Super Mario Bros. was originally released in 1985. Televisions were different then — blurry and fuzzy-like. Thus, seeing the game on a HDTV makes Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto feel slightly embarrassed.
"When I see this [Super Mario Bros.] so clearly, it's a little embarrassing," Miyamoto tells Earthbound designer Shigesato Itoi. "Back then, with tube televisions, it was a little blurrier and the images weren't quite so sharp. The places where we tried to fudge it a bit really stand out!"
Miyamoto says that if Nintendo was making the game today, those "rough places" would be smoothed out. "In a way those rough places are a part of the game and even well-received," he adds. Super Mario Bros. has stood the test of time and its retro charm is now part of the game's appeal.
Super Mario Bros., which is getting a special re-release in Japan, has sold over 40 million copies.
Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary - Nintendo [Nintendo via Official Nintendo Magazine via GoNintendo]