Game/Publisher/Developer
Super Mario Bros. 3, Nintendo, Nintendo R&D4
The Trailer
My Reaction
This is one of my all-time favorite Mario games on any Nintendo console. The graphics were sweet for an NES title and the music and sound effects are the kind every Mario fan loves hearing.
Overview
Super Mario Bros. 3 is a 1988 platform game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the NES, led by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, with a score composed by Koji Kondo. It released in Japan in October 1988, North America in February 1990, and Europe in August 1991. Players control Mario or Luigi as they set out to save Princess Toadstool and the rulers of seven kingdoms from Bowser, defeating enemies by stomping them or using power-ups, with new abilities like flight and slope-sliding added to the formula. The game introduced staples of the series going forward, including Bowser’s children, the Koopalings, and the overworld map used to travel between levels. It went on to become the third-bestselling NES game with more than 17 million copies sold, inspired an animated TV series, got a cameo in the 1989 film The Wizard, and has been remade and rereleased repeatedly since, from Super Mario All-Stars and Super Mario Advance 4 through Virtual Console, the NES Classic Mini and Nintendo Switch Online.
What I Liked
- The core gameplay holds onto everything that made the original Super Mario Bros. great, while adding the ability to run faster and even fly with a Super Leaf.
- Graphics that still look sweet for an NES game.
- Music and sound effects that hit exactly right for a Mario fan.
- Enemies, bosses and items are all designed really nicely.
What I Didn’t Like
- A few of the later worlds ramp up the difficulty sharply enough to catch newer players off guard.
Verdict
If you happen to come across this game while shopping around, I’d recommend picking it up if you’re any kind of Mario fan, because it’s genuinely one of the best games ever made.
Rating
89/100