View Full Version : Contemporary Review of Super Mario Bros.?
8bitgamer
10-10-2012, 02:43 PM
When the NES came out, most of the old video game magazines had died off, so there weren't many contemporary reviews of early NES games. However, there was one magazine that reviewed Super Mario Bros., but I can't remember the name of it. Does anyone know the name of the magazine and where I can find a copy (maybe a scanned copy online)?
Thanks!
Superman
10-11-2012, 03:59 AM
I didn't get into game magazines until I got my NES, so I don't have much of a clue of what it might be. The only thing I can think of is the Nintendo Fun Club (the precursor to Nintendo Power). Of course the fun club wasn't much of a 'magazine' (i.e. Nintendo Power, Electronic Gaming, etc), so if an actual magazine is what you are looking for, that probably wasn't it. I also don't remember if they even covered SMB in any case.
One thing I remember is since the first issue of Nintendo Power covered Super Mario 2, my NP collection felt incomplete. I always hoped they would go back and cover that one missing game!
BlastProcessing402
10-11-2012, 03:11 PM
The only thing I can think of is the Nintendo Fun Club (the precursor to Nintendo Power). Of course the fun club wasn't much of a 'magazine' (i.e. Nintendo Power, Electronic Gaming, etc), so if an actual magazine is what you are looking for, that probably wasn't it. I also don't remember if they even covered SMB in any case.
The first issue had an article on the front page, but it's more of a press release than a review, and it ends in a sales pitch for the How to Win at SMB book.
5796
The second issue had a bunch of secrets mentioned, like how to access minus world, but no review.
And while the first two issues were just flat out newsletters, from the third issue on, it was more like a magazine, with full color and actual covers and everything, not too far from what early NP's were, just with fewer pages.
8bitgamer
10-11-2012, 04:51 PM
The magazine I'm thinking of (or can't think of, to be more precise) wasn't a Nintendo publication, but I appreciate the feedback, and the scan. :) It was definitely a review, but dammit if I can remember the title of the mag. I think it was a fairly small press pub, but it was too early (and too professional) to be a fanzine.
Superman
10-12-2012, 04:09 AM
It was nice to see the scan, even if it wasn't the one you were looking for.
At least it's a start! Maybe it'll jog someone else's memory.
treismac
10-12-2012, 09:38 AM
5796
Caption reads, "Super Mario is poised to pounce on a deadly (sic) koopa."
"Deadly," eh? Why not show a hammerhead brother if they wanted to show an actual deadly enemy? Of course, the illustration is of a goomba and not a koopa so, you know, whatever.
8bitgamer
10-12-2012, 10:54 AM
It was nice to see the scan, even if it wasn't the one you were looking for.
At least it's a start! Maybe it'll jog someone else's memory.
Someone at CGE showed me picture of the review on their phone, but like a dummy I didn't write down anything or get the guy's email. What I'm looking for is some quotes from the review for a new book I'm working on (that is apart from the Classic Home Video Games series).