Super Mario Land

When the Game Boy hit the market in 1989, it needed a star launch title — and Super Mario Land rose to the occasion superbly. It was the very first portable Mario and, at the same time, one of the strongest reasons to buy the console back then. On its tiny monochrome display it offered a brisk, compact platformer you could finish in one longer sitting, and yet it managed to draw you into a completely new take on the familiar plumber.

What's more, the game differs pleasantly from the home installments. Instead of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario heads to the exotic Sarasaland to rescue Princess Daisy, and instead of the usual foes he faces a bizarre collection of creatures. The two biggest surprises are the detours where the platformer turns into an outright shoot 'em up — once you climb into the Marine Pop submarine, another time into the Sky Pop plane, blasting at enemies. Behind the project stood the team of Gunpei Yokoi, the father of the Game Boy, which explains that unmistakable, slightly mischievous flavor.

Retro gamers hold a special fondness for Super Mario Land precisely because of its otherness — this is a Mario that isn't afraid to be weird. Its short runtime, the catchy music of Hirokazu Tanaka, and its historic status as the first pocket Mario make it a title people still love returning to today.