Looking for a game that breaks the mold of the "Mario saves the princess" story line? Well, look no further! Platina is a Super Mario Bros. 1 hack that was released in January 2003 by a hacker named Mana. It's obvious from the screenshots that Mana put some time into the creation of new content but are there any other novelties to be found?

Pinks, purples and greens are the major colors used in these brand new levels. While this may be an immediate turn off for some players, I found it to be a refreshing change from the tried and true original palette. These colors are primarily found in the new terrain tiles which are done very well. My only real complaint about the new graphics is that the background, which consists of stars, notes, and cyclones, seems tacky. The final graphics addition that I noticed comes in the form of a 1UP and is simply a blinking "1UP". Platina took away a majority of original SMB graphics, which were a 10 by default, and replaced them. The new pipe tiles look good and they work but I'm deducting a point for the background which leaves the total graphics score at 9.

The sound of the grandfather of side scrollers, is the six song score composed by Koji Kondo and it's definitely a 10. Platina offers nothing new in the soundtrack or sound effects so I'm deducting a point. Because of this missed opportunity this hack has earned a 9 in the sound category.

Platina capitalizes on the addiction quality of it's predecessor by putting Mario in situations that can be overcome with a lot of practice or trial and error. It was while playing this game that I perfected some new moves. Some of the new moves that I perfected are what I will affectionately refer to as "the rocking jump", "the leap frog" and "the fast fall". Having to perfect my skills was for me a direct indicator of my addiction. Also, I wanted to see what else the creator would come up with to challenge me. In the end I was not disappointed and classify
this sub-rating as a big fat 10.

I eluded to this story breaking the mold of the "Mario saves the princess" story line earlier. What did I mean by this? Unfortunately, I cannot reveal this without spoiling the ending so I will proceed to rating it. My method when reviewing these Mario hacks is to start with a 10 because of the impact of the original game and deduct points based on failures or dislikes. I will not be deducting any points from the 10 due to the shock and surprise that I experienced upon completion of this refreshing concoction. Platina keeps its starting rate of 10.

"How big the game is and how much it offers; if it's a game that takes a while to beat or has a lot of to do, rate it high." In actuality, this hack is only about half as long as the original, so I'm taking away half of the depth points. However, this is due to the twist of the story line so I'm adding a point. It does take some practice to beat it due to the reasons stated during the addictiveness rating which earns it another point. This brings the score for depth to a 7.

I'm going to begin starting the difficulty rating of my reviews at the dead center of the points scale, which is 5. For this hack I feel I must add a point because there is not a gradual incline towards difficulty as the game progresses. I believe that Mana has assumed, and maybe he assumed correctly, that anyone who plays this game will have already mastered the original. This hack starts off with the experienced player in mind and warps their perception of the Mario world close to the end. Also, I'm adding a point for changing the laws of the games physics near the end. I cannot give my two examples of this because it's my belief that it will ruin the fun of the surprise for the future player. 7 is the number I will attribute to the difficulty.

The word platina is actually the name of platinum in it's unrefined form. The game Platina is a precious and rugged creation mostly because of the final level and the ending. Because of it's unrefined worthiness I am pleased to give an overall rating to this hack of 8.7. Lastly, I urge caution to all who play this game all the way to its completion, please do not give away the ending to your fellow gamer. Let them discover it for themselves because it is what makes this game so memorable.

Nice job! It was long enough, but not too long. You really did a good job with this review. Keep it up!

Even if they're not as long as everyone else's, I absolutely adore your reviews. They flow well, they're to the point, and I feel like I learned something once I'm through reading them.  I think I just like anything written by you, as you're a very intelligent man.

The vocabulary you used here was pretty intense here, too.  I think that alone could have sold me on your writing.  

Thanks for blessing us with this masterpiece!

tgags123 : Thanks! Ever since the CP VCS ended I've gone back to a less ambitious and more relaxed writing style. I'm not trying to hit 1000 words anymore for the extra CP.

Singelli : What an awesome assortment of compliments! Thank you. My vocabulary has been a curse sometimes though. It is possible to intimidate people that you're having a conversation with.