Screenshots & trailers
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 75 | 20 |
| All-time Steam reviews | – | – | 0 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 76 | 72 |
| Backloggd ratings | – | 65 | 750 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | – | – | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (28)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 80
“Super Mario Bros. 35 gives Nintendo's most iconic game a jolt of life and it's massively welcome. Its matches could do with being a little shorter and it's difficult to see whether it's actually going to have changed much a few months down the line, but it says a lot about the quality of the experience that the biggest problem we have with it is that come April 2021 it won't exist anymore.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Super Mario Bros. 35 takes the original classic and adapts it to a 35-player battle royale-style of game and it's no exaggeration to say that this is one fine work when it comes to adapting a 2D platformer to a competitive feast. It's no less true that veterans will be given an advantage by the game's mechanics but newcomers will also be able to get acquainted with the levels and their secrets before they jump into the action. A classic reinvented as a competitive 35-player experience that keeps intact the exquisite gameplay elements of the original is something worth getting into.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Super Mario Battle Royale, as simple as that. It's free and highly addictive but pay attention... you'll need nerves of steel to prevail.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Delivering precisely what is advertised, Super Mario Bros. 35 delivers on familiar 2D platforming with an all-new competitive twist. Playing against 34 other Marios at once is a wonderful type of mayhem, as is facing off against hordes of enemies. However, early course repetition and late-game lulls slightly temper this Mushroom Kingdom celebration of Mario's 35 years.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Lifting the Tetris 99 template wholesale, Super Mario Bros. 35 is a fun and accessible spin on the battle royale, but it's one that's hampered by a lack of clarity over its multiplayer mechanics. Its fresh new player base also leads to endless trips through 1-1 and gruelling marathons instead of tense battles to be the last Mario standing.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Super Mario Bros. doesn’t suit the battle royale formula as well as Tetris, but this is still a fun novelty that neatly demonstrates the ageless virtues of the original game.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The classic Super Mario Bros. is getting refreshed because of this game. Even though the core gameplay remains unchanged, Super Mario Bros. 35 create some new multiplayer strategies. But those strategies doesn't always make you feel happy or enjoyable.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Super Mario Bros. 35 is not your typical BR game where balance changes come left and right, forcing you to adapt to new metas every few weeks. It’s the kind of game where even if you come to it late or take breaks from it, you aren’t going to be painfully behind the pack. You can pick this up either as a 2D Mario veteran or noob and have fun with it. Unfortunately, this game will only be playable until March 31, 2021, and I hope that isn’t the case.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“I was pleasantly surprised to find a fair amount of replay value and challenge baked into the experience here. Not only do you level up through playing matches, but there are also daily challenges and special game modes that change over time. Still, as much fun as it is to play against other players, there’s only so much this can do to make things feel fresh. You’ll soon be a bit sick of seeing the same levels and wish that there were more Mario titles, or even more classic Nintendo games.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Like Tetris 99, Super Mario Bros. 35 is deviously addictive. It’s a clever revision of a classic, although more content may be required to sustain long-term interest. [Issue #2, p.77] ”
- 60
“It still remains fun on some level, because Super Mario Bros. is fun, and battle royale games are fun. But some poorly thought out decisions lead to this hobbled from reaching the potential that a Mario battle royale game might otherwise be able to achieve.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Slick mechanics, smooth controls, and faithfulness to the source material make Mario 35 another successful battle royale hybrid from Akira. Nintendo demonstrates yet again their willingness to experiment with sacred IP, and the result is something we’ve never seen before.”
read full review ↗
Nintendo Life
Starbit
Eurogamer
GameSpot
TheSixthAxis
Metro GameCentral
Gamersky
Nintendo Insider
GamingBolt
Switch Player…and 16 more tracked reviews.