Go ahead and thank Jay Pavlina for changing your perspective on the 8-bit era. Confused?  If the image below hasn't cleared things up, click it and play Super Mario Bros. Crossover, Pavlina's first game and a tribute to classic NES franchises.

Although Pavlina lifted the game mechanics and level design from Nintendo's Super Mario Bros., he managed to improve upon the developer's original product. Crossover allows players to choose from a cast of famous 8-bit legends including Samus, Mega Man, and Link. In an effort to amplify an already awesome flash game, Pavlina made sure the controls for each character reflected their respective games.

My personal favorite is Bill R. from Contra. Level up that machine gun, and he's unstoppable [via New Grounds]!