When comparing OutRun vs Super Mario Bros., the Slant community recommends Super Mario Bros. for most people. In the question“What are the best and the most revolutionary games of all time?” Super Mario Bros. is ranked 1st while OutRun is ranked 36th. The most important reason people chose Super Mario Bros. is:
Super Mario Bros. introduced the concept of [level design as a tool for educating players](http://www.1up.com/features/learning-level-design-mario) that created a low barrier to entry for new players that was instrumental in pulling the industry out of the [North American Video Game Crash of 1983](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_video_game_crash_of_1983) and set the bar for level design for generations to come.
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Unique driving gameplay instead of racing
Unlike other racing games of the time, you aren't necessarily racing at all. OutRun was more about beating the clock than any opponents. At the end of each stages, the player could either turn left for an easier stage or turn right for a more difficult stage which gave the user some choices as if they were driving instead of racing on a set track.
Pro First game to offer a choice of music
Before OutRun, players couldn't choose what music they listened to. In OutRun, players could choose one of three 'radio stations' which would play different music.
Pro Birth of modern level design
Super Mario Bros. introduced the concept of level design as a tool for educating players that created a low barrier to entry for new players that was instrumental in pulling the industry out of the North American Video Game Crash of 1983 and set the bar for level design for generations to come.
Pro Greatly influential
The game's influence stretches beyond even this - many of the most important franchises and development studios in the industry got their start from imitating Super Mario Bros., including Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog and id Software's Commander Keen.
Pro One of first side scrollers
This game was one of the first side scroller games.
Pro It saved the video game industry
If this game didn't happen then video games would've died. Zelda, Metroid, DOOM, Sonic the Hedgehog, GTA, Call of Duty, and Halo would not have existed if it weren't for this game.
Pro Created defining mechanics of the platformer genre
Super Mario Bros. introduced several game mechanics that would become the bread and butter of platformers as a genre.