Super Mario World - Virtual Console

Let’s hear it for the humble in-game map, the stoic orientation-enabler of our favourite medium for decades. But not all maps are created equal. In fact some maps are so amazing that they’re amongst the very best parts of their respective games.

No seriously. And even in good games.

Last month marked not just the 20th anniversary of the SNES, but also the stupendous game that was packed in, Super Mario World. One of many high points in Mario’s career, to numerous fans it’s still his best game, with Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto going on record that it’s his personal favorite. We’ve got a huge amount of affection for it to this day, and we could write all day about how it’s a tour de force of classic game design, but it’s the little things that come to mind now.

As we picked up the game again, we were struck by just how many small touches added up for the rich tapestry that is Super Mario World. Come with us as we open up the scrapbook and reminisce about our time on Dinosaur Land...

In Super Mario World the music definitely sets the tone for each level, whether it's a playful and quick romp with Mario's cape or a quiet tiptoe through an echoing cave. Today we celebrate a recurring track that we'll credit as the primary factor in making each koopaling's sub-castle so tense and foreboding.

Two tracks inside!

Myth-busting, nostlagia-free re-reviews of gaming's two most sacred cows.

We're used to being the good guys. But did you ever stop to think about it from the enemy's point of view? Wouldn't our heroes look completely different? 

Of course, just as in the real world, wartime imagery and alternative views of the enemy could undoubtedly be perpetuated with some propaganda posters… like these.

Videogame adaptations are like a walk through minefield; sure there might be a couple of safe zones, but more often than not you're going to stand on a bomb.

Earlier in the week, we published an article showing some 50 versions of Sonic the Hedgehog to see which one is the 'best' to play as. But you can't do one without the other, so here are nearly 70 versions of Mario for your eyes to boggle at.

Bonus levels don't feature in games as much as they used to. With Hollywood-style narratives and ultra-realistic graphics and physics, there's little space for a sudden warp to a magical place filled with cherry pick-ups and score multipliers. Which is a shame, because bonus levels have given us some of our fondest gaming memories. So join us as we celebrate the finest examples of this dying art.