- Release Date: 1995 10
- Genre: Action
- Style: Side-Scrolling Platform
- Similar Games: Mario Bros. (Commodore 64/128), Mario Bros. (Arcade), Mario Bros. (Atari Video Computer System), Mario Bros. (Nintendo Entertainment System), Mario Bros. (Atari 5200), Mario Bros. (Atari 7800)
Game Description
Take the gameplay of the classic Mario Bros., imagine a 3D twist and you'll probably end up with Nintendo's Mario Clash for the Virtual Boy. The Clash House tower is filled with little critters walking through pipes and along narrow ledges, so it's up to Mario to knock them off usingThe twist is that the critters are moving in both the foreground and background, giving each level a 3D appearance. Defeat all of the enemies on a level and you'll move to the next, eventually making your way through 40 floors to the top of the tower. Of course, gameplay will become faster and you'll encounter more challenging enemies the higher you climb. No one said being a plumber was easy!
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide
Review: Overall
Imagine Mario Bros. with a 3D perspective and you'll end up with Mario Clash for the Virtual Boy. As in the arcade classic, gameplay involves bouncing on small turtles (Koopas) and picking up their shells to throw at various enemies within a fixed, non-scrolling level. Two turtles will crawl out of pipes on either side of the screen along with enemies, the number of which depends on the level or floor of the tower.As you stomp and throw a turtle shell, another
Mario Clash is a game that relies on split-second timing and jumping with precision. The problem with this is that the control is a little slippery: Mario isn't as heavy as he should be and jumping isn't as precise as it could be. When swirling fireballs and ghosts start flying around the screen, Mario's floating jumps can get frustrating.
Another issue is that you can select from any of the game's forty levels right off the bat. This is both good and bad. Bad because people may skip to level forty, win the game and feel cheated; good because people who want to jump right in on the action won't have to waste time on the easier levels. Since it is an arcade game in which players compete for score, many won't mind this option at all. After all, you're not going to score as many points if you start on a higher level, and you'll also miss out on the bonus rounds.
They will mind, however, that high scores are not saved after the game's turned off! This is regrettable since the game rewards skillful players with bonus points for defeating multiple enemies with one shot or within a certain time. Mario Clash is a fun game that ultimately suffers from its relatively simple, repetitive style of play, hurting its long term value. It's simply hard to come back to a game knowing that your best efforts will be erased as soon as you flick the switch.
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide
Review: Enjoyment
This game is certainly fun, but it needs more diversity or a feature to save high scores.~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide
Review: Graphics
All of the characters look like the ones from the Super Mario series. The levels rarely change backdrops, however, so they look all the same.~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide
Review: Sound
Sounds are just as you'd expect from a Mario game, light and bouncy.~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide
Review: Replay Value
What's the point of playing for points if they are not saved? Forty levels can get repetitive since you are pretty much doing the same thing over and over again.~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide
Review: Documentation
Full-color graphics and easy to read text. No complaints here.~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide
