10 Best Opening Levels In Video Game History
2. Super Mario Bros.
Imagine the scene. It’s 1985, and it’s likely you have never played a video game before. Starting this up with a controller in your hand, your first instinct it to try out each of the buttons.
“Okay, this plus sign moves the little guy, the A button makes him jump. Simple enough. Wow, this music’s catchy."
“What’s that little brown mushroom with eyes doing shuffling towards me? Oh, I ran into him and now I’m dead. Let’s try jumping on his head this time. Success!”
Everything you need to know about Super Mario Bros. is contained within the first few screens of the game. The learning curve is absolutely perfect, teaching you that "goombas = bad, question blocks = good" in an unmistakeable way, without you even being aware that you’re essentially in a tutorial.
The best-selling franchise in video game history owes everything to the sublime level design of the original game, and this first level is the perfect introduction.