History YMMV / SuperMarioBros1

** While the game is undeniably regarded as a classic, ever since UsefulNotes/TheNewTens, there's been an ongoing debate amongst the fandom on whether or not the game has aged and whether or not it is worth playing today. Some argue that the game, while basic, still remains a fun experience and one that is still worth playing today because of how much of an iconic classic it is. Others though, argue that it’s a very rough game that is both repetitive and filled with FakeDifficulty by today's standards, with some feeling that as iconic as the game is, it is ultimately [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny too archaic]] to be worth playing outside of curiosity, especially when later 2D Mario titles, including ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'' on the same system, are more refined and polished experiences that offer more content.

** While the game is undeniably regarded as a classic, ever since UsefulNotes/TheNewTens, there's been an ongoing debate amongst the fandom on whether or not the game is still worth playing today because of how much of an iconic classic it is, or if it’s [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny too basic and archaic]] to be worth playing outside of curiosity, especially when later 2D Mario titles, including ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'' on the same system, are more refined experiences and offer more content.

* BrokenBase: The game not getting an ''Super Mario Advance'' remake on the GBA. While some are happy enough with the [[UpdatedRerelease GBC Deluxe remake]] (which served as a precursor to the ''Advance'' series), others were upset and complained that Nintendo missed their chance to include brand new ''Advance''-exclusive content, as well as a lack of a 16-bit ''Super Mario Bros.'' game outside ''Super Mario All-Stars'' and its re-releases.

** Beating the game [[NoDeathRun without losing a single life.]]

** Beating the game without using the B button. [[http://tasvideos.org/2676M.html Yes, its been done.]]

** On a grander scale, the game (and by extension, the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem console]] it came packed with) marked a GrowingTheBeard moment for video games ''as a whole'', spurring the industry to recover from UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983 and prompting games to begin their evolution from a popular fad into a legitimate new entertainment medium that would eventually be able to compete with film, television and literature.

* HilariousInHindsight:
** The many discussions of ''Super Mario Bros.'' (and sometimes including ''The Lost Levels'') never getting a GBA remake called ''Super Mario Advance 5'', as ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros1'' was originally started out as the fifth game in the ''Advance'' series and mostly takes cues from this game.
** Due to technical limitations, Peach wore a white dress with red trim instead of her iconic pink dress. In ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'', released ''twenty-eight years later'' that exact color scheme would be used for Peach's fire form.

* WhatAnIdiot: Bowser leaving the axe at the end of the drawbridge during his battle(s) with Mario/Luigi is a classic example of BossArenaIdiocy.

* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: The Game Boy Advance version, unlike ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' or ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'', is simply an emulated version of the NES original, instead of being an UpdatedReRelease of the ''All-Stars'' version. There were plans to make a ''Super Mario Advance'' remake of this game, but they were scrapped because of the existence of the GBC remake.

* UnintentionallyUnwinnable: The Minus World on any version except the Famicom. Also, there are some places where you can jump on the ceiling in a castle level (i.e. x-4 level) and get stuck because there's no way down, and you have to let the timer run out.

* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound: Pretty much ''every'' sound effect from this game has become iconic and beloved by gamers, but special mention goes to the jump, coin, and powerup sound effects, which often show up in tributes to both this game and games in general.

* UnwinnableByInsanity: The Minus World on any version except the Famicom. Also, there are some places where you can jump on the ceiling in a castle level (i.e. x-4 level) and get stuck because there's no way down, and you have to let the timer run out.

* BrokenBase: The game not getting an ''Super Mario Advance'' port on the GBA. While some are happy enough with the [[UpdatedRerelease GBC Deluxe port]] (which served as a precursor to the ''Advance'' series), others were upset and complained that Nintendo missed their chance to include brand new ''Advance''-exclusive content, as well as a lack of a 16-bit ''Super Mario Bros.'' game outside ''Super Mario All-Stars'' and its re-releases.

* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: The Game Boy Advance version, unlike ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' or ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'', is simply an emulated version of the NES original, instead of being an UpdatedReRelease of the ''All-Stars'' version. There were plans to make a ''Super Mario Advance'' remake of this game, but they were scrapped because of the existence of the GBC port.

** ''Super Mario Bros. Deluxe'' on UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor has a number of features that make it worth keeping: being able to save your progress and select any stage you've completed so far (even in its [[UnlockableContent Unlockable]] port of ''The Lost Levels'', which is necessary given [[PlatformHell how difficult it is]]) a Challenge Mode for each level, a 1 and 2-player race mode, and the ability for a single player to choose between Mario or Luigi. Unfortunately, the screen resolution was significantly cropped to fit the handheld's small screen (and to keep from squishing the sprites down), which can make gameplay more frustrating than the original. The port ''does'' have [[AntiFrustrationFeatures some tweaks to make up for this]], such as allowing you to reorient the screen to look above or keep the view locked ahead of Mario, in addition to tweaking the RatchetScrolling so you can slightly backtrack to an out of view area, but it only helps so much.

** The Overworld theme is the most well-known song of the franchise and in ''all of gaming''.

* WhatAnIdiot: Bowser leaving the axe at the end of the drawbridge during his battle(s) with Mario/Luigi is a classic example of BossArenaIdiocy. Maybe [[FairPlayVillain he wants to defeat the brothers with his own power and thinks tripping the axe to send them falling to the lava below is cheap]], but he'd be able to accomplish that much more effectively if he fought them on solid ground instead.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Even though the game was a massive success and people still look back on it as an example of game creation being done right, even long time fans agree that games like ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'' and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' did a better job in showcasing what Mario can do and how the series should be. While the original game is never considered to be bad, it can be barebones and choppy with its difficulty when compared to the later games in that era.

** For newcomers coming off of newer games, [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness the fact that Fire Mario goes straight to Small Mario after being hit instead of Super Mario is this]]. Also, collecting the Fire Flower as Small Mario only turns him into Super Mario. Some veterans, however, appreciate the added challenge. Unlike Japanese ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'' and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'', there is no official VideoGameRemake that changes this, as both ''All-Stars'' and ''Deluxe'' keep it in.

** The ''All-Stars'' version changes the block breaking physics so that Super/Fire Mario Mario continues moving upwards rather than bouncing back down immediately, meaning it's very easy for Mario to suddenly lose all momentum because he got snagged on an adjacent block.

* WhatAnIdiot: Bowser leaving the axe at the end of the drawbridge during his battle(s) with Mario/Luigi is a classic example of video game boss idiocy. Maybe [[FairPlayVillain he wants to defeat the brothers with his own power and thinks tripping the axe to send them falling to the lava below is cheap]], but he'd be able to accomplish that much more effectively if he fought them on solid ground instead.

** While there were a few successes beforehand, this game was where the ''Mario'' franchise started to hit its stride. Many of its famous themes, characters, and traditions where born here, and would influence all future sequels.

* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: The Game Boy Advance version, unlike ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' or ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'', is simply an emulated version of the NES original, instead of being an UpdatedReRelease of the ''All-Stars'' version.

* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: The Game Boy Advance version, unlike VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2 or [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3 Super Mario Bros. 3,]] is simply an emulated version of the NES original, instead of being an UpdatedReRelease of the All-Stars version.