From what I'm seeing Wiiboy is quite confident going bang-bang-bang on individual points but as a whole I can't see a solid argument.
Talking about SMB:
I would assume that the RAM available in a NES cartridge would have restricted the complexity of available level styles/edits/etc, also I would take into account the fact that it was a game earlier in the NES's lifespan so the means of what designers knew what to do would coincide with their familiarity of the media. No one expects to make an awesome game off little to no prior knowledge of how the format of the game system operates.
iirc Nintendo hadn't really made a platformer of the scale of SMB prior to SMB.
Engine wise I felt that its responsiveness was adequate enough to know that you jumped/swam when you did and ran/shot fireballs when you did it. I would have thought that platformers were centred around precision jumping anyways.
The whole reason for Nintendo Hard coinage is to increase replay value. In today's gaming industry that tends to be shunned somewhat (unless you consider Nintendo's latest string of Hard Mode unlockables etc) but back in those days with a limited cartridge size how else would you get people to play your game as much as possible without resorting to spamming game sales (which wouldn't be economically viable)?
Perhaps the deficiency of powerups does induce frustration (World 8 comes to mind) but it's probably as a result of the above paragraph. But at least the range of enemy projectiles is limited to Spinies, Bullet Bills, fire and hammers. It could be worse.
An occasional Mushroom would be ok I suppose.
Graphics again are based on limited awareness of the NES's potential. I could easily say Kirby's Adventure or Mega Man 6 had pretty awesome graphics for a NES, but those were late games in the lifespan.
Replayability is based on Nintendo Hard, don't see the point in overflogging that point.
Sound at that time would have been limited to the two square waves, triangle and noise tracks (since expansion chips would've come later). Music and SFX btw. Think about what would have appealed in that day - a catchy background theme (and the theme is well paced for what you are doing in game), and clear sound effects that tell you what is happening. The game succeeds on those fronts and that's all it's expected to do.
iirc SMB was one of the games that lifted companies out of the 1983? gaming crash. I think you misinterpreted what that comment meant. (lol as if all games spawn from a platformer)
In context of the time, SMB was a milestone and it would be classified as a GREAT (I wouldn't say amazing, but then again what competition did it have) game, and nowadays it'd be a good nostalgic game.
Back on topic, Mario Pinball Land was pretty horrid (especially ABStSl RESET EVERYTHING), Nuts and Milk (NES) was really clunky and not fun, and to be fair early shooting style games (in the vein of Sheriff) really bored me. I can't pinpoint a 'worst' game since my depth of playing games is really low if it's a game that just doesn't feel good to me.
and lol GMK considered easy
