Release date: February 21, 1989.
Released on: Game Boy.
With Mario being ever popular, it was only normal to see him jump around to different systems and make even more titles. Super Mario Land is where Mario makes his first appearance in the Game Boy. And just as what we would expect, Super Mario Land once again becomes a big hit. Although a lot of the game ideas are taken from the original title, Super Mario Land has his own unique elements that make it enjoyable.
Super Mario Land is still a 2D side-scrolling platformer, what is different here is that Mario is on a solo mission and has a new enemy named Tatanga the “mysterious spaceman”, and also he has to save a Princess named Daisy.
Mario now faces a lot of new enemies, and although you still get rid of most of them by jumping on them, there are some that will harm you if you do so.
All power-ups still function the same way except for the Fire Flower which now fire superballs at a 45 degree angle and bounces off the floors, ceilings, and walls.
There are specific levels where instead of traveling on foot, Mario gets to ride a submarine or airplane. This immediately gives Super Mario Land a new dimension of play.
Super Mario Land did quite a good job in presenting Mario to the Game Boy world and maintaining its appeal. Now, with Game Boy being handheld, everyone could enjoy some good old Mario action anytime, anywhere.