Mario Bros – Commodore 64

Nintendo’s Mario Bros for the Commodore 64. This version was ported by Atarisoft, Atari’s home computer/console software division. Atarisoft created some of the best arcade conversions of the day and Mario Bros was among the best arcade conversions for the C64. My friends and I spent hours on end playing this in front of the TV. Here’s a few Phases of turtle popping action for your enjoyment. The game plays and feels very close to the arcade version, although it’s a bit slower on the C64, especially if you’re playing on a PAL machine (or emulation). Atarisoft got a lot of the little touches right that really make this feel like the original though – especially the way Mario and Luigi handle. The main differences are: – Red, diagonal traveling Fireball is missing – Mr. Freeze (Slipice) doesn’t ice over platforms – Icicles don’t start dive bombing you in later levels. – Critters stay flipped over a bit longer The lack of red fireball(s!) and icicles make the home version a lot easier than the arcade. A few minor differences include: – Floors don’t deform when Mario & Luigi punch them – No bonus point indicators when you snag coins or kick critters off making it not so obvious the big bonuses you get kick off multiple critters – No cut scenes introducing new enemies – No High Score table You may notice some of the critters, coins or fireballs appearing darker at times – they’re actually flickering due to a trick Atarisoft used to get more than 8 sprites the hardware was …
Video Rating: 4 / 5