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In m_st's defense, this wasn't really an "arcade" version of SMB, but rather they took an NES, slapped 10 games in it, and put it in an arcade cabinet (not literally, but functionally).

Most games that originated on the arcade and later became console games were usually ports. However, in the case of PlayChoice 10, all of these games originated on the NES, and were "ported" (but mostly unmodified) from the NES.

So when sehugg thought they were playing an arcade game, they were actually playing a (slightly modified) NES.

Mario Bros. arcade was ported to the NES, and it was modified. [1]

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Bros.#Reception

2 comments

That's a distinction without a difference. Sega built arcade hardware almost identical to their SG-1000 console and ported some of its games to it. Most Neo-Geo arcade "MVS" cartridges were the same as the home "AES" carts except for the physical connector and arcade-specific stuff (checking for coin switches).

There's no platonic ideal that makes an "arcade" game vs a home system. They come in all shapes & sizes of cabinets. Some take coins, some take cards, and some are kept on free play to keep kids from running around a restaurant screaming.

I'd say the only real difference between an arcade game and a home game is where they were meant to be played.

Agreed. My point is that back then, most console versions of arcade games were "watered down" software ports after the fact. PlayChoice 10 was one of the first, more popular exceptions to this (the software remained practically unchanged).

There was the Playchoice release and also Vs Super Mario Bros. Vs Super Mario Bros is a true arcade version of SMB, which had harder and different levels from the home version.

http://www.mariowiki.com/VS._Super_Mario_Bros. (You need to manually add the trailing period, HN is stripping it)