Super Mario Bros. Crossover
Super Mario Bros. Crossover is a legendary browser-based fan game that lets you play through the original Super Mario Bros. as characters from other classic NES games. Created by Jay Pavlina of Exploding Rabbit, this game faithfully recreates every level of SMB1 while allowing players to choose from a roster of iconic 8-bit characters including Mega Man, Samus Aran, Link, Simon Belmont, Bill Rizer from Contra, and more. Each character retains their authentic abilities and physics from their original games.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Exploding Rabbit (Jay Pavlina) |
| Genre | 2D Platformer / Crossover |
| Platform | Browser (Flash, now archived) |
| Release | April 27, 2010 |
| Engine | Adobe Flash / ActionScript |
| Status | Complete (v3.1.21) |
What Makes Super Mario Bros. Crossover Special?
The genius of Crossover lies in how each character transforms the Mario experience. Playing as Mega Man means you can shoot enemies from across the screen. Samus can morph ball through tight spaces and fire missiles. Link uses a sword and boomerang. Simon Belmont attacks with his whip at an angle. Each character fundamentally changes how you approach the same familiar levels, creating effectively multiple different games within one. The game went viral upon release and became one of the most popular Flash games of its era. It was praised by gaming outlets for its meticulous attention to detail — each character's sprites, abilities, sound effects, and even physics are accurate to their NES originals. Later updates added characters, multiple game skins (SMB1, SMB3, SNES graphics), and difficulty options.Gameplay and Features
Super Mario Bros. Crossover offers the classic SMB1 experience with a twist:- Multiple Playable Characters: Choose from Mario, Luigi, Mega Man, Samus, Link, Simon Belmont, Bill (Contra), Ryu Hayabusa, Sophia III, and Bass.
- Authentic Character Abilities: Each character plays exactly as they did in their original NES games, with accurate physics and moves.
- Full SMB1 Campaign: All 32 levels of the original Super Mario Bros. are faithfully recreated and playable with any character.
- Multiple Visual Skins: Switch between SMB1, SMB3, and SNES-style graphics for a different visual experience.
- Difficulty Options: Adjustable difficulty settings make the game accessible to all skill levels.
- Character-Specific Mushroom Effects: Power-ups transform differently based on your character — Mega Man gets upgrades, Link gets better equipment, etc.
