The story behind this game is kind of complicated, and I don't know the specifics of it. Apparently, Super Mario Bros. Special was a game that was released in 1986. It was only released in Japan around the time of their Super Mario Bros. 2 for the Fanicom Disk System. I guess this version of the game on Vizzed is a ROM hack of that game. The game has been modified because from the videos I watched on YouTube the scrolling was different.

In this version of Super Mario Bros. Special, the scrolling is the same smooth side-scrolling as the original SMB we all know and love. This game has the same number of levels, but the design of the levels are different and more difficult than before as discussed in this review. This is completely different type of game from all the other ones I have reviewed so far because it is a ROM hack of a game that is completely unknown to most people. Mario Special feels more like an actual game than a ROM hack.  

Graphics 5/10: For SMBS, the graphics are exactly the same as those from the regular SMB game. This game was released around 1985-86, so you can't expect it to look all that great. The sprites and backgrounds are kind of dull compared to later Mario games, but they were the best around at that time. This game/hack is not a very great looking game at all.

Music 7/10: The soundtrack to Mario Bros. Special is exactly the same as the original. It includes some pretty good songs, but there isn't much variety to it. Everything seems kind of repetitive with only 3 or 4 themes for the whole game. These tracks do sound pretty nice, however. They would be re-used a lot in the Super Show cartoons years later in 1989.

Gameplay 7/10: The goal of this game is the same as in Super Mario Bros. You have to get to the end of the level before the time ran out. Along the way, Mario had to avoid enemies and other dangers. He could get a Mushroom and a Fire Flower, and the Fire Flower can be used to shoot enemies with fireballs. The ideas behind Mario Special are the same as they were in SMB. The power-up system is about the same, but there are some differences in this game and the first one.

The level design isn't as repetitive in Special. 3-1 is a water level/overworld level, and there are several other stages that combine different level themes. I thought this was a pretty cool concept which made for some better level design over the original SMB. I didn't like the way exploration was discouraged because players weren't sure where the pipes lead. Like in a lot of these types of games/hacks, they made the player backtrack. I don't know if that was the case for this game or not. Neither did I like the idea of the levels not having any checkpoints.

SMB Special plays a lot like Super Mario Bros. with a few differences in level design and difficulty. It feels kind of unbalanced at times because there are no continues in this game either. It isn't that big of a deal, and I liked the way the castles in this game were designed. There was a lot of thought put into the design of SMB Special. It isn't just a re-hash of Super Mario Bros, but it does feel kind of unbalanced with the difficulty. I guess the game is pretty fair, and I felt like the deaths I did encounter were my fault instead of bad game design.

This feels like an actual game instead of a hack of SMB, and I enjoy how some of these levels included: an underwater section, overworld section, night section, and underground section. Players got several different themes in one single level. That's pretty cool for an early video game! I guess I can get used to the idea of having no checkpoints too. The dull appearance of the game does affect it some, and it still feels kind of boring but no more than the original game. I get the same experience out of Special that I got out of SMB. 

Story 7/10: The story of Super Mario Bros. Special is the same as in SMB. King Bowser Koopa has kidnapped Princess Toadstool and transformed the people into blocks. Mario and Luigi are working on a drain, get sucked down the drain, and wind up in the Mushroom Kingdom. It is up to them to rescue the Princess and restore peace to the kingdom. The plot here is pretty generic, but it does set the stage for the other games in the Mario series.

Content 6/10: This game contains 32 levels total, and if you are successful in completing all of them, you get to play them again in Hard Mode. Hard Mode is a little different for this game, but it really isn't all that original. I enjoy playing the regular 8 worlds with 4 levels in each. This isn't a very long game to try to finish. It patterned itself after Super Mario Bros. and was still an early game. Whoever, developed this game was still experimenting with ideas and were just modifying the original.

Difficulty 10/10: There isn't a whole lot of room for mistakes in this game. SMBS isn't a very forgiving game, and it offers no ways for you to continue. The only way players will ever beat this game is through a lot of practice and memorization. In some ways, SMBS does take things a little too far, but I have beaten it before. If you die on a level, you'll have to restart from the beginning. This is one of those games that you get more skilled at over time. It isn't an unfair difficulty, it is legitimately hard!

Overall 6.4/10: I would have to rate Super Mario Bros. Special about the same as the original Super Mario Bros. overall. The graphics and sound are exactly the same. The game is harder, but the level design is different from before. This was an actual game, not just a ROM hack of SMB. The difficulty does keep it from being better, and for the most part the storyline/content hasn't changed much either. I just consider this a harder version of Super Mario Bros. and is worth checking out if you're wanting more out of the original game.