I’d like to start introducing some retro games, and there’s no better place to begin than with the classic Super Mario Bros.
Released in 1985 for the Famicom (NES), this game is well-known for its brilliant gameplay. But what I’d especially like to highlight is the pixel art. Despite the limited color palette and resolution, the characters and world are beautifully and clearly expressed. Even today, the visuals remain as charming and impressive as ever.
It’s amazing how clearly Mario’s mustache, hat, and overalls are all distinguished within such a limited number of colors and pixels. The enemy characters and backgrounds are also simple yet striking—each design is memorable at a glance.
Beauty born from limitation—Super Mario Bros. is truly a textbook example of pixel art done right.
Piexel art
Jumping Small Mario is just 16×16 pixels.
When he gets hit by an enemy.
When he grows bigger, he becomes 16×32 pixels. His eyes look a bit odd.
Even while jumping, he’s 16×32 pixels. His eyes look different during the jump, don’t they?
