After playing it safe the last couple of months, Nintendo is back with a genuine surprise for their Nintendo Classics app. I'm of course talking about Mario Paint, the game that came bundled with the Super NES Mouse. Believe it or not, this is one of the rare Nintendo games to never get ported to another console. That is, until now. Yeah, that's cool news, but is this game actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Total, Computer & Video Games and more classic magazines that reviewed Mario Paint when it first came out. Get your art supplies ready, because this is going to be a surprisingly divisive episode of Nintendo Classics Review Crew.


From fighting games to platformers to role-playing adventures, we've seen just about every possible genre come to Nintendo Classics. But one thing we haven't looked at is Nintendo's obsession with add-on peripherals. This was a big part of Nintendo's 8-bit strategy, with everything from a little toy robot named R.O.B. to the Zapper light gun to the invention of the Power Pad. While memorable, Nintendo had a bad reputation of launching these accessories and then almost immediately abandoning them. By the time the Super NES rolled around, the critics were hip to Nintendo's jive. We saw that in early 1992, when Nintendo launched their ill-fated Super Scope, a 16-bit light gun that came with a mini-game compilation that was universally panned by the critics at the time.

Learning their lesson, Nintendo chose to bundle their next accessory, the Super NES Mouse, with a much better game – Mario Paint. Yes, it could be viewed as a mini-game collection, like the Super Scope 6, but it was more than that. The various modes allowed you to exercise your creative muscle, with everything from drawing and painting to music composition. It also came with a flyswatter mini-game, but the real star here is the art you make. And that is why Mario Paint is so fondly remembered. But what did the critics say? Were they won over the mouse accessory?

Believe it or not, Mario Paint is one of the most polarizing Super NES games on the Nintendo Classics app. There are critics that loved it, critics that hated it and basically everything in between. As we so often do, let's go ahead and start with Electronic Gaming Monthly, who gave the art program an average score of 8.25 out of 10, enough to earn the Game of the Month distinction in issue 39. Fake ninja Sushi-X was impressed: “Wow! It's amazing how quickly Nintendo responded to the other video paint programs out there. This ‘game' has a few especially redeeming qualities, mainly its excellent Mouse and overall cuteness of its design. Creating your own Mario Land scenes can be fun at first, but your imagination keeps it going.” Martin ended up being the lone critic to give it a 9, noting that “while this cart is not what you would call a video game, I found it to be a blast. The creative possibilities are endless. Making your own animation and music combos is by far the most fun. Tons of humorous animation are featured within the different studios. The only disappointment is that you can only save one thing at a time.”

Now, it's probably worth mentioning that EGM's score is actually on the higher side of the average. For example, GamePro ended up giving Mario Paint an exceptional 4.5 out of 5, while Super Pro gave the same 90%. The freshly rebooted Electronic Games magazine ended up going one tick higher, giving the game a 91%. That's not only the same score you got from Computer & Video Games, but also the highest score of the bunch. Tim Boone sums it up perfectly: “Right, let's face it – this is the sort of cartridge your parents are going to buy you for Christmas because you're a bit crap at drawing and they think it'll do some good. Well, actually, they'd be right, but luckily Mario Paint is also an excellent laugh. Mario's all over the place to help you along, and some of the effects you can create on your SNES are superb. Initially, I found it quite difficult to get into, but Mario Paint grows on you and the better you become the more you want to learn. Mario Paint is one of those carts you don't think will ever come out of its box, and before you know it, you're using it all the time.”

Like I said at the top, the reviews for this game are all over the board. N-Force gave it a score of 82%, while the Super NES Buyer's Guide went with a straight 8 out of 10. Nintendo Power went with a 4 out of 5 initially, but then raised it to a 4.5 when they re-reviewed it 50 issues later. After that, we're basically in freefall territory. Nintendo Magazine System was the first sign of trouble, giving the game a 65%. “A fun and enjoyable paint package that comes with an excellent mouse. The problem is that its novelty wears off fairly quickly and it's very expensive.”

As we continue our descent, we see Super Play give Mario Paint a woeful 55%, the same score that Control gave it in their final issue. However, if you're looking for the absolute lowest score, then look no further than Total, the UK magazine that went all the way down to a 48%. They complained that it has “too few colors, crap resolution, no zoon function” and a limited music maker. Life span? “Even the youngest Mouseketeer will soon outgrow this most basic art package.” They called it a “simple art and music package which is great for six-year-olds with 70 quid to spare, but a massive disappointment to everyone else.”

I don't know if it's because it cost more or that micro-computers had been doing art programs for years, but the British critics gave much harsher scores compared to the American critics. Sure, CVG and Super Pro gave it top scores, but the British press gave it an overall average of 69%, while their American counterparts went with a more respectable 85%. Overall, Mario Paint earns a 76%, which is probably lower than many expected. But let's be honest, this is the kind of game that is critic proof, especially when ported to the Switch. Boot it up and have fun. That's what it's there for.