Mario Bros.

Mario Bros. is the arcade game where Mario and Luigi first worked side by side, and the one that started a whole lot of sibling fights. It's simultaneous two-player, and while the idea is to team up and clear out the pipes, somebody always flipped a turtle right back over just as their partner went to kick it.

It's not playable in our arcade yet, but it's on the UsuArcade wish list, and your votes can move it up.

History

Nintendo released it in 1983, with Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi behind it. Mario, who'd already shown up in Donkey Kong, becomes a plumber here, and his brother Luigi makes his debut as player two.

The action takes place in the city's sewer pipes, and it laid down a lot of things the series would become famous for, like turtles you have to flip and the green pipes enemies pop out of.

How to play

Each phase is a single screen with several platforms. Enemies come out of the pipes up top and work their way down. You can't just jump on them: you have to bump the platform from underneath to flip them over, then kick them off before they recover.

Turtles go down with one bump, crabs need two and flies hop around, so timing is everything. The POW block in the middle flips every enemy touching the floor, but you only get a few uses. There are also bouncing fireballs and bonus rounds for grabbing coins.

Fun facts

• It's Luigi's first appearance.
• It's the game where Mario became a plumber.
• The POW block flips every enemy that's touching the ground.

In the arcade

Mario Bros. is on the wish list: coming soon to UsuArcade. Vote with the “I Want to Play It” button to move it up the line of games to add.

In the meantime, the lobby has Donkey Kong, where Mario got his start, and for single-screen two-player co-op with a friend, Bubble Bobble and Snow Bros., all with spectators, chat and arcade high scores.

Once Mario Bros. lands in the arcade, you'll be able to play it online two-player, each on your own phone or PC, in the same game.

FAQ