 Critics saw Super Mario Land as a " smaller " and shorter version of Super Mario Bros. IGN 's Lucas Thomas wrote that the protagonist , enemies , and overall game were shorter , and noted that Mario himself was just 12 pixels in height on the Game Boy 's small screen . With this in mind , Thomas was concerned about player " eyestrain " in rereleases of the game . Still , IGN 's Levi Buchanan thought the game made no compromises in its size reduction . At the time of its release in 1989 , reviewers were excited to have a portable Mario game . Paul Rand of Computer and Video Games called the game " an arcade machine in your pocket " and the graphics " remarkable " for their size . French games magazine Player One felt that Super Mario Land adequately compromised where necessary to bring Mario to a portable device . Electronic Gaming Monthly 's Steve Harris considered the game " fantastic " and " very fun to play " , albeit short . Ed Semrad and Donn Nauert of the same outlet both declared Super Mario Land " easily the best Game Boy cart " of the time . Complex 's Gus Turner wrote that the graphics were " simple " , and Official Nintendo Magazine said the game was " ridiculously short " . Eurogamer reported that the game could be finished in under an hour . 
 Critics saw Super Mario Land as a " smaller " and shorter version of Super Mario Bros. IGN <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>Lucas Thomas wrote that the protagonist , enemies , and overall game <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> shorter , and noted that Mario himself was just 12 pixels in height on the Game Boy <a href='null_genetive' title='3'><mark>'s</mark></a>small screen . With this in mind , Thomas was concerned about player " eyestrain " in rereleases of the game . Still , IGN <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>Levi Buchanan thought the game made no compromises in its size reduction . At the time of its release in 1989 , reviewers <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>were</mark></a> excited to have a portable Mario game . Paul Rand of Computer and Video Games called the game " an arcade machine in your pocket " and the graphics " remarkable " for their size . French games magazine Player One felt that Super Mario Land adequately compromised where necessary to bring Mario to a portable device . Electronic Gaming Monthly <a href='null_genetive' title='6'><mark>'s</mark></a>Steve Harris considered the game " fantastic " and " very fun to play " , albeit short . Ed Semrad and Donn Nauert of the same outlet both declared Super Mario Land " easily the best Game Boy cart " of the time . Complex <a href='null_genetive' title='7'><mark>'s</mark></a>Gus Turner wrote that the graphics <a href='uninflect' title='8'><mark>were</mark></a> " simple " , and Official Nintendo Magazine said the game was " ridiculously short " . Eurogamer reported that the game could be finished in under an hour . 
Critics saw Super Mario Land as a " smaller " and shorter version of Super Mario Bros. IGN  Lucas Thomas wrote that the protagonist , enemies , and overall game was shorter , and noted that Mario himself was just 12 pixels in height on the Game boi  small screen . With this in mind , Thomas was concerned about player " eyestrain " in rereleases of the game . Still , IGN  Levi Buchanan thought da game made no compromises in its size reduction . At the time of its release in 1989 , reviewers was excited to have a portable Mario game . Paul Rand of Computer and Video Games called tdagame " an arcade machine in your pocket " and the graphics " remarkable " for their size . French games magazine Player One felt dat Super Mario Land adequately compromised where necessary to bring Mario to a portable device . Electronic Gaming Monthly  Steve Harris considered the game " fantastic " and " very fun to play " , albeit short . Ed Semrad and Donn Nauert of the same outlet both declared Super Mario Land " easily the best Game boi cart " of the time . Complex  Gus Turner wrote that the graphics was " simple " , and Official Nintendo Magazine said the game was " ridiculously short " . Eurogamer reported tdatthe game could be finished in under an hour .