World 1-1

Design

Philosophy

During the third generation of video game consoles, tutorials on video game mechanics were rare, so players were oriented to a new video game by its level design. The opening sections of Nintendo Entertainment System games such as Metroid, The Legend of Zelda, and Super Mario Bros. are all designed to force players to explore the game mechanics to be able to advance.

Super Mario Bros. is the first side-scrolling video game featuring Mario, and one of the first video games directed and designed by Shigeru Miyamoto. Rather than confront the player with obstacles indiscriminately, its first level introduces the variety of hazards and objects by directing the player to interact with them while advancing.

Miyamoto explained that he designed World 1-1 to contain everything players need to "gradually and naturally understand what they're doing", to be able to play more freely, so that it becomes "their game".

Execution

At the start of World 1-1, the player controls Mario to immediately encounter a slowly approaching Goomba. According to 1UP.com, it is likely that this first enemy will kill a novice player, even though the enemy can easily be avoided by jumping over it. As very little progress is lost, the player learns from defeat and can try again.

Next comes a series of four vertical warp pipe obstacles that must be jumped over. Each has a different height, subtly teaching the player that holding the jump button longer makes a higher jump. When encountering variously-sized pits, the player may discover how to use the button for running, because running allows for bigger jumps across the pits. Furthermore, Miyamoto ensured that some pits in World 1-1 have floors and can be simply jumped out of, instead of killing Mario and forcing a replay of the entire level.

World 1-1 includes a few secrets that players can discover by replaying, such as a pipe leading to a bonus room and a hidden block containing a 1-up. The pipe also skips much of the level, to expedite the experienced players.

Reception

World 1-1 has been cited as one of the most iconic video game levels, described by Chris Kerr of Gamasutra as "legendary". Boston Blake of Game Rant rated it among the best opening levels in video games for having "ignited a love for gaming in the hearts of gamers around the world", and Jon Irwin of Paste Magazine described it as a "master-class in teaching players how to play".

Jeremy Parish of 1UP.com stated that "much of the game's success arose from the fact that it equipped players with the tools to master it from the very beginning." Almost all mechanics introduced throughout the game are based on those in World 1-1, and the first levels of Mario sequels (such as Super Mario Bros. 3) expand them further. He described it as "the most widely imitated, referenced, and parodied single level of a video game".

Legacy

The design philosophy introduced in Super Mario Bros., described as "learning through play", has been implemented in all of Miyamoto's later games.

Variations of World 1-1 are frequently recreated as user-generated content, such as with Super Mario Maker and its sequel. Examples include an extra difficult version with dozens of twirling fire bars, a vertical climbing version, and a self-playing version. The stage has also been referenced numerous times in official media.

A mission in Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour involves the player completing several objectives in a recreated 4K version of World 1-1 that fits the entire level in a single screen.

References

References

1. Parish, Jeremy. (2012). "Learning Through Level Design with Mario".
2. Robinson, Martin. (September 7, 2015). "Video: Miyamoto on how Nintendo made Mario's most iconic level".
3. Kerr, Chris. (September 8, 2015). "How Miyamoto built ''Super Mario Bros.''{{'}} legendary World 1-1".
4. Bishop, Rollin. (September 8, 2015). "Why the Famous First Level of Super Mario Bros. Looks the Way It Does".
5. Saed, Sherif. (September 7, 2015). "Watch Miyamoto explain how he designed Super Mario Bros. World 1-1".
6. Blake, Boston. (September 2015). "The Top 10 Opening Levels in Video Games".
7. Irwin, Jon. (September 11, 2015). "The 20 Best 2D Mario Levels of All Time".
8. Diaz, Ana. (July 16, 2019). "Mario Maker 2 level turns World 1-1 into a fiery nightmare hellscape". [[Polygon (website).
9. Good, Owen S.. (August 21, 2019). "Super Mario Maker 2 level turns World 1-1 on its side". [[Polygon (website).
10. Khal. (August 13, 2019). "The Best 'Super Mario Maker 2' Levels for Nintendo Switch". [[Complex.com.
11. McWhertor, Michael. (27 November 2012). "New Super Mario Bros. 2 DLC expands with classic Super Mario Bros. levels remade (update)".
12. Tach, Dave. (2 November 2017). "Super Mario Odyssey guide: Metro Kingdom all power moon locations".
13. Lee, Madelynn. (8 September 2022). "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: The 10 Best Mario Stages".
14. Jorgensen, Tom. (5 April 2023). "The Super Mario Bros. Movie Review".
15. Morales, Greysun. (2025-06-07). "Welcome Tour: Super Mario Bros. 4K (1-1) - 1-Up Mushroom Location".