Taking the original Super Mario Bros. game and placing it in the Battle Royale genre wasn't something people were necessarily clamoring for but Nintendo has managed to make it work in Super Mario Bros. 35. After revealing the title during the company's 35th Mario Anniversary Nintendo Direct presentation, many gamers were both excited and confused by the news. This is understandable given how unexpectedly the reveal arrived, but the game has now made its debut on Switch hardware - albeit with an air of skepticism.
Super Mario Bros. 35 is available as a freebie for Nintendo Online subscribers, falling into a similar vein as Tetris 99. In that light, diving into a Battle Royale rendition of an all-time classic seems like a simple enough endeavor. Unlike the aforementioned block-centric puzzle title, this game will only be available until March 31, 2021. At this point, much like the divisive Super Mario 3D All-Stars, the game will be removed from the console entirely on this date. This is a shame because the game is a lot of fun but it also does something unique that no other entries in the genre have attempted, and its impending delisting makes it difficult to get invested in.
For those not in the know, the premise of Super Mario Bros. 35 is simple enough. Players are thrown into a classic Super Mario Bros. level with a view of 34 other users appearing framed around the user's screen. Those playing can select one of the competitors to target for elimination, with defeated enemies emerging on the other's screen. Goombas, Koopas, Piranha Plants, and even copies of Bowser himself are all free game and available to be summoned on-screen if they're defeated. If Mario meets his end, the loser receives their rank out of 35 and they're then free to jump into another match if they want.
This is a major point in favor of Super Mario Bros. 35, as the game encourages quick sessions of play that makes the flow a lot more enjoyable. Hopping in for a few rounds is fast and easy, allowing players to consume as many matches as they can stomach. Doing so also allows gamers to level up their account, which will unlock new 8-bit character icons that can be attached to their profiles. Additionally, as players progress further in each match, they'll organically earn and start at different levels from the original NES game for their run through.
The reward system adds an unexpected grinding element to the game that encourages players to stick around for one more round. This reward system isn't unfamiliar, with more and more service titles tapping into this element on what feels like a near-daily basis. Daily challenges only further push a desire to keep playing, while rotating Special Battle events help to mix up the monotony. But somewhere in the fun, the excitement begins to fade in the realization that everything being accomplished won't last. All of the unlockables and high scores players invest time in amassing are written in sand, doomed to be wiped from existence in only a few months.
Despite everything Super Mario Bros. 35 offers and the fun it provides, it's the lack of security in the investment of time that players make that overshadows the experience. While it's fun on its own, a big part of its appeal is situated in how much fun it is to unlock options and sink more time into it, which will amount to nothing in March - and in that light, this game is difficult to recommend outside of a few brief sessions.
Super Mario Bros. 35 is currently available exclusively on Nintendo Switch for Nintendo Online subscribers. It will be removed from the system on March 21, 2021.