In this video, Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka discuss World 1-1, or the very first level in the very first Super Mario Bros. It's fascinating how every element on the level is designed to introduce you to a mechanic of the game, or how Mario moves and jumps.
This is interesting if you like Mario, but also important for any developer in any medium who is thinking about the NUX (new user experience) of their product.
The Genius of Progressive Disclosure
The genius of World 1-1 lies in its progressive disclosure. Every block, enemy, and obstacle serves a purpose beyond mere decoration. The level doesn't tell you what to do — it shows you, naturally guiding players through discovery without a single line of tutorial text.
This design philosophy has become legendary in the game development industry. Miyamoto and Tezuka understood that players learn best through action and exploration, not through instructions. World 1-1 accomplishes in 30 seconds what most games require minutes of tutorials to achieve.
Breaking Down the Design Elements
The Opening Screen
The very first screen of World 1-1 is a masterclass in intuitive design. As soon as you start, you see:
- A Mushroom power-up moving toward you from the right
- A ? block positioned to encourage jumping
- Clear horizontal space to understand movement
This single screen teaches three critical mechanics: horizontal movement, jumping, and collecting power-ups — all without words.
Visual Teaching Through Enemy Placement
The first enemies you encounter are Goombas — slow, predictable, and positioned in a way that makes the solution obvious. They walk in a single direction, forcing the player to understand:
- How to avoid enemies (jump over them)
- How to defeat enemies (jump on them)
- Enemy movement patterns
By the second Goomba, players have internalized these mechanics without realizing they've been taught.
The Pipes and Verticality
When the first pipe appears, it doesn't immediately block your path. It's positioned off to the side, inviting curiosity. What happens if you jump on it? This teaches vertical exploration — a skill that becomes essential throughout the game.
The pipes also serve as respawn points in later levels, but in World 1-1, they're introduced simply as navigable terrain. The design ensures the player understands jumping onto platforms before introducing the more complex mechanics of going into pipes or dealing with enemies coming out of them.
The Question Mark Blocks
The iconic ? blocks do more than provide coins or power-ups. They teach:
- Spatial awareness: Look above you
- Interaction: Elements in the environment are interactive
- Hidden rewards: Exploration is rewarded
- Vertical gameplay: Jumping has a purpose beyond navigation
Each block is carefully positioned to reveal something new — first coins, then perhaps a power-up, building anticipation and teaching players to look for hidden elements.
The Elements of Great Onboarding
1. Visual Cues Over Instructions
Everything you need to know is visual and contextual. The enemies are slow and approachable. The blocks are clearly interactable. The goal (flagpole) is visible from the start. No tutorial popup needed.
2. Fail-Safe Design
Early obstacles are designed to be forgiving. You can't die from the first few challenges, giving players room to experiment and learn. The first few hazards require minimal skill, building confidence.
3. Progressive Complexity
Each new screen introduces just one new element at a time:
- Screen 1: Movement and basic jumping
- Screen 2: First enemy encounter
- Screen 3: Power-ups and verticality
- Screen 4: Multiple obstacles and timing
- Final: Everything combined at the flagpole
Players never face too much at once. Each element is mastered before introducing the next.
4. Natural Pedagogy
By the time players reach the flagpole, they've unconsciously learned everything they need to know about Mario's movement — running, jumping, power-ups, and enemy behavior. The learning happens organically through play.
5. Clear Goal Visibility
The flagpole is always visible, providing direction and purpose. Players always know where they're going, creating a sense of progress and achievement.
The Legacy of World 1-1
World 1-1 remains one of the most referenced examples of level design in gaming history. Its influence extends far beyond platformers to RPGs, strategy games, mobile games, and even user interface design.
The principles demonstrated in this single level have become fundamental to good UX design:
- Progressive disclosure: Reveal information as it's needed
- Learn by doing: Interaction teaches better than instruction
- Intuitive affordances: Make the right action obvious
- Fail safely: Early mistakes shouldn't be punishing
- Visual language: Communicate through design, not text
Conclusion
Miyamoto and Tezuka didn't just create an entertaining first level — they created a framework for teaching complex interactions that remains relevant decades later. Whether you're designing a game, a website, or any interactive experience, the lessons of World 1-1 are timeless.
The next time you're designing an onboarding experience, ask yourself: "Would this work if I removed all instructions and tutorials? Could users figure it out from visual cues alone?" If the answer is yes, you're following in the footsteps of the greatest game designers in history.
The beauty of World 1-1 is that it respects the player's intelligence while being incredibly accessible. It assumes competence and provides support through design, not condescension. That's the mark of truly excellent UX design.