Super Mario Land

スーパーマリオランド (Sūpā Mario Rando)Game Boy, Nintendo 3DS, Switch1989

  1. JP1989
  2. NA1989
  3. EU1990
  4. RU—

Super Mario Land has the same title in every region. Today it is playable legally through the Game Boy library of Nintendo Switch Online, where it was added on 15 May 2024; the earlier 3DS Virtual Console release is gone with the closed 3DS eShop.

Super Mario Land was released in Japan on 21 April 1989 as one of the four launch titles for the Game Boy. Nintendo R&D1 developed it, with Satoru Okada directing and Gunpei Yokoi producing, which made it the first mainline Mario not designed by Shigeru Miyamoto. Hirokazu Tanaka composed the music; the invincibility theme is Offenbach's “Infernal Galop” from Orpheus in the Underworld. The game was planned as the Game Boy's pack-in title, but Tetris was bundled with the console instead.

The adventure takes place in Sarasaland, where Mario rescues Princess Daisy, in her first appearance, from the alien Tatanga. Two of the twelve levels are Gradius-inspired scrolling shooter stages in which Mario pilots a submarine or a plane.

The English version reached North America in 1989 and Europe in September 1990. The game later returned on the 3DS Virtual Console in 2011 and on Nintendo Switch Online in 2024.12

Names and releases

RegionTitle on the boxPlatformDatePublisherSrc
NA Super Mario LandInfobox date; the article text says 1 August 1989 Game Boy Jul 31, 1989 Nintendo 1
JP スーパーマリオランドSūpā Mario RandoGame Boy launch title; date also in Japanese Wikipedia Game Boy Apr 21, 1989 Nintendo 1
EU Super Mario Land Game Boy September 1990 Nintendo 1
WW Super Mario LandVirtual Console; the 3DS eShop has since closed Nintendo 3DS Jun 6, 2011 Nintendo 1
WW Super Mario LandNintendo Switch Online (Game Boy library) Switch May 15, 2024 Nintendo 2

Also known as: Sūpā Mario Rando JP2

Box art by region

  • Super Mario Land box art, North America release
    NA Super Mario Land
  • Super Mario Land box art, Europe release
    EU Super Mario Land

Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: libretro-thumbnails.

Version differences

  • Graphics3DS Virtual Console

    The 3DS Virtual Console release enlarges the picture to about 60 percent zoom and offers an optional green palette that imitates the original Game Boy screen.1

  • DifficultyAll versions (second quest)

    Defeating Tatanga unlocks a harder second quest with the same level layouts but more enemies and obstacles; after that, stage select becomes available.2

Translations

  • English Official

    Nintendo1989Game Boy · Japanese versionReleased · complete

    The English release came out in North America in 1989 and in Europe in 1990.1

Where to play legally today

  • Nintendo Switch Online Subscription

    Super Mario Land

    Game Boy version

    Checked: 2026-10-133en.wikipedia.org

Reception

More than 25 million copies were sold, making it the fourth best-selling Game Boy game. In Japan it sold about 4.19 million, second among Game Boy titles there.1

In lists

Sources

  1. 1en.wikipedia.org
  2. 2ja.wikipedia.org
  3. 3en.wikipedia.org
  4. 4ja.wikipedia.org
  5. 5ja.wikipedia.org
  6. 6ja.wikipedia.org
  7. 7ja.wikipedia.org

Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13

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