One of the first Gameboy games I ever owned. Mario's journey through Sarasaland is interesting. There are lots of enemies here that players wouldn't see again until the most recent Mario adventure in Super Mario Odyssey.
The premise is simple, the evil alien Tatanga has kidnapped Princess Daisy. Mario has to traverse various lands to save Daisy and set things right. Just like Super Mario Bros, this game is all about killing enemies, grabbing coins, and making it to the end of the stages. Each area has a different motif, based off ancient Egypt or the Easter Isles. There is a new power-up, the Super Ball, similar to the fire flowers from the first game but it can bounce around the screen and collect coins.
While challenging, this game is a good place to get started with the series. Nothing is super difficult and the game can be beaten in a reasonable amount of time. There are many differences from Super Mario Bros. Some enemies don't behave, like turtles don't have shells but rather turn into bombs in Super Mario Land.
If you enjoy Mario games and haven't played Super Mario Land, you really are missing out. This portable game was every bit a Mario game as the original. The music is catchy, there are some interesting segments, and it feels like a fun little adventure. Sure the graphics haven't aged well but for the time, it was great to play Mario on the go.
