Culture
Super Mario World

Goomba Stomp’s Hall of Fame is reserved for only those Nintendo titles that can be called absolute classics. Chosen by the crew of the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, these bite-sized capsule reviews reflect what we’ve discussed on the podcast over the past six months. Look for more entries every 25 episodes we record.
A perfect introduction to the 16-bit powers of the Super Nintendo, SMW is an explosion of color and ideas that comes together so flawlessly, at least, one editor here believes it to be the greatest Mario game of all time. This was the last of the great Mario side-scrollers (sorry New Super Mario Bros. series), and to this day remains one of the purest, most fun platformers available on any classic or modern console. Super Mario World also gave us a new mascot in Yoshi, who would go on to star in the “sequel”, established the weird idea that Bowser has a family (all of whom you murder, thus wiping out the bloodline), and created a living, breathing world map, with regions seamlessly transitioning from one to the next, each named after some sort of delicious edible. This is also the first real instance of the humor that the series (and Nintendo) would begin to employ more and more. Try not to smile at Mario’s scorched face after a dynamite mishap.
But really where Super Mario World shines is in the gameplay. Never mind why a feather for some reason gives Mario a cape, and try not to think about all the Yoshis sacrificed on the way to 100% completion. From the moment you take off in flight, discovering the right rhythm on the d-pad that will allow you to coast, to hopping on the little green (or blue, red, yellow) dino’s back, slurping up and spitting out everything you come across, Super Mario World plays like a dream, offering multiple paths, hidden keyholes, and Star Warps on the way to defeating Bowser and his goon children (except Ludwig von Koopa, clearly a misunderstood genius). With a variety of gorgeous worlds and air-tight controls, Super Mario World is platforming perfection.

-
Game Reviews3 weeks ago
Resident Evil Village VR Mode Brings A New Reality of Terror
-
Features3 weeks ago
Video Games HBO Should Adapt Like The Last of Us
-
Game Reviews3 weeks ago
The Genuinely Moving Before Your Eyes Finds its Home On PSVR2
-
NXpress Nintendo Podcast1 week ago
NXpress Nintendo Podcast 326: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 4 Review!
-
Game Reviews3 weeks ago
Anemoiapolis – Liminality and Horrors in the Space Between
-
Game Reviews3 weeks ago
Like A Dragon: Ishin! is a Love Letter to the Yakuza Franchise
-
Features4 weeks ago
Is VR the Future of Gaming? PSVR2 Gives us a More Optimistic Answer
-
Game Reviews7 days ago
Dredge Reels in A Delightfully Creepy Fishing Adventure
-
Features2 weeks ago
The Hogwarts Legacy DLC We Want to See Most
-
Features3 weeks ago
Why Tales of Symphonia Remastered Falls Short of Modern Gaming Standards
-
Game Reviews3 weeks ago
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse’s Remaster Shines With New Light But Shivers With Age
-
Features3 weeks ago
A Look at Morality in Video Games