Arcade Archives: Mario Bros.

Super Mario Bros. being playable on a Nintendo system is not particularly surprising, but that it should first appear on Switch in its VS. incarnation is a welcome bonus. The excellent gameplay, catchy music and a large chunk of the levels are still present, but the new stages make for a different feel that muscle-memory won't get you through. Those levels may have since appeared in The Lost Levels, but their inclusion here alongside changes to existing levels (including a different solution to a multi-path puzzle) make for a still enjoyable but tougher alternative way of playing, with highscore chasing also adding to the fun thanks to the online leaderboards. Even if you can play through the regular version of the game in your sleep, VS. Super Mario Bros. is an excellent - and challenging - choice for platforming fans.

Mario Bros. hasn’t aged particularly well over the years and isn’t the big bang of a debut we wanted from Nintendo’s back catalogue on Switch. That being said, playing two-player is still a decent distraction and competing for high scores online is addictive enough to keep you coming back every now and again for another short dose of the plumbers.

While it's not going to set the world on fire, Arcade Archives Mario Bros. is the best home version of the classic arcade game ever released.

This is a retro port that’s been treated with full respect

As the first Nintendo Arcade Archives release, Mario Bros. is a solid game that's still fun to play.