Thirty-two stages, a single scrolling screen and a plumber who grows when he eats a mushroom: Super Mario Bros. arrived in 1985 and helped revive the home console market in North America. Designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka with music by Koji Kondo, it sends Mario through eight worlds of four levels each to rescue Princess Toadstool from Bowser.
The opening stage teaches everything without text: a Goomba that must be jumped, a mushroom that bounces toward you, pipes that hide secrets. Momentum-based running and variable jump height gave it a physical feel few platformers had matched. Speedrunners still study its hidden warp zones, the shell-bouncing extra-life trick and the glitched Minus World, and its structure of overworld, underground, castle and water stages became the series standard. Pack-in cartridges paired it with Duck Hunt, and it was later remade in Super Mario All-Stars and Super Mario Bros. Deluxe.
Tips for Super Mario Bros.
In World 1-2, run along the ceiling past the exit pipe to find a warp zone leading to Worlds 2, 3 and 4.
On the staircase near the end of World 3-1, repeatedly bouncing on a Koopa shell against a step can earn many extra lives.
Breaking every brick is rarely worth the time; hidden 1-Up mushrooms usually sit in specific blocks.
How to Play Super Mario Bros.
Click Play Now to launch Super Mario Bros. directly in your browser — no downloads or plugins needed. Z jumps, with height depending on how long you hold it, and X runs or throws fireballs. Enter pauses. You can also connect a USB or Bluetooth gamepad for a more authentic feel.
Save states let you save your progress at any point. Create a free account to sync saves across devices. Press F11 for fullscreen mode.
Click the "Play Now" button to start playing Super Mario Bros. directly in your browser. No downloads or installations are needed — the game runs instantly using our built-in emulator.
Is Super Mario Bros. free to play?
Super Mario Bros. is free to play here on RetroVault.GG. We believe classic games should be accessible to everyone, so there's no cost to jump in.
What console is Super Mario Bros. for?
Originally a NES game, Super Mario Bros. can now be played directly in your browser here on RetroVault.GG with no setup needed.
What genre is Super Mario Bros.?
Super Mario Bros. is a action, shooter game. It was made for the NES.
Can I play Super Mario Bros. on my phone?
Yes, RetroVault.GG works on mobile browsers. Visit the game page on your phone or tablet and tap Play Now to start playing Super Mario Bros..