Article :: Super Mario Bros (1985)

Article :: Super Mario Bros (1985) - Speedrun Strategies

Written by Noddingdog

Thursday, 22 November 2007

Super Mario Bros (1985) Speedrun Strategies When it comes to pure fun, classic platform gaming, Super Mario Bros. (1985) is the game that defines the genre - the age-old theme of defeat the big baddie, rescue the princess and save the kingdom has been reused and rehashed countless times ever since. But even with today's era of photorealistic visuals and supercharged audio, the classic pixelled plumber has lost none of his appeal, with real Mario masters notching down times of around 6 minutes from arrival to ax.

So just how does one achieve those blisteringly quick pad-pummeling times?

In reality there are just a few simple yet highly important points to grasp and master if you want to better the game fast:

1) Ignore powerups. Yes readers, these pixellated distractions will give you nothing more than a mere satisfied feeling and the loss of a couple of seconds as Mario "powers up". Plus, midget form Mario is far more nimble than his larger, clumsy counterpart, and also less likely to take an impact due to his smaller size, thus saving precious seconds. Even the highly sought Starman falls into this category, as a true Mario master will find it unnecessary to waste time with such nonsense when it's far easier to just zip between enemies instead of trying to waste valuable time attempting to grab the star.

2) Mini jumps. Whilst Mario is a gifted jumper, and can quite happily reach for the sky, you will find Mario is far more time-effective when hopping along in small, mini jumps, involving light taps of the A-button, ensuring you retain maximum speed whilst darting between enemies and obstacles alike. The only exception to this is when needing to scale a high wall or equivalent pipe. If performed correctly, this also allows for quick scaling of the famous final staircase leading to the flagpole, ensuring you lose no momentum nor time when hopping up the stairs.

3) Be peaceful where possible. Try to avoid wasting time defeating enemies - their only purpose is to act as a barrier in your quest to defeat the only real enemy in this game - King Bowser Koopa. Jumping from Goomba to Goomba not only slows Mario down, but also increases the risk that you may take an unforeseen hit from one of their kind. Koopa shells in particular are somewhat dangerous and should be avoided due to their rather volatile nature. Also, Piranha Plants can be avoided with quick reflexes - if you land on one side of their pipe when they are chomping, you can hop straight over them if you are fast - but be warned this takes a lot of skill and practice to get exactly right!

4) Go forwards, not backwards. Super Mario Brothers is a forward-looking game - if you make a mistake you are unable to go back and rectify it, so don't waste time trying to go back for things you missed earlier. Ignore any past mistakes, press on and try to rectify those mistakes next time around if necessary. Another point - if at any stage Mario is hit, simply restart the game. The countless seconds wasted will put a firm stop to your speedrunning tactics.

5) Warp, and warp effectively. Whilst some Mario perfectionists may insist on completing the game in its entirety, such a strategy only leads to a much prolonged game and greatly increased risk of failure. The only two warps you need care about are of course found in Worlds 1-2 and 4-2. Hop on top of the ceiling in 1-2 by using the final elevator lifts and head for the World 4 warp. In 4-2, scale the hidden vine and proceed to warp directly to World 8 past the towers.

6) Avoid fireworks. By hitting the flagpole when the last digit of the timer reads other than 1, 3 or 6 you will save valuable time from your score record, evading the senseless fireworks display which simply raises your points as well as your time taken.

7) Hit the flagpole at around the 2000 point mark. This allows for the fastest descent possible. Note that aiming to land at the base achieves nothing since Mario waits for the flag's descent before going on.

And for some final notes regarding World 8. This World is the hardest in the game, if not nearly any game. To overcome it efficiently will take much practice, practice and more practice. Practice dodging enemies and learn the positions of the cleverly-placed pipes and ledges to attain the best time.

As regards Bowser himself...

When you come to face this beast, you should see an opening within almost microseconds between his hammers and fire breath - don't wait, jump for the ax! If you time this crucial part right you'll glide smoothly over and flip the switch, sending the demented Koopa King to a fiery demise.

Congratulations - the Princess and the kingdom are saved! But how fast was your time?

Armed with the above crucial indicators, and applying these with repeated practice, you will be well on your way to ultimate victory in the briefest possible way!