Super Mario Bros. 1-3 perfectly ports the classic Mario games with flawless audio and gameplay. It almost feels like Nintendo finally ported the games to Android tablets, as many have been clamoring for. It helps to play it with a dedicated controller for the most pure experience, though.
The app comes loaded with the dreaded Airpush, which will pop ads all over your browser. Once you’re in the app, it features a very boring menu to help you travel to each game. The games all have the menus you’re used to, though. The game’s sound effects and music sound exactly like they would on the console. You control your plumber with onscreen buttons on the left and right edges of the screen. This forces you to hold your smartphone just like an NES controller, which is a nice touch. However, the transparent buttons blend into the game’s scenery a lot, which makes them a pain to press. There are some added goodies to Super Mario Bros. 1-3 like a screenshot tool and the ability to save and load a new game. Sadly, some of the secrets you’d find in the game–like kicking bricks in Super Mario 3 to grab mushrooms and feathers–are hit or miss. Those are the only things in these ports that don’t feel like the original games.
If your tablet has replaced your DS, these games are a great download to add to your collection. Super Mario Bros. 1-3 is good enough to make even pro gamers think they’re the real deal.
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