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Mario Games 1.0

Mario Games 1.0

Arcade, Other

Overview

Mario Games 1.0 delivers a starkly underwhelming experience that betrays the legacy of its iconic namesake. Early impressions reveal a shallow, repetitive arcade-style game stripped of Mario’s signature side-scrolling adventures, leaving players stranded on static platforms with minimal objectives. While nostalgic sound effects and cheerful music offer fleeting charm, the game’s reliance on score-chasing and external advertisements makes it feel less like a celebration of the franchise and more like a hollow imitation. Only the most devoted Mario completists may find temporary amusement here—others will encounter a forgettable diversion that squanders its potential.

Static Gameplay in a Dynamic World

The game’s most glaring flaw is its abandonment of Mario’s core identity: vibrant side-scrolling exploration. Instead of navigating colorful worlds, players remain confined to isolated patches of land across three repetitive levels. The objective devolves into monotonous point accumulation—stomping Goombas, kicking Koopa shells, and collecting coins spat from pipes. This static design strips away the thrill of discovery and platforming mastery that defines Mario’s legacy, reducing the experience to a tedious grind. Without progression, secrets, or meaningful challenges, the gameplay loop feels like a demo rather than a full release.

I was a little disappointed... Making it an actual side-scrolling level jumper would have been nice.

Bellasana

Questionable Priorities and Presentation

Beyond the barren gameplay, Mario Games 1.0 prioritizes external distractions over polished content. Menu tabs like "World Score Tables," "More Mario," and "Tips and Tricks" redirect players to Softendo’s promotional websites, blatantly advertising other titles instead of enriching this one. While the cheerful soundtrack pays faint homage to classic Mario melodies and sound effects like stomping enemies remain nostalgically intact, these touches cannot mask the experience’s emptiness. The game leans entirely on franchise recognition for appeal, lacking original substance. As Bellasana notes, without the Mario branding, this package would "crash and burn" under its own lack of vision.

Verdict

"Hollow Mario imitation with shallow, ad-filled gameplay"

STRENGTHS

15%
Sound Effects60%
Music Tone50%
Franchise Nostalgia30%

WEAKNESSES

85%
Shallow Gameplay95%
Betrayed Expectations90%
External Ads80%
Limited Content85%

Community Reviews

1 reviews
Bellasana
Bellasana
Trusted

Mario Games 1.0 first lured me in with the thought of a semi-new, side-scrolling Mario game. Now, the game is done in a similar style and it is the traditional Mario from those first, few games; however, out of the three “levels” you get to choose from, there is no side-scrolling at all. This game is about remaining on the same chunk of land and trying to rack up your score in various ways: squashing gumbas, Koopa shells, or collecting coins from the pipes that randomly shoot up from the ground. I get that the point behind this game is to reign champion among the elite in the online gamer boards, but I must admit I was a little disappointed. You can check the leader boards for each “level” on the menu screen. Clicking on the “World Score Tables” tab takes you to an internet page to do just this. The “More Mario” and “Tips and Tricks” tabs take you to the internet, as well, opening up pages designed by Softendo, mainly to advertise their other Mario games. The music in this game, while it isn’t exactly the familiar Mario music we all grew to love and sing in our sleep, isn’t too bad. It has a light, playful style just like that of the original soundtrack. Even the sounds of smashing turtles and collecting coins are the same, too. I just can’t get over how much this game leaves to be desired. Even if smashing gumbas and getting points were all you did in the game, making it an actual side-scrolling level jumper would have been nice. The fact that this is Mario we’re dealing with here does give the game a memorable charm, but without that I believe this game would crash and burn. If you’re a huge Mario fan and want to play nothing but games featuring the old plumber, then you should download Mario Games 1.0. If not…well, you may be better off finding something with a little more depth.

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