Super Mario World is a platformer developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, released in 1990 as a launch title alongside the console. Directed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, it expanded on the Super Mario Bros. formula with a vast overworld, hidden exits, and Yoshi — and is widely regarded as one of the greatest games ever made.
Super Mario World was developed by Nintendo EAD under directors Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, releasing in Japan in November 1990 as a Super Famicom launch title. Mario and Luigi travel to Dinosaur Land to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser, traversing a world of interconnected maps, hidden paths, and over ninety levels across eight kingdoms.
The game refined every element of Super Mario Bros. 3 while adding new ideas. The Cape Feather granted sustained flight. Yoshi — the dinosaur companion who could swallow enemies, gain their abilities, and sacrifice himself at the edge of a platform — became one of gaming's enduring characters. Levels contained secret exits that unlocked alternate routes through the world map, rewarding exploration and extending replayability far beyond a single completion. The Special World offered a final gauntlet of brutally demanding levels for players who found every secret.
Super Mario World was the culmination of Nintendo's 2D platformer craft — a game that introduced nothing extraneous, trimmed nothing essential, and balanced accessibility against depth with precision that has rarely been matched. Its 96 exits, colour-coded Yoshis, Star Road shortcuts, and hidden Yoshi's Island stage gave speedrunners and completionists alike an endlessly analysable structure.
Super Mario World is ranked #4 on Rolling Stone's 2025 list of the 50 Greatest Video Games of All Time. It sold over 20 million copies, shipped with the SNES in most markets, and set the template for 2D platformer design that still influences the genre today.