Zero. That's how many classic games were released this week on the Nintendo Switch Online service. Not a single one. Thankfully, we still have a few dozen old school games to get to in this Review Crew series, so today we're going to cover three classic games we previously missed. This week we're looking at three Super NES launch-day classics, including F-Zero, Super Mario World and Pilotwings. Those are definitely well-known games, but are any of them worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Super Play, Computer + Video Games and more classic magazines to see what the critics said back when these games first came out. I sure hope you're not afraid of heights, because this is another high-flying episode of Nintendo Switch Online Review Crew.


One of the things I love about the Super NES launch is that it shows Nintendo ready and willing to fill the 16-bitter's dance card with original IPs. Sure, Nintendo's biggest game at launch was a Super Mario Bros. sequel, but that came with the console and the rest of their line-up was either a port of a popular PC game or something entirely new and original. My favorite new series to come out of the Super NES launch was F-Zero, a fast-paced racing game featuring hovercrafts and futuristic tracks. More than anything else, F-Zero showed off the new system's speedy scaling abilities, something that was much harder to do on the Sega Genesis. Let's see if the critics were as blown away with F-Zero as I was back in 1991.

Giving it an 8.5 out of 10, Electronic Gaming Monthly was a big fan of F-Zero. Martin called the game “Awesome! I've never enjoyed a driving game as much as I've enjoyed this cart. Great graphics make you feel like you're going 500 miles per hours.” Steve also liked it, but was one of the two critics to give the game an 8 out of 10: “This is a really cool use of the scrolling and scaling that the Super NES can do in Mode 7. The content here is top-class, put to good use in addition to making the game look great. Good play mechanics and a fair level of options make F-Zero an immediate must-have for racing fans.”

Believe it or not, there were a number of magazines that went even lower than EGM's 8.5 out of 10. Over in the UK, ACE magazine used their ridiculous one-thousand-point scale to give F-Zero an 840. Back here at home, Nintendo Power went as low as a 4 out of 5, way lower than the 4.6 they gave SimCity. Speaking of a 4 out of 5 score, that's also what GamePro gave the F-Zero. They explained that the “sci-fi graphics, complete with magnetic bars and explosive mines, lend to a dizzyingly real perspective to the racing. Toss in incredible 360-degree rotation sequences and you'll be positively queasy (two GamePro racers actually get carsick when they play!).” They conclude that “F-Zero shows what the SNES can really do, with futuristic racing action and head-spinning 3D graphics. Racers, start your hovercrafts.”

Those were the worst scores I could find at the time, but obviously there were many others that were much, MUCH higher. Game Players, for example went with a 95%, the highest score I could find for F-Zero. Across the pond, pretty much every critic that wasn't ACE agreed that the game deserved a 90%. That's the score you saw in Nintendo Magazine System's first issue, as well as Mean Machines, who had both Julian and Rich weigh in. Julian exclaims that “F-Zero is simply the most impressive racing game I've ever encountered. For a start, it's stunning to look at, with gorgeous, silky-smooth landscapes whizzing by at incredible speeds. Adding to the on-the-edge high speed thrills are the computer opponents, who cut you up and give you a truly challenging race. If it's high-speed thrills ‘n spills you're after, put this at the top of your shopping list.”

Oddly enough, none of the critics seemed all that disappointed by the complete lack of a multiplayer mode, something that would be considered an absolute must for any racing game just a year or two later. With 8s and 9s across the board, I think it's fair to call F-Zero a winner.

Remember how I mentioned the smooth scrolling in F-Zero? That was accomplished using Mode 7, a graphics mode built right into the system that allowed for scaling and rotating effects that were much harder to pull off on other systems. To show off what Mode 7 was capable of, Nintendo gave us Pilotwings, a tech demo of sorts that was filled with aerial mini-games that really puts the system to the test. While all this looks archaic three decades later, Pilotwings was mind-blowing at the time. We had seen scaling and rotating before on the Genesis, but never this smooth and effortless.

Electronic Gaming Monthly agreed that it was impressive, but debated if there was enough of a game to warrant the price. Ed puts it this way: “Yes, it looks good, and it does things no other home game has ever been able to do, but when it gets down to it, the actual game is rather thin. I tired of the gee-wiz scaling and rotation after the first hour and started looking for the challenge, which never appeared.” Martin liked it a bit more, arguing that “Pilotwings doesn't have the graphics and sound that other Super NES games have, but the game gives a whole new light to flight simulation. I like the different things you can pilot and the jetpack is my favorite.” Electronic Gaming Monthly gave Pilotwings an average score of 7.75 out of 10.

From there, the reviews are all over the place. Let's start with the top scores, which kick off with Mean Machines giving the game a 90%, followed by a strong 92% from Super Play in their first issue and a 96% from N-Force in their second. However, the highest score I could find came from, you guessed it, GamePro, who gave Pilotwings a perfect 5 out of 5. Here they ask the important questions: “Are you ready to take off with Pilotwings? This unusual flight simulator from Nintendo takes full advantage of the Super Nintendo's ability to rotate on-screen images 360 degrees. Gorgeous graphics bring each of the game's eight levels to breathtaking life (hope you don't suffer from vertigo). Can you soar through the air with the greatest of ease? If so, Pilotwings may give you just the lift you've been looking for.”

On the other side of the coin are the nay-sayers, the critics were weren't as dazzled by Nintendo's tech demo. Believe it or not, one of them was Nintendo Power, who gave it a score of 3.8 out of 5, making it one of the magazine's worst-reviewed Super NES launch games. And then there's Game Informer, who gave the game a 7 out of 10 in their Spring 1992 issue. They concluded that “Pilotwings is a very relaxing and enjoyable progression through different levels featuring various types of flight. This title's a must for any aviation enthusiast.” Though, they did note that it's “geared toward the older user.” Everybody agreed that Pilotwings was good, but some were more blown away by the Mode 7 effects than others.

Only one year after Super Mario Bros. 3 became the biggest video game in the world and showed up on the big screen in The Wizard, Nintendo released the 16-bit follow-up, Super Mario World, along with their brand-new Super NES console. In fact, they packed it in with the unit, making sure that every early adopter got a piece of the plumber. While it didn't show off the system's special effects like F-Zero or Pilotwings, there's no question that this was the most -hyped cartridge to launch with the Super NES. But did all that hype translate to stellar scores? Let's find out.

Yes, every critic on the planet loved Super Mario World, don't be crazy. However, Electronic Gaming Monthly was a little disappointed. Ed explains: “Easily the best Mario adventure yet, but I had hoped that Nintendo would do more with the game than just make another Mario adventure. This should show off the system's capabilities, but there just aren't enough special effects when compared to other Super NES games.” Sushi-X also gave the game a 9 out of 10, concluding that World is “the ultimate Mario adventure. Super Mario World is a perfect subtitle, with 96 areas to explore. Everything just plain blew me away. Only one game in this genre rates higher in my book, but since tens are impossible, Sonic will have to share the same rating.” It's worth noting that Mario and Sonic fought to be the Game of the Year, but EGM ultimately sided with Sonic in 1991.

From here, it's just a race to see who can give Super Mario World a higher score. Nintendo Power tied with EGM with a 4.5 out of 5, while ACE used their ridiculous one-thousand-point system to give the game a score of 910. And then there's Super Play, who gave the game a 94% and argued that Super Mario World is “an amazingly deep and playable platform game, and a credit to Nintendo.” That said, they also gave us this caveat: “Although true Mario lovers tend to prefer the third game on the NES, this is a real landmark in console game history.”

If you're looking for the really high scores, then you'll find Nintendo Magazine System giving Mario a 98%, which is the same score we saw from Mean Machines in their 17th issue. 98% is also where Computer + Video Games landed, with Rob Swan addressing the great Mario debate head-on: “I thought there was no way that Mario III on the NES could be topped for sheer playability, but then along comes Mario IV, and blows it away. Super Mario World is a brilliant example of what the Super Famicom is capable of. The graphics are absolutely brilliant, with some fantastic visual gags and the marvelous music. Overall, a totally fantastic game – what more can I say?” Honestly, there's nothing more to say, because it's Mario World, and everybody already has an opinion. If you've never played it before, then what are you doing with your life??