The arcade Mario Bros. on NES: Mario and Luigi hit enemies from below. Co-op or competitive. Fundamental historical document, still playable with pleasure. The true beginning of the Mario saga.
Your verdict
Category
Platformer4 players3+
Co-op
Description
Action game featuring Mario and Luigi chasing enemies in the New York sewers. Published by Nintendo, released in Europe in 1986. Mario and Luigi in top-down view in sewers hitting enemies from below platforms and two-player co-op. NES port of Nintendo's Mario Bros arcade.
Mario Bros. review
3/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Polished"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Solid"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Flipping enemies from below then booting them off to clear the screen: this arcade concept clicks in seconds and never lets go. With two players, co-op quickly turns to friendly treachery as you flip each other's foes back. Snappy, simple and fiercely convivial, the starting point of a legend that keeps all its competitive freshness.
The World print run of the NES Mario Bros. port, aimed at multi-region distribution rather than a single national market. Unlike the strictly PAL edition, this World version shows a far lower loose price, a sign of wider circulation, yet its complete box retains genuine value. The distinctive interest lies in that split: an internationally common cartridge on one side, a sought boxed copy on the other, of a founding series classic.
Is Mario Bros. still worth playing in 2026?
Mario Bros. is Nintendo's founding arcade game ported to NES, in which Mario and Luigi knock out creatures in the New York sewers by flipping them from below before kicking them off. The simple concept, the competitive or cooperative two-player game and the historical charm make it a timeless classic, founder of the duo. The single-screen repetition and the absence of progression show their age. For fans of retro arcade and Mario history, it is a museum piece still pleasant in pairs, but limited solo.
