Mario Bros.

About Mario Bros. (NES)

Mario Bros. is an arcade platform game developed and published by Nintendo, first released in arcades in 1983. It was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi, and it gave Mario his brother Luigi as a partner for the first time. The NES version brings that same frantic sewer action home, with Mario and Luigi working as plumbers in the pipes beneath New York.

Unlike the later side-scrolling adventures, Mario Bros. takes place on a single screen. Enemies pour out of pipes at the top, wander across platforms, and must be stopped before they reach the bottom. It is a pure arcade test of timing, positioning and teamwork, and it laid the groundwork for almost everything the Mario series became.

Detailed Gameplay

Each stage is one screen of platforms, pipes and a POW block. Clear every enemy to move on, while later waves get faster and trickier.

Flip enemies from below

• Bump a platform from underneath to flip an enemy walking above it onto its back.
• Run over and kick a flipped enemy before it rights itself and speeds up.
• Watch for Shellcreepers, Sidesteppers and Fighter Flies, each with its own movement pattern.
• Sidesteppers need two bumps to flip, so time your second hit carefully.

Use pipes, coins and the POW block

• Enemies enter through the top pipes and exit through the bottom ones, so guard both ends.
• Coins appear after some enemies are kicked away and are worth grabbing between waves.
• Hit the POW block to flip every grounded enemy at once in an emergency.
• The POW block only works a limited number of times, so save it for crowded screens.

Survive faster waves

• Later stages add more enemies at once and raise their speed.
• Fireballs bounce around the screen and cannot be flipped, so dodge them.
• A bonus stage with coins appears at intervals and rewards quick collecting.
• In two-player mode, Mario and Luigi can help or hinder each other, so agree on zones.

Game Highlights

• Two-player arcade action: Mario and Luigi play together on the same screen, a first for the series.
• Flip-and-kick combat: Bumping enemies from below instead of jumping on them feels completely different.
• The POW block: One hit turns a hopeless screen into a scoring chance.
• Pure arcade scoring: Chasing coins and chain bonuses keeps every replay tense.

Controls

On NES, Mario Bros. uses the standard controller for movement, jumping and the POW block.

• D-Pad: Move Mario left or right across the platforms.
• A Button: Jump to reach higher platforms or bump enemies from below.
• B Button: Run faster when you need to reach a flipped enemy in time.
• Start: Pause the game or start a one- or two-player session.
• Select: Choose between one-player and two-player modes on the title screen.

Tips and Strategies to Win

A calm position beats constant chasing in this game.

• Stand just below a platform edge so you can bump enemies the moment they pass overhead.
• Kick flipped enemies immediately, because recovered enemies move much faster.
• Let the POW block wait until several enemies are grounded together for maximum value.
• In two-player mode, split the screen so each player guards one side.
• Use the bonus coin stages to build score without any enemy pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Is Mario Bros. the same as Super Mario Bros.? A: No. Mario Bros. is the earlier single-screen arcade game, while Super Mario Bros. is the side-scrolling adventure that followed it.

Q: Can two players play together? A: Yes. The second player controls Luigi, and both plumbers share the same screen at the same time.

Q: Can I play Mario Bros. online for free? A: Yes, you can play Mario Bros. online for free in your browser on RiveGame, with no download or installation needed.