kingdom from Bowser.<ref name="Super Mario Bros. instruction booklet">{{cite book |title=Super Mario Bros. Instruction Booklet |publisher=[[Nintendo of America]] |location=USA |year=1985 |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clv/manuals/en/pdf/CLV-P-NAAAE.pdf |access-date=July 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170623230708/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clv/manuals/en/pdf/CLV-P-NAAAE.pdf |archive-date=June 23, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{rp|2}} They fight Bowser's forces while traversing the Mushroom Kingdom. After each defeat of a decoy Bowser, thea mushroom[[Toad (Mario)|Toad]] retainer proclaims, "[[Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!]]". Finally, they reach Bowser's true stronghold, where they defeat him by throwing fireballs or by dropping him into lava, freeing the princess and saving the Mushroom Kingdom.<ref>{{cite video game |title=Super Mario Bros. |date=September 13, 1985 |developer=Nintendo |publisher=Nintendo |level=World 8-4}}</ref>

''Super Mario Bros.'' was designed by [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] and [[Takashi Tezuka]] of the [[Nintendo Creative Department]], and largely programmed by Toshihiko Nakago of SRD Company, Ltd, which became a longtime Nintendo partner and later a wholly owned [[subsidiary]].<ref name="iwataasks25_12">{{cite web |date=February 1, 2011 |title=Using the D-pad to Jump |url=http://us.wii.com/iwata_asks/mario25th/vol5_page1.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203071512/http://us.wii.com/iwata_asks/mario25th/vol5_page1.jsp |archive-date=February 3, 2011 |access-date=February 1, 2011 |work=Iwata Asks: Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary Vol. 5: Original Super Mario Developers |publisher=[[Nintendo of America]] |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ashcraft |first=Brian |date=February 24, 2022 |title=Nintendo Buys Longtime Partner And ''Super Mario Bros.'' Programmer SRD |url=https://kotaku.com/nintendo-super-mario-bros-news-zelda-animal-crossing-sr-1848587141 |access-date=July 25, 2023 |website=[[Kotaku]] |archive-date=July 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230725011500/https://kotaku.com/nintendo-super-mario-bros-news-zelda-animal-crossing-sr-1848587141 |url-status=live }}</ref> The original ''[[Mario Bros.]],'' released in 1983, is an [[Arcade game|arcade]] platformer that takes place on a single screen with a black background. Miyamoto used the term "athletic games" to refer to what would later be known as platform games. For ''Super Mario Bros.'', Miyamoto wanted to create a more colorful "athletic game" with a [[Side-scrolling video game|scrolling screen]] and larger characters.<ref name="iwataasks25_12"/>

Development was a culmination of their technical knowledge from working on the 1984 games ''[[Devil World]]'', ''[[Excitebike]]'', and ''[[Kung-Fu Master (video game)|Kung Fu]]'' along with their desire to further advance the platforming "athletic game" genre they had created with their earlier games.<ref name="Miyamoto Reveals All" /> The [[side-scrolling]] gameplay of [[racing game]] ''Excitebike'' and [[beat 'em up]] game ''[[Kung-Fu Master (video game)|Kung-Fu Master]]'', the latter ported by Miyamoto's team to the NES as ''Kung Fu'', were key steps towards Miyamoto's vision of an expansive side-scrolling platformer;<ref>{{cite book |last1=Horowitz |first1=Ken |title=Beyond Donkey Kong: A History of Nintendo Arcade Games |date=July 30, 2020 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |isbn=978-1-4766-4176-8 |page=149 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UXD0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA149 |access-date=April 12, 2021 |archive-date=April 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412092144/https://books.google.com/books?id=UXD0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA149 |url-status=live }}</ref> in turn, ''Kung-Fu Master'' was an adaptation of the [[Jackie Chan]] film ''[[Wheels on Meals]]'' (1984).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dingman |first1=Shane |title=Thirty things to love about Mario as Nintendo's star turns 30 |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/tech-news/30-things-to-love-about-mario-as-nintendos-star-turns-30/article26329371/ |access-date=December 13, 2021 |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=September 11, 2015 |language=en-CA |url-access=registration |archive-date=December 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213101045/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/tech-news/30-things-to-love-about-mario-as-nintendos-star-turns-30/article26329371/ |url-status=live }}</ref> While working on ''Excitebike'' and ''Kung Fu'', he came up with the concept of a platformer that would have the player "strategize while scrolling sideways" over long distances, have aboveground and underground levels, and have colorful backgrounds rather than black backgrounds.<ref>{{cite AV media |people=[[Shigeru Miyamoto]] |date=December 2010 |title=Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary - Interview with Shigeru Miyamoto #2 |language=Japanese |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNa0M1gymgA |publisher=[[Nintendo Channel]] |access-date=April 12, 2021 |archive-date=August 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818032229/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNa0M1gymgA |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Super Mario Bros.'' used the fast scrolling [[game engine]] Miyamoto's team had originally developed for ''Excitebike'', which allowed Mario to smoothly [[accelerate]] from a walk to a run, rather than move at a constant speed like in earlier platformers.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=Andrew |title=History of Digital Games: Developments in Art, Design and Interaction |date=March 16, 2017 |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |isbn=978-1-317-50381-1 |pages=152–4}}</ref>

Miyamoto also wanted to create a game that would be the "final exclamation point" for the [[ROM cartridge]] format before the forthcoming [[Famicom Disk System]] was released.<ref name="Miyamoto Reveals All" /> Development for ''Super Mario Bros.'' began in the fall of 1984 at the same time as ''[[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'',<ref name="SMBDEV">{{cite web |url=http://us.wii.com/iwata_asks/nsmb/vol2_page2.jsp |title=Iwata Asks: New Super Mario Bros (Volume 2- It Started With a Square Object Moving) |first=Satoru |last=Iwata |date=2009 |access-date=October 25, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091215062341/http://us.wii.com/iwata_asks/nsmb/vol2_page3.jsp |archive-date=December 15, 2009 }}</ref> another Famicom game directed and designed by Miyamoto and released in Japan five months later, and the games shared some elements; for instance, the fire bars that appear in the ''Mario'' castle levels began as objects in ''Zelda''.<ref name=fascfacts>{{cite web |url=https://uproxx.com/viral/20-fascinating-facts-you-may-not-know-about-super-mario-bros/amp/ |title=20 Fascinating Facts You Might Not Know about 'Super Mario Bros.' |first=Nathan |last=Birch |date=April 24, 2014 |publisher=[[Uproxx]] |access-date=March 15, 2018 |archive-date=March 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316152251/https://uproxx.com/viral/20-fascinating-facts-you-may-not-know-about-super-mario-bros/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The development of ''Super Mario Bros.'' is an early example of [[Division of labor|specialization]] in the video game industry, made possible and necessary by the Famicom's arcade-capable hardware. Miyamoto designed the game world and led a team of seven programmers and artists who turned his ideas into code, sprites, music, and sound effects.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |first=Casey |last=O'Donnell |title=This Is Not A Software Industry |encyclopedia=The Video Game Industry: Formation, Present State, and Future |editor-first1=Peter |editor-last1=Zackariasson |editor-first2=Timothy L. |editor-last2=Wilson |publisher=Routledge |year=2012}}</ref> Developers of previous hit games joined the team in February 1985, importing many special programming techniques, features, and design refinements such as these: "''[[Donkey Kong (arcade1981 video game)|Donkey Kong]]''{{'}}s slopes, lifts, conveyor belts, and ladders; ''[[Donkey Kong Jr.]]''{{'}}s ropes, logs and springs; and ''Mario Bros.''{{'}}s enemy attacks, enemy movement, frozen platforms and POW Blocks".<ref name=Culmination/><ref name="SMBDK">{{cite web|url=https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/mario25th/4/3/|date=September 13, 2010|title=Iwata Asks: Super Mario 25th Anniversary, Vol. 5, Page 4|author=Satoru Iwata|work=[[Nintendo]]|access-date=April 17, 2024|archive-date=February 24, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230224035239/https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/mario25th/4/3/|url-status=live}}</ref>

''Super Mario Bros.'' was developed for a cartridge with 256 kilobits (32KiB) of program code and data and 64 kilobits (8KiB) of sprite and background graphics.<ref name=Culmination>{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Iwata-Asks/Super-Mario-Bros-25th-Anniversary/Vol-5-Original-Super-Mario-Developers/3-The-Grand-Culmination/3-The-Grand-Culmination-212856.html |title=Iwata Asks- Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary (3. The Grand Culmination) |publisher=[[Nintendo of America]] |access-date=March 15, 2018 |archive-date=September 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200929065111/https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Iwata-Asks/Super-Mario-Bros-25th-Anniversary/Vol-5-Original-Super-Mario-Developers/3-The-Grand-Culmination/3-The-Grand-Culmination-212856.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Due to this storage limitation, the designers happily considered their aggressive search for space-saving opportunities to be akin to their own fun television game show competition.<ref name=Culmination/> For instance, clouds and bushes in the game's backgrounds use that same sprite recolored,<ref name=fascfacts/> and background tiles are generated via an automatic algorithm.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/253377/The_long_shadow_of_Super_Mario_Bros.php|title=The long shadow of Super Mario Bros.|website=[[Gamasutra]]|first=Nathan|last=Altice|date=September 11, 2015|access-date=September 23, 2020|archive-date=September 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925040532/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/253377/The_long_shadow_of_Super_Mario_Bros.php|url-status=live}}</ref> Around July 1985, development time was extended to 3–4 weeks to adjust and fix memory bugs.<ref name=SMB85>{{cite video|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PygLhZ_dq78|date=December 7, 2010|title=Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary - Interview with Shigeru Miyamoto #1|author=Shigeru Miyamoto|work=[[Nintendo]]|access-date=October 30, 2024}}</ref> Sound effects were also recycled; the sound when Mario is damaged is the same as when he enters a pipe, and Mario jumping on an enemy is the same sound as each stroke when swimming.<ref name=simple/> After completing the game, the development team decided that they should introduce players with a simple, easy-to-defeat enemy rather than beginning the game with Koopa Troopas. By this point, the project had nearly run out of memory, so the designers created the Goombas by making a single static image and flipping it back and forth to save space while creating a convincing character animation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/wii/nsmb/1/5 |title=Iwata Asks- New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Volume 6: Applying A Single Idea To Both Land And Sky) |publisher=[[Nintendo of America]] |access-date=March 15, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927194716/http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/wii/nsmb/1/5 |archive-date=September 27, 2016 }}</ref> After the addition of the game's music, around 20 bytes of open cartridge space remained. Miyamoto used this remaining space to add a sprite of a [[Crown (headgear)|crown]] into the game, which would appear in the player's life counter as a reward for obtaining at least 10 lives.<ref name=Culmination/> After filling up left-over space, the game was released to manufacturing in August 1985.<ref>{{cite video|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aYiXbxgT30|date=September 13, 2020|title=The Development History of Super Mario Bros.: 35th Anniversary (Documentary/Retrospective)|author=VG Docs|work=[[YouTube]]|access-date=October 31, 2024}}</ref>

During the [[third generation of video game consoles]], tutorials on gameplay were rare. Instead, [[level design]] teaches players how a video game works. The opening section of ''Super Mario Bros.'' was therefore specifically designed in such a way that players would be forced to explore the mechanics of the game to be able to advance. Rather than confront the newly oriented player with obstacles, the first level of ''Super Mario Bros.'' lays down the variety of in-game hazards by means of repetition, iteration, and escalation.<ref name=1UP>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/features/learning-level-design-mario |website=[[1UP.com]] |title=Learning Through Level Design with Mario |last=Parish |first=Jeremy |year=2012 |access-date=May 1, 2016 |archive-date=March 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314102722/http://www.1up.com/features/learning-level-design-mario |url-status=dead }}</ref> The level was finished around July 1985, when development time was furthered by 3–4 weeks to finish the rest of the game.<ref name=SMB85/> In an interview with ''[[Eurogamer]]'', Miyamoto explained that he created World 1-1 to contain everything a player needs to "gradually and naturally understand what they're doing", so that they can quickly understand how the game works. According to Miyamoto, once players understand the mechanics of the game, they can play more freely and it becomes "their game".<ref name=Eurogamer>{{cite web |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-09-07-video-miyamoto-on-how-nintendo-made-marios-most-iconic-level |website=[[Eurogamer]] |title=Video: Miyamoto on how Nintendo made Mario's most iconic level |last=Robinson |first=Martin |date=September 7, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160321111454/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-09-07-video-miyamoto-on-how-nintendo-made-marios-most-iconic-level |archive-date=March 21, 2016 }}</ref><ref name=Gamasutra>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/253150/How_Miyamoto_built_Super_Mario_Bros_legendary_World_11.php |website=[[Gamasutra]] |title=How Miyamoto built ''Super Mario Bros.''{{'}} legendary World 1-1 |last=Kerr |first=Chris |date=September 8, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305081905/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/253150/How_Miyamoto_built_Super_Mario_Bros_legendary_World_11.php |archive-date=March 5, 2016 }}</ref>

The music of ''Super Mario Bros.'' is coordinated with the onscreen animations of the various sprites, which was one way which Kondo created a sense of greater immersion. Kondo was not the first to do this in a video game;, for instance, ''[[Space Invaders]]'' features a simple song that gets faster as the aliens speed up, eliciting a sense of stress and impending doom which matches the increasing challenge of the game.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Koji Kondo's Super Mario Bros. Soundtrack |last=Schartmann |first=Andrew |publisher=Bloomsbury |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-62892-853-2 |location=New York |pages=31}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite thesis |last=Laroche |first=G. |date=2012 |title=Analyzing musical Mario-media: Variations in the music of Super Mario video games |publisher=McGill University Libraries |isbn=978-0-494-84768-8|id={{ProQuest|1251652155}} }} (Order No. MR84768).</ref> Unlike most games at the time, for which composers were hired later in the process to add music to a nearly finished game, Kondo was a part of the development team almost from the beginning of production, working in tandem with the rest of the team to create the game's soundtrack. Kondo's compositions were largely influenced by the game's gameplay, intending for it to "heighten the feeling" of how the game controls.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Koji Kondo's Super Mario Bros. Soundtrack |last=Schartmann |first=Andrew |publisher=Bloomsbury |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-62892-853-2 |location=New York |pages=33}}</ref>

Before composition began, a prototype of the game was presented to Kondo in December 1984, so that he could get an idea of Mario's general environment and revolve the music around it.<ref name="16x32" /> Kondo wrote the score with the help of a small piano to create appropriate melodies to fit the game's environments. After the development of the game showed progress, Kondo began to feel that his music did not quite fit the pace of the game, sothus he changed it a bit by increasingincreased the songs' [[tempo]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3163588 |title=Super Mario Bros. Composer Koji Kondo Interview |work=1up.com |access-date=April 21, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104070559/http://www.1up.com/features/mario-maestro |archive-date=November 4, 2012 }}</ref> The music was further adjusted based on the expectations and feedback of Nintendo's playtesters[[playtest]]ers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gametrailers.com/video/japanese-soundtrack-super-mario/100665 |title=Super Mario Bros. Video Game, Japanese Soundtrack Illustration |work=[[GameTrailers]] |access-date=April 21, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100530065319/http://www.gametrailers.com/video/japanese-soundtrack-super-mario/100665 |archive-date=May 30, 2010 }}</ref>

Kondo later composed new music for the new ''Super Mario Bros.'' snow, desert, and forest level themes that appeared in the 2019 level-creator game ''[[Super Mario Maker 2]]''.<ref>{{YouTube|id=jPi-u0D8sQ4|t=464}}</ref>

Outside of Japan, ''Vs. Super Mario Bros.'' was officially released for arcades in overseas markets during early 1986, becoming the first version of the game to get a wide international release.<ref name="Top-Score-NES"/> The arcade game debuted at the 1986 [[Amusement Trades Exhibition International]] (ATEI) show in London,<ref name="CVG53">{{cite magazine |last1=Edgeley |first1=Clare |title=Arcade Action: Arcade Show '86 |magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]] |date=February 16, 1986 |issue=53 (March 1986) |publisher=[[EMAP]] |location=United Kingdom |pages=82–83 (83) |url=https://www.solvalou.com/arcade/reviews/31/344 |access-date=March 29, 2021 |archive-date=April 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411185657/https://solvalou.com/arcade/reviews/31/344 |url-status=live }}</ref> held in January 1986;<ref name="Play-Meter">{{cite magazine |title=News |magazine=[[Play Meter]] |date=January 15, 1986 |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=7, 28 |url=https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-12-number-1-january-15th-1986-600DPI/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2012%2C%20Number%201%20-%20January%2015th%201986%20%28Compressed%29/page/7}}</ref> this was the first appearance of ''Super Mario Bros.'' in Europe.<ref name="CVG53"/> The arcade game then received a wide international release for overseas markets outside of Japan in February 1986,<ref name="Akagi"/> initially in the form of a [[ROM]] software conversion kit.<ref name="GM282"/> In North America, the game was featured in an official contest during the ACME convention in Chicago, held in March 1986, becoming a popular attraction at the show.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Nintendo Names 'Ca$h Grab' Winners |magazine=[[Cash Box]] |date=April 19, 1986 |volume=49 |issue=44 |location=United States |page=37 |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Cash-Box/80s/1986/CB-1986-04-19.pdf |access-date=August 20, 2017}}</ref> It soon drew a loyal following across North American arcades,<ref name="Top-Score-NES"/> and appeared as the eighth top-grossing arcade video game on the US ''[[Play Meter]]'' arcade charts in May 1986.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=National Play Meter |magazine=[[Play Meter]] |date=July 15, 1986 |volume=12 |issue=12 |pages=74–5 |url=https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-12-number-12-july-15th-1986-600dpi/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2012%2C%20Number%2012%20-%20July%2015th%201986%20%28Compressed%29/page/74}}</ref> It went on to sell 20,000 arcade units within a few months, becoming the bestselling Nintendo VS. System release,<ref name="Horowitz">{{cite book |last1=Horowitz |first1=Ken |title=Beyond Donkey Kong: A History of Nintendo Arcade Games |date=July 30, 2020 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |isbn=978-1-4766-4176-8 |page=156 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UXD0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA156 |access-date=April 2, 2021 |archive-date=April 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430185541/https://books.google.com/books?id=UXD0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA156 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Gaming Gossip... |work=Top Score |date=Fall 1986 |publisher=Amusement Players Association |url=https://archive.org/details/1986FallTopScore/page/n2}}</ref> with each unit consistently earning an average of more than $200 per week.<ref name="Horowitz"/> It became the thirteenth highest-grossing [[1986 in video games|arcade game of 1986]] in the United States according to the annual ''RePlay'' arcade chart, which was topped by [[Sega]]'s ''[[Hang-On]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Top 20 of 1986 |work=Top Score |date=July–August 1987 |publisher=Amusement Players Association |page=3 |url=http://www.videoparadise-sanjose.com/ts-3.htm |access-date=April 4, 2021 |archive-date=May 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512115753/http://www.videoparadise-sanjose.com/ts-3.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In Europe, it became a very popular arcade game in 1986.<ref name=":7">{{Cite magazine|last=Edgeley|first=Clare|title=Arcade Action|magazine=Computer and Video Games|issue=63 (January 1987)|date=December 16, 1986|publisher=[[EMAP]]|location=United Kingdom|issn=0261-3697|pages=138–9|url=https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-063/page/n137/mode/2up}}</ref> The arcade version introduced ''Super Mario Bros.'' to many players who did not own a Nintendo Entertainment System.<ref name="Horowitz"/>

{{Anchor|All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros.}}{{Nihongo foot|'''''All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros.''''',|オールナイトニッポン スーパーマリオブラザーズ|Ōrunaito Nippon Sūpā Mario Burazāzu|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} a promotional, graphically modified version of ''Super Mario Bros.'', was officially released in Japan in December 1986 for the [[Famicom Disk System]] as a promotional item given away by the popular Japanese radio show ''[[All Night Nippon]]''. The game was published by [[Fuji Television|Fuji TV]], which later published ''[[Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic]]''. The game features graphics based upon the show, with sprites of the enemies, mushroom retainers, and other characters being changed to look like famous Japanese music idols, recording artists, DJs, and other people related to ''All- Night Nippon''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fletcher |first1=JC |title=Virtually Overlooked: All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros. |url=https://www.engadget.com/2008/08/14/virtually-overlooked-all-night-nippon-super-mario-bros/ |website=Engadget |date=July 15, 2016 |access-date=April 15, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170415203007/https://www.engadget.com/2008/08/14/virtually-overlooked-all-night-nippon-super-mario-bros/ |archive-date=April 15, 2017 }}</ref> The game makes use of the same slightly upgraded graphics and alternate physics featured in the Japanese release of ''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels|Super Mario Bros. 2]]''. The modern collector market considers it extremely rare, selling for nearly $500, {{as of|2010|lc=yes}} ({{Inflation|US|500|2010|fmt=eq}}).<ref name="Nintendo Hax">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2010/10/nintendo-hacks-super-mario-bros-for-limited-edition-wii/ |title=Nintendo Hacks Super Mario Bros. for Limited-Edition Wii |first=Chris |last=Kohler |date=October 7, 2010 |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |access-date=February 19, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220092340/https://www.wired.com/2010/10/nintendo-hacks-super-mario-bros-for-limited-edition-wii/ |archive-date=February 20, 2018 }}</ref>

''Super Mario Bros. Deluxe'' was released on the [[Game Boy Color]] on May 10, 1999, in North America and Europe, and in 2000 in Japan exclusively to the [[Nintendo Power (cartridge)|Nintendo Power]] retail service.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nintendo.com/gb/smb/index.html |title=Super Mario Bros |work=Game List |publisher=[[Nintendo of America]] |access-date=September 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990427071314/http://www.nintendo.com/gb/smb/index.html |archive-date=April 27, 1999}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/gbc/action/supermariodx/index.html?tag=result;title;0 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120702214351/http://www.gamespot.com/gbc/action/supermariodx/index.html?tag=result;title;0 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 2, 2012 |title=Game Boy Color: Super Mario Bros. Deluxe |access-date=August 27, 2008 |website=GameSpot }}</ref> Based on the original ''Super Mario Bros.'', it features an [[overworld]] level map, simultaneous multiplayer, a Challenge mode in which the player finds hidden objects and achieves a certain score in addition to normally completing the level, and eight additional worlds based on the main worlds of the Japanese 1986 game ''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels|Super Mario Bros. 2]]''. Compared to ''Super Mario Bros.'', the game features a few minor visual upgrades such as water and lava now being animated rather than static, and a smaller screen due to the lower resolution of the Game Boy Color.<ref name=":2">{{cite web |last1last=July 2016Mason |first1first=GamesRadar Staff 27Graeme |title=The best Game Boy games of all time |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/best-game-boy-games-all-time/2/ |website=gamesradar.com |date=July 27, 2016 |access-date=July 16, 2020 |language=en |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807193206/https://www.gamesradar.com/best-game-boy-games-all-time/2/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

''SuperThe Mario Bros.''game has been re-released for several of Nintendo's game systems as a part of their [[Virtual Console]] line of emulated classic video game releases. It was first released for the [[Wii]] on December 2, 2006, in Japan, December 25, 2006, in North America and January 5, 2007, in [[PAL]] regions. The release is a complete emulation of the original game, meaning that nothing is changed from its original NES release.<ref name="gs vcReview" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://wii.ign.com/articles/770/770594p1.html |title=Super Mario Bros. VC Review |access-date=November 30, 2008 |last=Birnbaum |first=Mark |date=March 6, 2007 |website=IGN |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207094043/http://wii.ign.com/articles/770/770594p1.html |archive-date=December 7, 2008 }}</ref> This version of the game is also one of the "trial games" made available in the "Masterpieces" section in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', where it can be demoed for a limited amount of time.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/gamemode/various/various23.html |title=Masterpieces |access-date=January 25, 2008 |work=Smash Bros. DOJO!! |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080128095218/http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/gamemode/various/various23.html |archive-date=January 28, 2008 }}</ref>

| award1 = [[1986 in video games|Best Video Game of 1986]]<ref name="Award"/><ref name="Horowitz"/>

''Super Mario Bros.'' was immensely successful, both commercially and critically. It helped popularize the [[Side-scrolling video game|side-scrolling]] platform game genre,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Minotti |first1=Mike |title=Super Mario Bros. is 30 years old today and deserves our thanks |url=https://venturebeat.com/2015/09/13/super-mario-bros-is-30-years-old-today-and-deserves-our-thanks/ |access-date=May 31, 2016 |work=VentureBeat |date=September 13, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310184529/http://venturebeat.com/2015/09/13/super-mario-bros-is-30-years-old-today-and-deserves-our-thanks/ |archive-date=March 10, 2016 }}</ref> and served as a [[killer app]] for the NES.<ref name="Spot"/><ref name="ACE"/> Upon release in Japan, {{nowrap|1.2 million}} copies were sold during its September 1985 release month.<ref name="DeMaria">{{cite book |last1=DeMaria |first1=Rusel |title=High Score! Expanded: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games 3rd Edition |date=December 7, 2018 |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |isbn=978-0-429-77139-2 |page=1611 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dAF-DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT1611 |quote=13 September 1985: Friday the 13th, a traditionally unlucky day in America but not in Japan. Nintendo releases Super Mario Bros. for the Famicom. It sells 1,200,000 copies by the end of the month. |access-date=December 1, 2021 |archive-date=December 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201213341/https://books.google.com/books?id=dAF-DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT1611 |url-status=live }}</ref> Within four months, about {{nowrap|3 million}} copies were sold in Japan,<ref name="Yoke">{{cite magazine |title=The Yoke |magazine=The Yoke |date=1985 |issue=9–25 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-RwOAQAAMAAJ |publisher=Yokohama Association for International Communications and Exchanges |quote="Super Mario Brothers" is one of the family computer games which is enjoying huge popularity among the children of Japan. More than three million of these games have been sold. |access-date=February 23, 2021 |archive-date=October 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023215952/https://books.google.com/books?id=-RwOAQAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Guardian">{{cite news |title=Where every home game turns out to be a winner |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18547690/the-guardian/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-access=registration |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=March 6, 1986 |pages=15 |quote=Games cost 4,900 yen each (£19) but are discounted to 3,800 yen (£14.50) in Akihabara and similar shopping areas. Nintendo offers 31 cartridges, with the most popular {{mdash}} Super Mario Bros {{mdash}} selling over three million. |access-date=February 23, 2021 |archive-date=October 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211003220523/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18547690/the-guardian/ |url-status=live }}</ref> grossing more than {{¥|12.2 billion}}, equivalent to {{US$|72&nbsp;million|long=no}} at the time<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Japan Quarterly |magazine=Japan Quarterly |date=1986 |page=296 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7Y8MAQAAMAAJ |via=[[Google Books]] |url-access=registration |publisher=Asahi Shinbun |quote=Nevertheless, Nintendo can claim among its successes Japan's current game best seller, Super Mario Brothers. Introduced in September 1985, sales of the ¥4,900 game soared to {{nowrap|2.5 million}} copies in just four months, generating revenues of more than {{¥|12.2 billion}} (about {{US$|72&nbsp;million|long=no}}). |access-date=February 23, 2021 |archive-date=March 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310164054/https://books.google.com/books?id=7Y8MAQAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> (which is inflation-adjusted to ${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|72000000|1985|r=0}}|long=no}} in {{Inflation-year|USD}}). The success of ''Super Mario Bros.'' helped increase Famicom sales to {{nowrap|6.2 million}} units by January 1986.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Overseas Readers Column: Coin-Op "Super Mario" Will Ship To Overseas|magazine=[[:ja:ゲームマシン|Game Machine]]|issue=278|publisher=[[:ja:アミューズメント通信社|Amusement Press, Inc.]]|date=March 1, 1986|page=24|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860301p.pdf#page=13|access-date=May 30, 2021|archive-date=April 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417062723/https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860301p.pdf#page=13|url-status=live}}</ref> By 1987, {{nowrap|5 million}} copies of the game had been sold for the Famicom.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Business Week |magazine=[[Business Week]] |date=1987 |issue=3024–32 |page=2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h_0dAQAAMAAJ |publisher=Bloomberg L.P. |quote=Nintendo's huge fami-com owner base, where a megahit like Super Mario Bros. can sell {{nowrap|5 million}} copies. |access-date=February 23, 2021 |archive-date=March 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305163555/https://books.google.com/books?id=h_0dAQAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> Outside of Japan, many were introduced to the game through the arcade version,<ref name="Top-Score-NES"/><ref name="Horowitz"/><ref name="CVG53"/> which became the bestselling Nintendo Vs. System release with 20,000 arcade units sold within a few months in early 1986.<ref name="Horowitz"/> In the United States, more than {{nowrap|1 million}} copies of the NES version were sold in 1986,<ref>{{cite book |last1=DeMaria |first1=Rusel |last2=Meston |first2=Zach |title=Super Mario World Game Secrets |year=1991 |publisher=[[Prima Publishing]] |isbn=978-1-55958-156-1 |page=6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p0oScS_WCuEC |quote=Super Mario Bros. featured Mario in a romp through eight delightfully varied worlds, each one jam-packed with action and adventure. The game sold more than one million copies in 1986 alone. (Today, Super Mario Bros. comes packaged with the NES.) |access-date=February 23, 2021 |archive-date=March 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305163557/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Super_Mario_World_Game_Secrets/p0oScS_WCuEC |url-status=live }}</ref> more than {{nowrap|4 million}} by 1988,<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Belson |first1=Eve |title=A Chip off the Old Silicon Block |magazine=[[Orange Coast Magazine]] |date=December 1988 |volume=14 |issue=12 |pages=87–90 |url={{Google Books | id=82AEAAAAMBAJ | page=90 | plainurl=yes}} | via=[[Google Books]] | publisher=[[Emmis Communications]] |issn=0279-0483}}</ref> {{nowrap|9.1 million}} by mid-1989,<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The rise and rise of Nintendo |magazine=[[New Computer Express]] |date=August 3, 1989 |issue=39 (August 5, 1989) |page=2 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/1/1d/NewComputerExpress_UK_039.pdf#page=2 |access-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924191058/https://retrocdn.net/images/1/1d/NewComputerExpress_UK_039.pdf#page=2 |url-status=live }}</ref> more than {{nowrap|18.7 million}} by early 1990,<ref>{{cite news|last=Dretzka|first=Gary|url=httphttps://articleswww.chicagotribune.com/1990-/03-/29/features/9001260411_1_nintendous-spokeswomanparents-mushroomget-kingdomready-gamefor-boythe-3rd-invasion-of-super-mario-bros/|title=U.S. Parents! Get Ready For The 3rd Invasion Of Super Mario Bros.|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=March 29, 1990|access-date=July 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418032359/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-03-29/features/9001260411_1_nintendo-spokeswoman-mushroom-kingdom-game-boy|archive-date=April 18, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> nearly {{nowrap|19 million}} by April 1990,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rothstein |first1=Edward |title=Electronics Notebook; Adventures in Never-Never Land |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/26/garden/electronics-notebook-adventures-never-never-land-revenge-shinobi-ninja-without.html |access-date=September 23, 2021 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 26, 1990 |archive-date=December 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209050825/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/26/garden/electronics-notebook-adventures-never-never-land-revenge-shinobi-ninja-without.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and more than {{nowrap|20 million}} by 1991.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rich |first1=Jason |title=A Parent's Guide to Video Games: A Practical Guide to Selecting and Managing Home Video Games |date=1991 |publisher=DMS |isbn=978-0-9625057-7-5 |page=20 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x1rdd48kWGoC |quote=U.S. version of SUPER MARIO BROTHERS, which has sold over 20 million copies. |access-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924153007/https://books.google.com/books?id=x1rdd48kWGoC |url-status=live }}</ref> More than {{nowrap|40 million}} copies of the original NES version had been sold worldwide by 1994,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Schnaars |first1=Steven P. |title=Managing Imitation Strategies |date=September 30, 1994 |publisher=[[Free Press (publisher)|Free Press]] |isbn=978-0-02-928105-5 |page=181 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=haG7AAAAIAAJ |quote=In 1986, its first year of sales, Nintendo sold {{nowrap|1.1 million}} NES units, largely on the strength of Super Mario Brothers, a game that eventually sold {{nowrap|40 million}} copies. |access-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-date=March 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305163557/https://books.google.com/books?id=haG7AAAAIAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> and {{nowrap|40.23 million}} by April 2000, for which it was awarded the [[Guinness World Record]] for the [[List of best-selling video games|best-selling video game]] of all time.<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Computer Games: Best-Selling Computer Games |title=[[Guinness World Records|Guinness World Records 2001]] |date=2000 |publisher=Guinness |isbn=978-0-85112-102-4 |page=120 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec00enfi/page/120}}</ref>

Altogether, excluding ports and re-releases, 40.24&nbsp; million copies of the original NES release have been sold worldwide,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fox |first1=Glen |title=Guide: The Best Mario Games - Every Super Mario Game Ranked |url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/07/guide_the_best_mario_games_-_every_super_mario_game_ranked?page=2 |website=[[Nintendo Life]] |access-date=July 29, 2018 |page=2 |date=July 29, 2018 |archive-date=July 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180729141529/http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/07/guide_the_best_mario_games_-_every_super_mario_game_ranked?page=2 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Mario Sales Data">{{cite news |url=https://amp.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/sep/13/games-gameculture |title=Super Mario Bros: 25 Mario facts for the 25th anniversary |first=Keith |last=Stewart |date=September 13, 2010 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=March 14, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825023929/https://amp.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/sep/13/games-gameculture |archive-date=August 25, 2017 }}</ref> with 29&nbsp; million copies sold in North America.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.co.uk/super-mario-bros/pictures/super-mario-facts |title=25 crazy facts about mario that change everything |publisher=[[MTV]] |access-date=March 15, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316152054/http://www.mtv.co.uk/super-mario-bros/pictures/super-mario-facts |archive-date=March 16, 2018 }}</ref> Including ports and re-releases, more than {{nowrap|58 million}} units had been sold worldwide.{{efn|More than {{nowrap|50 million}} units of ''Super Mario Bros.'' had been sold worldwide as of 1996.<ref>{{cite web |title=The History of Mario: A look in Mario's roots may help gamers see Nintendo's famous mascot within a bigger framework |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1996/10/01/the-history-of-mario |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020311212658/http://ign64.ign.com/articles/060/060310p1.html |access-date=February 22, 2021 |website=[[IGN]] |date=September 30, 1996 |url-status=live |archive-date=March 11, 2002 |quote=Nintendo's first U.S. home videogame console, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was released in 1985 with Mario starring in Super Mario Bros. The legendary title has gone on to sell more than 50 million units worldwide.}}</ref> 660,000 units were later sold on [[Wii Virtual Console]],<ref name="vc">{{cite news |last1=Hatfield |first1=Daemon |title=WiiWare, Virtual Console Sales Exposed |url=https://ign.com/articles/2010/02/23/wiiware-virtual-console-sales-exposed |access-date=January 27, 2019 |work=[[IGN]] |date=February 23, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323023814/https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/02/23/wiiware-virtual-console-sales-exposed |archive-date=March 23, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]]'' version sold {{nowrap|5.07 million}} units on [[Game Boy Color]], and ''[[Classic NES Series]]'' port sold {{nowrap|2.27 million}} units on [[Game Boy Advance]].<ref name="whitepaper">{{cite book |title=2004 CESAゲーム白書 (2004 CESA Games White Paper) |date=July 2004 |isbn=4-902346-04-4 |pages=58–63 |publisher=[[Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association]] }}</ref>}} The game was the all-time bestselling game for more than 20 years until its lifetime sales were ultimately surpassed by ''[[Wii Sports]]'' (2006).<ref>{{cite web |title=Getting That "Resort Feel" |url=http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/wii/wiisportsresort/0/3 |work=Iwata Asks: Wii Sports Resort |publisher=Nintendo |quote=As it comes free with every Wii console outside Japan, I'm not quite sure if calling it "World Number One" is exactly the right way to describe it, but in any case it's surpassed the record set by Super Mario Bros., which was unbroken for over twenty years. |page=4 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927194716/http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/wii/wiisportsresort/0/3 |archive-date=September 27, 2016 }}</ref> The game's Wii Virtual Console release was also successful, reaching number 1 by mid-2007,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2007/06/nintendo-announces-4-7-million-virtual-console-games-sold-mario-rules-the-top-five-list/ |title=Nintendo announces 4.7 million Virtual Console games sold, Mario rules the top five list |website=[[Ars Technica]] |date=June 1, 2007 |first=Ben |last=Kuchera |access-date=April 19, 2018 |archive-date=April 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180420074245/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2007/06/nintendo-announces-4-7-million-virtual-console-games-sold-mario-rules-the-top-five-list/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and at an estimated 660,000 units for {{US$|3.2&nbsp;million|long=no}} outside of Japan and Korea in 2009.<ref name="vc"/> In August 2021, an anonymous buyer paid {{US$|2 million|long=no}} for a never-opened copy of ''Super Mario Bros.,'' according to collectibles site ''Rally'', surpassing the {{US$|1.56&nbsp;million|long=no}} sales record set by ''[[Super Mario 64]]'' the previous month.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Browning|first=Kellen|date=August 6, 2021|title=A Super Mario Bros. game sells for $2 million, another record for gaming collectibles.|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/06/business/super-mario-bros-sale-record.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/06/business/super-mario-bros-sale-record.html |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |url-access=limited|access-date=August 9, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Clare Edgeley of ''[[Computer and Video Games]]'' gave the arcade version a positive review upon its [[Amusement Trades Exhibition International|ATEI]] 1986 debut. She felt the graphics were simple compared to other arcade games (such as Sega's ''[[Space Harrier]]'' at the same ATEI show), but was surprised at the depth of gameplay, including its length, number of hidden secrets, and the high degree of dexterity it required. She predicted that the game would be a major success.<ref name="CVG53"/> In the fall of 1986, ''Top Score'' newsletter reviewed ''Vs. Super Mario Bros.'' for arcades, calling it "without a doubt one of the best games" of the year and stating that it combined "a variety of proven play concepts" with "a number of new twists" to the gameplay.<ref name="Top-Score-ARC">{{cite news |title=Strategy Session: How to Master Vs. Super Mario Bros. |work=Top Score |date=Fall 1986 |publisher=[[U.S. National Video Game Team|Amusement Players Association]] |url=https://archive.org/details/1986FallTopScore/page/n8}}</ref> The arcade game received the award for the "[[1986 in video games|Best Video Game of 1986]]" at the [[U.S. National Video Game Team|Amusement Players Association]]'s Players Choice Awards, held during their first US [[esports|national competition]] in January 1987 where the game was popular among arcade players.<ref name="Award">{{cite news |title=Amusement Players Association's Players Choice Awards |work=Top Score |date=Winter 1987 |publisher=Amusement Players Association |url=https://archive.org/details/1987WinterTopScore/page/n19}}</ref><ref name="Horowitz"/>

Reviewing the NES version, the "Video Game Update" segment of ''[[Computer Entertainer]]'' magazine in June 1986 praised the "cute and comical" graphics, lively music and most of all its depth of play, including the amount of hidden surprises and discoveries. The review said it was worthy of "a spot in the hall of fame reserved for truly addictive action games" and was a "must-have" NES game.<ref name="Entertainer">{{cite magazine |title=The Video Game Update: Super Mario Bros. |magazine=[[Computer Entertainer]] |date=June 1986 |volume=5 |issue=3 |page=12 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/7/75/ComputerEntertainer_US_Vol.5_03.pdf#page=12 |access-date=March 29, 2021 |archive-date=May 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516212107/https://retrocdn.net/images/7/75/ComputerEntertainer_US_Vol.5_03.pdf#page=12 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://kotaku.com/the-first-and-only-review-of-super-mario-bros-1512006398 |title=The First and Only English-Language Review of Super Mario Bros |last1=Hamilton |first1=Kirk |website=Kotaku |date=January 30, 2014 |access-date=October 17, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180122125652/https://kotaku.com/the-first-and-only-review-of-super-mario-bros-1512006398 |archive-date=January 22, 2018 }}</ref> By that September, teenage videogame journalist [[Rawson Stovall]] declared in his syndicated column, "[The game's universe and plot] elements...[help] develop [a] special style that makes [playing it] a must."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stovall |first1=Rawson |author1-link=Rawson Stovall |title=Adventure has met its match |url=https://newspapers.com/article/abilene-reporter-news-super-mario-bros/148399373/ |access-date=2024-05-30 |work=[[Abilene Reporter-News]] |department=Video Beat |date=1986-09-12 |page=2D |url-access=registration |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |archive-date=May 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240530233353/https://www.newspapers.com/article/abilene-reporter-news-super-mario-bros/148399373/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Top Score'' also reviewed the NES version in early 1987, noting that it is mostly the same as the arcade version and stating that it was "a near-perfect game" with simple play mechanics, "hundreds of incentives" and hidden surprises, an "ever-changing" environment, colorful graphics and "skillfully blended" music.<ref name="Top-Score-NES"/>

*{{cite web |url=http://top100.ign.com/2005/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/2014120712025020120517090253/http://top100.ign.com/20032005/index.html |archive-date=DecemberMay 717, 20142012 |title=IGN's Top 100 Games of All Time |website=[[IGN]] |year=20032005 |access-date=DecemberOctober 179, 20142024 }}

*{{cite magazine |url=httphttps://techland.time.com/2012/11/15/all-time-100-video-games/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307075016/http://techland.time.com/2012/11/15/all-time-100-video-games/ |archive-date=March 7, 2016 |title=All-TIME 100 Video Games |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=November 15, 2012 |access-date=October 28, 2017 }}

*{{cite web |url=httphttps://time.com/4458554/best-video-games-all-time/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160830154639/http://time.com/4458554/best-video-games-all-time/ |archive-date=August 30, 2016 |last1=Peckham |first1=Matt |last2=Eadicicco |first2=Lisa |last3=Fitzpatrick |first3=Alex |last4=Vella |first4=Matt |last5=Patrick Pullen |first5=John |last6=Raab |first6=Josh |last7=Grossman |first7=Lev |date=August 23, 2016 |title=The 50 Best Video Games of All Time |access-date=August 30, 2016 }}

* {{cite magazine|title=The Top 300 Games of All Time |magazine=Game Informer |issue=300 |date=April 2018}}</ref> ''[[Nintendo Power]]'' named it the fourth best NES game, describing it as the beginning of the modern era of video games and "Shigeru Miyamoto's masterpiece".<ref>{{cite magazine |date=August 2008 |title=Nintendo Power – The 20th Anniversary Issue! |volume=231 |magazine=[[Nintendo Power]] |issue=231 |page=71 |publisher=[[Future US]] |location=San Francisco, California}}</ref> ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' ranked it first on its list of the "Greatest 200 Games of Their Time".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=10&cId=3147448 |title=The Greatest 200 Videogames of Their Time |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |access-date=August 27, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629011651/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=10&cId=3147448 |archive-date=June 29, 2012 }}</ref> ''[[Official Nintendo Magazine]]'' also award the game first place in a 2009 list of greatest Nintendo games of all time.<ref name="100-ONM">{{cite web|url=http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/7327/features/100-best-nintendo-games-part-6/ |title=100 Best Nintendo Games – Part Six |work=[[Official Nintendo Magazine]] |publisher=[[Future plc]] |first=Tom |last=East |access-date=September 9, 2022 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110220232113/http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/7327/features/100-best-nintendo-games-part-6 |archive-date=February 20, 2011 }}</ref> ''[[IGN]]'' included it in its lists of the best 100 games in 2005 and 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://top100.ign.com/2005/001-010.html |title=IGN's Top 100 Games |year=2005 |website=IGN |access-date=August 27, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150228044210/http://top100.ign.com/2005/001-010.html |archive-date=February 28, 2015 }}</ref> In 1997, ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' named the ''All-Stars'' version of ''Super Mario Bros.'' the 37th best game of all time.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=100 Best Games of All Time |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=100 |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |date=November 1997|pages=134, 136}} Note: Contrary to the title, the intro to the article explicitly states that the list covers console video games only, meaning PC games and arcade games were not eligible.</ref> In 2009, ''[[Game Informer]]'' named ''Super Mario Bros.'' the second greatest game of all time, behind ''[[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'', saying that it "remains a monument to brilliant design and fun gameplay".<ref name="gi_best">{{cite magazine |author=Staff |title=The Top 200 Games of All Time |pages=44–79 |issue=200 |date=December 2009 |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |issn=1067-6392 |oclc=27315596}}</ref> The ''Game Informer'' staff also ranked it the second best in their 2001 list of the top 100 games.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Game Informer's Top 100 Games of All Time (Circa Issue 100) |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/11/16/game-informer-s-top-100-games-of-all-time-circa-issue-100.aspx |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |last=Cork |first=Jeff |date=November 16, 2009 |access-date=December 10, 2013 |url-status=livedead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160219152324/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/11/16/game-informer-s-top-100-games-of-all-time-circa-issue-100.aspx |archive-date=February 19, 2016 }}</ref> In 2012, ''G4'' ranked ''Super Mario Bros.'' the best video game of all time, citing its revolutionary gameplay and its role in helping recover the North American gaming industry from the [[Videovideo Gamegame Crashcrash of 1983]].<ref name="G4">{{cite web |url=http://www.g4tv.com/top-100/478/super-mario-bros/ |title=G4TV's Top 100 Games – 1 Super Mario Bros |year=2012 |website=[[G4 (U.S. TV channel)|G4TV]] |access-date=June 27, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231015942/http://www.g4tv.com/top-100/478/super-mario-bros/ |archive-date=December 31, 2013 }}</ref> In 2014, ''IGN'' named ''Super Mario Bros.'' the best Nintendo game, saying it was "the most important Nintendo game ever made".<ref name="Top 125 Nintendo Games">{{cite web |website=IGN |title=The Top 125 Nintendo Games of All Time |date=September 24, 2014 |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/09/24/the-top-125-nintendo-games-of-all-time |access-date=September 26, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150324190126/http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/09/24/the-top-125-nintendo-games-of-all-time |archive-date=March 24, 2015 }}</ref>{{rp|9}} In 2005, ''IGN'' named it the greatest video game of all time.<ref name="Top 100"/> In 2015, [[The Strong National Museum of Play]] inducted ''Super Mario Bros.'' to its [[World Video Game Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Super Mario Bros. |url=https://www.museumofplay.org/games/super-mario-bros/ |website=[[The Strong National Museum of Play]] |publisher=[[The Strong]] |access-date=May 6, 2022 |archive-date=May 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506141855/https://www.museumofplay.org/games/super-mario-bros/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2017, [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] ranked it the eighth best ''Super Mario'' game, crediting it for starting "this franchise's habit of being an exception to so many rules".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2017/11/8/16621744/the-best-mario-games |title=Ranking the core Super Mario games |first=Jeremy |last=Parish |date=November 8, 2017 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |access-date=April 19, 2018 |archive-date=April 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419162551/https://www.polygon.com/features/2017/11/8/16621744/the-best-mario-games |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2018, ''[[Business Insider]]'' named it the second best ''Super Mario'' game.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://amp.businessinsider.com/best-super-mario-games-2017-12|title=RANKED: The 10 best Super Mario games of all time|website=businessinsider.com|access-date=June 13, 2018|archive-date=June 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613210545/https://amp.businessinsider.com/best-super-mario-games-2017-12|url-status=live}}</ref>

The game's success helped to push Mario as a worldwide [[cultural icon]]; in 1990, a study taken in North America suggested that more children in the United States were familiar with Mario than they were with [[Mickey Mouse]], another popular media character.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1993-05-18/features/1993138174_1_mario-nintendo-mickey-mouse |title=How Mario Conquered America |first=James |last=Coates |date=May 18, 1993 |work=[[The Chicago Tribune]] |access-date=February 7, 2018 |url-status=livedead |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20151123103152/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1993-05-18/features/1993138174_1_mario-nintendo-mickey-mouse |archive-date=November 23, 2015 }}</ref> The game's musical score composed by Koji Kondo, particularly the game's "overworld" theme, has also become a prevalent aspect of popular culture, with the latter theme being featured in nearly every single ''Super Mario'' game.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/9bgkyv/exclusive-read-an-excerpt-from-the-new-33-13-book-on-koji-kondos-super-mario-bros-soundtrack-900 |title=The Philosophy Behind Koji Kondo's Legendary 'Super Mario Bros.' Soundtrack |last=Diver|first=Mike|website=Vice|date=July 14, 2015 |access-date=February 7, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208004749/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/9bgkyv/exclusive-read-an-excerpt-from-the-new-33-13-book-on-koji-kondos-super-mario-bros-soundtrack-900 |archive-date=February 8, 2018 }}</ref> Alongside the NES platform, ''Super Mario Bros.'' is often credited for having resurrected the [[video game industry]] after the [[Video game crash of 1983|market crash of 1983]].<ref name="Top 100">{{cite web |url=http://top100.ign.com/2005/001-010.html |title=IGN's Top 100 Games |work=ign.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150228044210/http://top100.ign.com/2005/001-010.html |archive-date=February 28, 2015 |access-date=February 13, 2018 }}</ref> In the [[United States Supreme Court]] case ''[[Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association]]'', the [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]] submitted an ''amicus'' brief which supported overturning a law which would have banned violent video games in the state of California. The brief cited social research that declared several games, including ''Super Mario Bros.'', to contain cartoon violence similar to that of children's programs such as ''[[Mighty Mouse]]'' and ''[[Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner|Road Runner]]'' that garnered little negative reaction from the public.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hoffman |first=Gene |title=How the Wrong Decision in ''Schwarzenegger v. EMA'' Could Cripple Video Game Innovation |work=Xconomy.com |date=September 27, 2010 |access-date=September 27, 2010 |url=http://www.xconomy.com/san-francisco/2010/09/27/how-the-wrong-decision-in-schwarzenegger-v-ema-could-cripple-video-game-innovation/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100930150915/http://www.xconomy.com/san-francisco/2010/09/27/how-the-wrong-decision-in-schwarzenegger-v-ema-could-cripple-video-game-innovation/ |archive-date=September 30, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Schwarzenegger |first=Arnold |author-link=Arnold Schwarzenegger |date=September 2010 |title=Brief of the Progress & Freedom Foundation and the Electronic Frontier Foundation as ''Amici Curiae'' in Support of Respondents |url=https://www.eff.org/files/filenode/schwarzenegger_v/EFFPFFamicus.pdf |access-date=October 5, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101009033941/http://www.eff.org/files/filenode/schwarzenegger_v/EFFPFFamicus.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2010 }}</ref>

''Super Mario Bros.'' inspired several [[fangame]]s. In 2009, developer SwingSwing released ''[[Tuper Tario Tros]]'', a game which combines elements of ''Super Mario Bros.'' with ''[[Tetris]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=McWhertor|first=Michael|title=Tuper Tario Tros. Puts A Little Tetris In Your Mushroom Kingdom|url=http://kotaku.com/5436334/tuper-tario-tros-puts-a-little-tetris-in-your-mushroom-kingdom|website=[[Kotaku]]|access-date=January 20, 2014|date=December 29, 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201185620/http://kotaku.com/5436334/tuper-tario-tros-puts-a-little-tetris-in-your-mushroom-kingdom|archive-date=February 1, 2014}}</ref><ref name=edge>{{cite web|last=Donlan|first=Chris|title=Tuper Tario Tros.|url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/friday-game-tuper-tario-tros|work=Edge|access-date=January 20, 2014|date=September 2, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328080922/http://www.edge-online.com/features/friday-game-tuper-tario-tros |archive-date=March 28, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[Super Mario Bros. Crossover]]'', a PC fangame developed by Jay Pavlina and released in 2010 as a free browser-based game, is a full recreation of ''Super Mario Bros.'' that allows the player to alternatively control various other characters from Nintendo games, including [[Mega Man (character)|Mega Man]], [[Link (The Legend of Zelda)|Link]] from ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'', [[Samus Aran]] from ''[[Metroid]]'', and [[Simon Belmont]] from ''[[Castlevania]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://gamerant.com/super-mario-bros-crossover-game-benk-19406/|title=GR Pick: Super Mario Bros. Crossover Game|date=April 29, 2010|newspaper=Game Rant|access-date=June 15, 2018|archive-date=June 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615111000/https://gamerant.com/super-mario-bros-crossover-game-benk-19406/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Mari0]]'', released in December 2012, combines elements of the game with that of ''[[Portal (video game)|Portal]]'' (2007) by giving Mario a portal-making gun with which to teleport through the level,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/5835600/mari0-puts-a-portal-gun-in-super-mario-bros|title=Mari0 Is What Happens When Mario Gets a Portal Gun|first=Michael|last=McWhertor|website=kotaku.com|date=August 29, 2011 |access-date=June 15, 2018|archive-date=August 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812100830/http://kotaku.com/5835600/mari0-puts-a-portal-gun-in-super-mario-bros|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''[[Full Screen Mario]]'' (2013) adds a [[level editor]].<ref name="NLifeTakedown">{{cite web |last1=Whitehead |first1=Thomas |title=Full Screen Mario Web Game Closed Down Following Nintendo's Copyright Complaint |url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/11/full_screen_mario_web_game_closed_down_following_nintendos_copyright_complaint |website=[[Nintendo Life]] |access-date=October 10, 2018 |date=November 11, 2013 |archive-date=October 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011014028/http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/11/full_screen_mario_web_game_closed_down_following_nintendos_copyright_complaint |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2015, game designer Josh Millard released ''[[Ennuigi]]'', a [[metafiction]]al [[fangame]] with commentary on the original game which relates to Luigi's inability to come to terms with the game's overall lack of narrative.<ref name="Billock 2015">{{cite web |first1=Jennifer |last1=Billock |url=http://www.avclub.com/article/one-mario-bros-has-existential-crisis-new-game-enn-223496 |title=One of the Mario Bros. has an existential crisis in the new game Ennuigi |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |publisher=The Onion |date=August 6, 2015 |access-date=August 31, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160831000522/http://www.avclub.com/article/one-mario-bros-has-existential-crisis-new-game-enn-223496 |archive-date=August 31, 2016 }}</ref><ref name="Maiberg 2015">{{cite web |first1=Emanuel |last1=Maiberg |url=http://motherboard.vice.com/read/uh-oh-luigi-read-some-derrida-and-now-hes-ennuigi |title=Uh Oh, Luigi Read Some Derrida and Now He's 'Ennuigi' |work=Motherboard |publisher=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]] |date=August 17, 2015 |access-date=August 31, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010135753/http://motherboard.vice.com/read/uh-oh-luigi-read-some-derrida-and-now-hes-ennuigi |archive-date=October 10, 2016 }}</ref><ref name="Schneider 2015">{{cite web |first1=Martin |last1=Schneider |url=http://dangerousminds.net/comments/ennuigi_nintendo_for_pretentious_existentialists |title='Ennuigi': Nintendo for pretentious existentialists |work=Dangerous Minds |date=August 6, 2015 |access-date=August 31, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160903010105/http://dangerousminds.net/comments/ennuigi_nintendo_for_pretentious_existentialists |archive-date=September 3, 2016 }}</ref><ref name="Messner 2016">{{cite web |first1=Steven |last1=Messner |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/ennuigi-mario-flash-game/ |title=In Ennuigi you play a depressed, chain-smoking Luigi who's lost all hope |work=[[PC Gamer]] |publisher=[[Future plc]] |date=August 29, 2016 |access-date=August 31, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160901124530/http://www.pcgamer.com/ennuigi-mario-flash-game/ |archive-date=September 1, 2016 }}</ref> ''Super Mario Bros.'' is substantial in [[speedrunning]] [[esports]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/its-been-a-spectacular-few-days-for-mario-speedrunning-1836979545|title=It's Been A Spectacular Few Days For Mario Speedrunning|website=Kotaku|date=August 5, 2019 |language=en-us|access-date=December 4, 2019|archive-date=December 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209173602/https://kotaku.com/its-been-a-spectacular-few-days-for-mario-speedrunning-1836979545|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/8/15/20807021/super-mario-bros-speedrun-warpless-record-kosmic-video|title=Speedrunner breaks major Super Mario Bros. record|last=Good|first=Owen S.|date=August 15, 2019|website=Polygon|language=en|access-date=December 4, 2019|archive-date=December 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204173120/https://www.polygon.com/2019/8/15/20807021/super-mario-bros-speedrun-warpless-record-kosmic-video|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Beck">{{Cite web|url=https://mashable.com/article/super-mario-bros-world-record/|title=Speedrunner beats 'Super Mario Bros.' in unbelievable time|last=Beck|first=Kellen|website=Mashable|date=September 25, 2018|language=en|access-date=December 4, 2019|archive-date=June 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190606080628/https://mashable.com/article/super-mario-bros-world-record/|url-status=live}}</ref> with coverage beyond video gaming<ref name="Beck"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.techspot.com/news/81484-speedrunner-sets-new-super-mario-bros-warpless-record.html|title=Speedrunner sets new Super Mario Bros. warpless record|website=TechSpot|date=August 16, 2019 |language=en-US|access-date=December 4, 2019|archive-date=December 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204173137/https://www.techspot.com/news/81484-speedrunner-sets-new-super-mario-bros-warpless-record.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and a specific version for ''[[Guinness World Records]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2017/10/watch-this-super-mario-bros-gamer-beat-his-own-speedrun-record-again-499854/|title=Watch this Super Mario Bros. gamer beat his own speedrun record - again|date=October 30, 2017|website=Guinness World Records|language=en-GB|access-date=December 4, 2019|archive-date=December 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206162540/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2017/10/watch-this-super-mario-bros-gamer-beat-his-own-speedrun-record-again-499854/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2021, speedrunner [[Niftski]] set a historic milestone with the first run under four minutes and fifty-five seconds.<ref name=Henges>{{cite news|last=Henges|first=Elizabeth|date=April 15, 2021|title=The Super Mario Bros. speedrunning community just broke the 4 minute and 55-second mark - why does that matter?|url= https://www.eurogamer.net/the-super-mario-bros-speedrunning-community-just-broke-the-4-minute-and-55-second-mark-why-does-that-matter|work=[[Eurogamer]]|access-date=September 27, 2023|archive-date=September 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927053739/https://www.eurogamer.net/the-super-mario-bros-speedrunning-community-just-broke-the-4-minute-and-55-second-mark-why-does-that-matter|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Orland>{{cite news|last=Orland|first=Kyle|date=April 9, 2021|title=How a speedrunner broke Super Mario Bros.' biggest barrier|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/04/new-super-mario-bros-record-breaks-speedrunnings-four-minute-mile/|work=[[Ars Technica]]| access-date=September 27, 2023|archive-date=September 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920214213/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/04/new-super-mario-bros-record-breaks-speedrunnings-four-minute-mile/|url-status=live}}</ref> As of September 2023, Niftski still holds the world-record with a time of 4:54.631, which is close to the theoretical [[tool-assisted speedrun]] (TAS) time of 4:54.032.<ref>{{cite news|last=Orland|first=Kyle|title=Record-breaking Super Mario Bros. speedrun approaches robotic perfection|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2023/09/record-breaking-super-mario-bros-speedrun-approaches-robotic-perfection/|access-date=September 28, 2023|work=Ars Technica|date=September 8, 2023|language=en-us}}</ref>

The Minus World bug in the Japanese Famicom Disk System version of the game behaves differently and creates multiple, completable stages. "World -1" is an underwater version of World 1–3 with an underwater level [[Palette (computing)|color palette]] and underwater level music and contains [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprites]] of Princess Toadstool, Bowser and Hammer Bros. World -2 is an identical copy of World 7–3, and World -3 is a copy of World 4–4 with an underground level color palette and underground level music, and does not loop if the player takes the wrong path, contrary to the original World 4-4. After completing the level, [[Toad (Nintendo)|Toad]]'s usual message is displayed, but Toad himself is absent. After completing these levels, the game returns to the [[Title screen (gaming)|title screen]] as if completed, and is now replayable as if in a harder mode, since it is higher than world 8.<ref name=altMW>{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/09/30-years-30-memorable-facts-about-super-mario-bros/ |title=30 years, 30 memorable facts about Super Mario Bros. |access-date=September 15, 2015 |first=Kyle |last=Orland |date=September 14, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914233725/http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/09/30-years-30-memorable-facts-about-super-mario-bros/ |archive-date=September 14, 2015 }}</ref><ref name=kotaku1>{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/gaming/super-mario-bros/japanese-famicom-smb-minus-world-203229.php |title=Japanese Famicom SMB Minus World |access-date=August 27, 2008 |work=Kotaku |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130104055353/http://kotaku.com/203229/japanese-famicom-smb-minus-world?tag=gamingsupermariobros |archive-date=January 4, 2013 }}</ref> There are hundreds of glitch levels beyond the Minus World (256 worlds are present including the 8 playable ones), which can be accessed in a multitude of ways, such as [[Cheating in video games|cheat codes]] or [[ROM hacking]].<ref name=256mWs>{{cite web |url=http://legendsoflocalization.com/super-mario-bros/misc/#the-secret-minus-world |title=The Secret Minus World |website=Legends of Localization |access-date=March 14, 2018 |quote=American gamers eager for more Mario stuff went bonkers when the above trick got out. Of course, since both the Japanese and American versions of the game are the same, this trick exists in the Japanese version too, and Japanese gamers got a kick out of it, of course. But while American gamers were freaking out about a measly single level that goes on forever, Japanese gamers were going crazy about something much more: a trick to reach 256 different levels! |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124070807/https://legendsoflocalization.com/super-mario-bros/misc/#the-secret-minus-world |archive-date=January 24, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=httphttps://ukwww.businessinsider.com/unlock-secret-levels-of-super-mario-bros-2017-1?r=US&IR=T/#when-super-mario-bros-reloads-it-will-load-into-one-of-the-hundreds-of-secret-levels-in-the-game-just-look-at-this-12/ |title=Here's how to unlock hundreds of secret 'Super Mario Bros.' levels hidden on the cartridge |first=Ben |last=Gilbert |date=January 29, 2017 |website=[[Business Insider]] |access-date=March 14, 2018 |archive-date=May 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220529085918/https://www.businessinsider.com/unlock-secret-levels-of-super-mario-bros-2017-1?r=US&IR=T/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

''Super Mario Bros.'' was adapted into a [[Super Mario Bros. (pinball)|pinball]] machine]] by [[Gottlieb]], released in 1992.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Gottlieb's Super Mario Bros. Pin|magazine=Cash Box|date=May 25, 1992|volume=55|issue=39|page=25|access-date=August 20, 2017|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Cash-Box/90s/1992/CB-1992-05-23.pdf#page=25}}</ref> It became one of America's top ten bestselling pinball machines of 1992, receiving a Gold Award from the [[American Amusement Machine Association]] (AAMA).<ref>{{cite magazine |title=ACME '93: Play Meter, AAMA present awards |magazine=[[Play Meter]] |date=April 1993 |volume=19 |issue=5 |pages=74–6 |url=https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-19-number-5-april-1993/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2019%2C%20Number%205%20-%20April%201993/page/n137/mode/2up}}</ref>

[[Category:Nintendo VsVS. SeriesSystem games]]