What is Super Mario Bros?
Super Mario Bros is the 1985 Nintendo platformer that turned a plumber from Donkey Kong into the most recognizable character in games. Designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka with music by Koji Kondo, it set the template every side-scroller since has borrowed: run right, jump on enemies, break bricks, grab the mushroom, reach the flag before the timer runs out.
What runs on this page is a fan remake of the game's first world, built in HTML5 and drawn at the NES's own 256 by 224 pixels. The sprites, tile layouts, question blocks, hidden rooms and sound effects follow the original closely, and the level list is World 1 in order: 1-1, the underground of 1-2, the treetop lifts of 1-3, and Bowser's castle. It is not the NES cartridge in an emulator; the last section says exactly what that means.
How to play
You start with three lives and a timer of 400 (300 in 1-3 and the castle). Small Mario dies from one hit; a Super Mushroom makes him big, a Fire Flower adds fireballs, and a Starman makes him invincible for a few seconds. Getting hit while big shrinks you instead of killing you. Every 100 coins is an extra life; when the timer hits zero you lose one, and when the lives run out the score resets.
- Press Play above, then Enter to start World 1-1.
- Run with →, hold Shift to run faster, jump with Space. Hold Space longer for a higher jump.
- Jump on Goombas to squash them. Jump on a Koopa Troopa to knock it into its shell, then kick the shell into other enemies.
- Hit question blocks from below for coins and power-ups. As Fire Mario, press Shift to throw fireballs.
- Grab the flagpole as high as you can for the biggest bonus, and take the axe behind Bowser in 1-4 to drop him into the lava.
Controls
A USB or Bluetooth controller is picked up automatically; on a phone or tablet an on-screen D-pad with A, B and Start buttons appears over the game.
| Action | Keyboard | Gamepad | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move left / right | ← → | D-pad / left stick | D-pad |
| Crouch (big Mario) / enter pipe | ↓ | D-pad down | D-pad down |
| Climb / look up | ↑ | D-pad up | D-pad up |
| Jump — hold for a higher jump | Space | A | A button |
| Run / throw fireball | Shift | X | B button |
| Start / pause | Enter | Start | Start button |
Tips and strategy
- Get the hidden 1-UP in 1-1. An invisible block sits just after the first row of question blocks; jump under the empty air and a green mushroom pops out.
- Hold Shift before you jump. Running speed carries into the jump. The wide pits in 1-3 and the firebar gaps in 1-4 are built for a running jump, not a standing one.
- Take the coin rooms. The fourth pipe in 1-1 and a pipe partway through 1-2 lead to bonus rooms full of coins; the exit pipe drops you further along the level.
- Grab the Starman in 1-1 and 1-2. A brick in each level hides one. Invincible Mario clears every enemy he touches, so start running before you take it.
- Beat Bowser from below. In 1-4, wait out his flames, run under him when he jumps, and hit the axe. Fire Mario can also fireball him down, but it takes many hits.
A brief history
Nintendo released Super Mario Bros in Japan on September 13, 1985 for the Famicom, and it reached North America with the NES later that year. Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka directed it, building on the 1983 arcade game Mario Bros. Bundled with the console across much of the world, its 32 levels across eight worlds, warp zones and hidden 1-UPs set the conventions of the platformer, and the series it started is still running today.
About this version
This is a fan remake, not the NES ROM. It was built in Construct 2 as a plain HTML5 game and is served from this site — a canvas, a JavaScript runtime, PNG sprite sheets and OGG sounds, nothing external — which is why it loads in a second or two and runs on Chromebooks and school laptops without a plugin or an emulator.
What is in it: World 1-1 through 1-4, the pipe-walk scene between 1-1 and 1-2, the secret coin rooms, Goombas, Koopa Troopas, Piranha Plants from 1-2 onward, moving lifts, firebars, lava, and Bowser with his flame attack. Power-ups are the Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, Starman and 1-UP Mushroom, and the HUD tracks score, coins, world and time.
What is not: World 2 and beyond. World 2's level files exist in the project but are not connected to the level order, so after you beat 1-4 the "Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle" card plays and the game restarts you at 1-1, even though the counter now says World 2. The warp zone in 1-2 is drawn but has nowhere to send you and returns you to 1-1 too. There are no save states, continues or stored progress — every visit starts at 1-1 with three lives — and the physics are the remake's own, so frame-precise NES tricks will not reproduce exactly. For a real cartridge in an emulator, try Sonic the Hedgehog on our sister site, or browse more retro games.
Frequently asked questions
Is Super Mario Bros free to play here?
Yes. The game runs right on this page in your browser — no download, no install, no account. Press play and it loads in a couple of seconds; it is only a few hundred kilobytes of sprites, sound and code.
Is this the real NES Super Mario Bros?
No. It is a fan remake built in Construct 2 that recreates World 1 of the 1985 game at the NES's native 256 by 224 resolution, with the original sprites, tile layouts and sound effects. It is not the NES ROM running in an emulator, so it will not behave identically in every frame.
What are the controls?
Arrow keys move Mario, Space jumps (hold it to jump higher), Shift makes him run and throws fireballs when he is Fire Mario, and Enter starts and pauses the game. A USB or Bluetooth gamepad works too: the stick or D-pad moves, A jumps, X runs and Start pauses. On phones and tablets an on-screen D-pad with A, B and Start buttons appears over the game.
Which levels are included?
World 1: 1-1 above ground, 1-2 underground (with its warp zone), 1-3 on the treetops with moving lifts, and 1-4, the castle with firebars and Bowser. The two hidden coin rooms under 1-1 and 1-2 are in too. After you beat the castle you get the 'another castle' message and the game returns you to 1-1, so this is a World 1 remake rather than the full eight-world game.
Can I save my progress?
No. There are no save states or checkpoints between visits — nothing is stored in your browser. A game starts at World 1-1 with three lives every time, and a game over resets the score, coins and lives and sends you back to 1-1.
How do I get an extra life?
Three ways, all from the original: collect 100 coins, hit the hidden 1-UP block near the start of 1-1 (jump under the empty spot just after the first pipe area), or find the 1-UP bricks in the underground 1-2. Bricks with several coins in them are worth hitting repeatedly.
Does the warp zone in 1-2 work?
The warp zone at the end of 1-2 is drawn, complete with the 'Welcome to Warp Zone' sign, but in this build there are no later worlds to skip to — its pipes drop you back to 1-1. Take the normal exit pipe instead to move on to 1-3.
Does it run on a school Chromebook?
Yes. It is plain HTML5 — a canvas, JavaScript and OGG sound — served over HTTPS from this site with no plugin, no Flash and no install. It runs on managed Chromebooks and locked-down laptops just like any web page.
