Super Mario Bros., released by Nintendo for the NES in 1985 in Japan and North America (with the Western localization reaching broader markets through 1988), arrived at a pivotal moment in gaming history — the NES was still establishing itself as the dominant home console after the North American video game crash of 1983, and Nintendo needed a flagship title that could demonstrate the system's full potential. What came before it were simpler, single-screen arcade experiences; Super Mario Bros. shattered that mold by delivering a continuous side-scrolling world of extraordinary scope and variety. Players control Mario (or Luigi in two-player alternating mode) through eight worlds, each containing four levels, for a total of 32 stages packed with enemies, secrets, and escalating challenge. The controls are a masterclass in responsive simplicity: the D-pad moves Mario left or right, B accelerates him to a run and fires projectiles when powered up, and A executes a jump whose height and arc are directly governed by how long the button is held — a nuanced physics model that rewards practice and precision. Mario can collect Super Mushrooms to grow to double size, Fire Flowers to hurl bouncing fireballs at enemies, and Starmen to become temporarily invincible. Taking a hit while Super or Fire-powered reverts Mario to small form rather than ending a life outright, giving players a meaningful buffer against instant death. The level design moves players through grassy overworld stages, underground caverns, underwater sequences, castle fortresses, and airborne cloud platforms, ensuring the scenery and mechanical demands shift constantly. Warp Zones hidden in specific levels allow players to skip ahead to worlds 2, 3, or 4 from World 1-2, and to World 6, 7, or 8 from World 4-2 — a discovery that became one of the most shared pieces of gaming knowledge of the era. Boss encounters at the end of each castle require Mario to either reach an axe to collapse the bridge beneath the imposing Bowser (or a Bowser decoy in worlds 1–7) or defeat him with five fireballs. The two-player mode is strictly alternating: Player 1 controls Mario and Player 2 controls Luigi, swapping turns upon each life lost. In its era, Super Mario Bros. was a revelation — it demonstrated that home console games could rival and exceed arcade experiences in depth and longevity, and it established side-scrolling platformers as the defining genre of the 8-bit generation.
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Super Mario
超级马里奥
Super Mario is a 2D side-scrolling action game released by Nintendo in 1988. Players control Mario, a plumber navigating through eight worlds filled with platforms, enemies, and obstacles. Each world contains multiple levels with progressively increasing difficulty. The core gameplay involves running and jumping across platforms, defeating enemies like Goombas and Koopa Troopas, and collecting power-ups. Super Mushrooms increase Mario's size, while Fire Flowers grant the ability to throw fireballs. The control scheme is simple: the D-Pad moves Mario left and right, while pressing A executes a jump. Each world concludes with a castle level featuring boss encounters with Bowser and similar enemies. The game supports a two-player mode where players alternate turns, allowing two people to experience the platforming action together.
- Developer
- Nintendo
- Released
- 1988
- Platform
- NES
- Genre
- Action
- Players
- 2P
- Rating
- 4.4 / 5 (3.5K)
- Last updated
About Super Mario
What makes it special
Super Mario Bros. introduced a momentum-based jump physics engine that made airborne control feel organic rather than mechanical — Mario accelerates gradually, and jump trajectories shift depending on running speed at takeoff. This single design decision elevated platforming from rote button-pressing to a skill with genuine depth. The game also pioneered the concept of embedded secrets (hidden coin blocks, Warp Zones, the minus-world glitch) that players discovered and shared organically, creating a communal knowledge culture around a single cartridge that predated the internet era of gaming guides.
Pro tips
- Hold B to run before jumps — Mario's jump distance scales with his running speed, making B-held movement essential for crossing wide gaps and reaching hidden blocks.
- In World 1-2, run along the top of the exit pipe structure and walk through the ceiling to access the Warp Zone, letting you skip directly to World 2, 3, or 4.
- Fire Flower fireballs bounce at a fixed angle — aim them into staircase formations to hit enemies around corners and clear paths safely.
- At castle boss bridges, the axe at the far end is always the fastest solution; save fireballs for open stages where they can chain through multiple enemies for bonus points.
- Small Mario is harder to hit in tight corridors — in some late-game castle sections, deliberately taking a hit to revert to small form can make navigation easier than staying powered up.
Super Mario Controls — NES Keyboard Keys
Default keyboard bindings for Super Mario on our in-browser NES emulator. Plug in a USB or Bluetooth gamepad to auto-detect mappings, or rebind any key from the emulator settings menu.
| Keyboard | Console button | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| ↑ | D-Pad Up | Move up |
| ↓ | D-Pad Down | Move down |
| ← | D-Pad Left | Move left |
| → | D-Pad Right | Move right |
| X | A | Primary action (jump / confirm) |
| Z | B | Secondary action (attack / cancel) |
| Enter | Start | Start / Pause |
| Shift | Select | Select / Mode |
Rebind any key from the EmulatorJS in-game settings menu (gear icon → Controls). A connected gamepad auto-maps to the same buttons.
Super Mario Longplay & Gameplay Videos
Watch a full playthrough of Super Mario on NES before you dive in — recommended for getting a feel for the game's pacing, story beats, and difficulty curve.
Watch longplay on YouTube
"Super Mario" NES longplay 1988
Super Mario Cheat Codes
30 community-curated cheats for Super Mario. Tick any to activate them automatically when you click "Play with cheats" — or copy a code into your own emulator.
-
Get A Coin To Pass To The Next World
PTASST -
Fireballs Go Through Things
ZOITZO -
Never Loose A Life
NNIOLO -
Always Little
ZATPPE -
Fireballs Don't Kill Enemies.
SSTSIV -
You can't get extra lives
SXTATK+SZZLEKSXTATK+SZPUUK -
You can't see how many lives you have
OZGAEE -
1 Coin Worth 2 Coins
ZAELKGPA+ZLOUEGGT -
1 Coin Worth 4 Coins
GAELKGPA+PPOUEGGV -
1 Coin Worth 10 Coins
ZAELKGPE+APOUEGGT -
Bowser Jumps Slower (Gives you more time to run past him)
KEPLUN -
Little Mario And Big Mario Can Shoot Fireballs, As Well As Fire Mario
AAXUATZA
Show 18 more cheats Show fewer
-
Time Is Slower
AXELYYGP -
Don't Get Hurt When You Touch Enemies You Can Stomp
ATASSP -
Don't Get Hurt If You Touch Any Enemy
ATZSSP -
Enemies Transform Into Other Enemies When You Stomp Them (Mostly transform into turtles)
PTTSSP -
Can Go Down Any Pipe
TGAPZT -
Left Side Of The Screen Doesn't Stop You
POYYPO -
Can Walk On Background
OVTOAK -
Can Walk On Clouds And Lava
ZVTOAK -
Bubbles From Mario Even Though He's Not In Water
PAYLPT -
When You Fall Down Pit You Wrap Around To The Top
SUELZPLZ+AEELLPYA+AVELGPEZ -
Scrolling Is Always Enabled
AEXZONPI -
World 1-1 Is World 8-4
LXLPKG -
Move Through Walls
ZTASEV -
Skip Walking Into Pipe To 1-2
EKLOSG -
Infinite Time
ELUZVNYKOLYASN+ESTILZEISLZYEY+3 -
Money Isn't Removed When You Take It
ATXSETOP -
No Restriction On Firing
AAUUTTIZ -
Fireballs Wrap Around The Screen
AUTLTT
External references
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Super Mario released?
Super Mario was released in 1988 for the NES.
Who developed Super Mario?
Super Mario was developed by Nintendo, available to play in your browser on RetroGameSpace.
How many players does Super Mario support?
Super Mario supports up to 2 players, ideal for couch co-op or competitive sessions on the NES.
What type of game is Super Mario?
Super Mario is a Action game for the NES, playable instantly in your browser — no downloads, no installs.
How can I play Super Mario for free?
Open this page and click "Play Now" — Super Mario runs free in your browser via WebAssembly emulation. No account, no payment, no installer.
Do I need to download anything to play Super Mario in the browser?
No. Super Mario streams from a public archive into a browser-side NES emulator. Nothing is installed on your computer.
Can I save my progress in Super Mario?
Yes. Save states are stored in your browser (IndexedDB) per game, and you can also use any in-game save the original NES cartridge supported.
Does Super Mario work on mobile devices?
Yes — the NES emulator runs on iOS Safari and Android Chrome. Touch controls overlay the game; landscape mode is recommended.
Is it legal to play Super Mario this way?
RetroGameSpace is a transient caching reverse-proxy and does not host first-party copies of Super Mario. Game files are fetched on demand from publicly-accessible archives. You are responsible for compliance with your local laws and the bring-your-own-ROM principle.
How long does it take to beat Super Mario Bros.?
A first-time player using Warp Zones can finish the game in roughly 30–45 minutes. Playing all 32 levels straight through takes around 1.5–2 hours. Skilled players can complete a full run in under 5 minutes, but expect several hours of practice before clearing World 8 for the first time.
Is Super Mario Bros. suitable for beginners today?
Yes, with caveats. The early worlds are gentle and teach mechanics organically, but World 7 and 8 demand precise jump timing and enemy pattern recognition. Using Warp Zones to sample later worlds before mastering earlier ones can lead to frustration — work through worlds in order first.
What is the best starting strategy for new players?
Prioritize grabbing the Super Mushroom in every level before anything else — the two-hit buffer it provides is more valuable than any point bonus. Learn to hold B for speed on open stages but release it in tight underground sections where precision matters more than momentum.
How does the two-player mode work, and is it worth playing?
Two-player mode is strictly alternating: Mario and Luigi swap turns each time a life is lost. There is no simultaneous co-op. It works well as a casual shared experience — watching a partner's run builds familiarity with upcoming obstacles — but competitive players may find the downtime between turns frustrating.
