Super Mario Land is like no other Mario game you've played. Developed by Gunpei Yokoi's team instead of by Miyamoto, everything about this game is a little bit different from what we've come to expect from the series. The game features enemies never seen before or since, power-ups that function differently, and segments that abandon platforming altogether and turn the game into a side-scrolling shooter. In addition, the physics are different, not hugely, but just enough to feel off.

The game is also very short. Each world is only three levels long, as opposed to the four in the original Super Mario Bros., and there are only four of them. That's just twelve levels, so even with the high level of difficulty later in the game, you could blow through this in a few hours. Still, this is a game every Mario fan needs to play, just to see a very different take on the traditional formula.