User Reviews (1 - 11 of 34)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

bad game

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 63
Date: June 28, 2006
Author: Amazon User

"Dear God, please let this horrible game be a figment of my imagination"

Nope, it's real. What an unbelievable piece of overrated garbage Super Mario Bros. 3 is. For the life of me I don't get the appeal of this game. Through each of the eight boring worlds it's just the same thing every time: run to the end of each and every extremely short, uncreative level collecting worthless crap so you can move on to the next short, uncreative level. Super Mario Bros. 3 is complete baboon poop. It really is. Nothing good about this game at all. No reason for Mario or video game fans to remember this crappy adventure. No reason for this game to exist. Thank God there are sensible people out there such as myself to give you the honest truth.

Let's get right to the point and talk about all the stinky things:

One, and this is the biggest reason Super Mario Bros. 3 isn't any good. You can only play as Mario and Luigi. In Super Mario Bros. 2 you can play as the Princess and Toad in addition to Mario and Luigi. Not so here. In this game, Mario and Luigi don't even have anything unique to separate the two, so they are basically the same exact person (except Mario is red and Luigi is green). Remember how high Luigi can jump in Super Mario Bros. 2? Well now he jumps just like Mario. Absolutely no reason for this. If anything, Luigi should have MANY more interesting things about him this time around since, after all, Super Mario Bros. 3 comes AFTER Super Mario Bros. 2 and you'd think the most logical thing would be to continue adding MORE things with each new series. But in this case, you get less. I guess Nintendo FORGOT to make Luigi stand apart from Mario.

Another problem: this game is so freakin' predictable. Gee, after the desert world I go to... a water world? You don't say! What? There's an ICE world and a plant world coming up? No way! And what's THIS I see? The final world will be BIG DARK EVIL FIRE WORLD? I didn't see THAT coming. Thanks Nintendo, for making Mario fans look like complete idiots. Way to go.

Other serious problems become noticeable after a couple hours of playtime such as the fact that you have to do so much boring jumping in this game. You have to jump on top of (or over) SO many things that it becomes an absolute chore after world 3 (if you even MAKE it that far without shutting off the game, that is). If you find anything exciting about jumping over pipes or jumping on top of goombas or picking up and kicking buzzy beetles, then I recommend seeking professional help.

Ok, what else makes Super Mario Bros. 3 suck so much? It can't get any worse, right? Yes it can. After you beat the game a message comes up on the screen that says "Thank you, but our princess is in another castle. Just kidding, hahaha". You mean to tell me, after all that long, hard and tedious work making it to the very end, Nintendo is going to joke around and make like the adventure isn't over yet? Before the "just kidding" part, you might very well rip apart your controller or punch a hole in your TV screen all because Nintendo wants to play around and pretend there's still more to the adventure. I can't even think of appropriate words to describe how angry this makes me. Tears of anger are almost dripping down my face. Nintendo NEVER should have done that. I bet that most people who first seen that message really thought the princess was in another castle and came THIS close to killing the nearest living thing next to them. Bad Nintendo.

And guess what? You have to face one of Bowser's kids at the end of every world. I'm not kidding. I was honestly expecting to fight Bowser's WIFE before fighting him, but it never happened. That's probably for the better. Who knows how horrific she looks.

I'm still trying to figure out what everyone sees in this game. It's old and forgettable. Honestly, I think nowadays the only people who enjoy Super Mario Bros. 3 are older folks whose children have moved away to college or to start a family, and they left behind their NES and Super Mario Bros. 3 cartridge so their parents had something to do. All these older folks miraculously happen to enjoy the game so now EVERYONE acts like it's the best game of all-time. Well it's not.

Perhaps the worst of the Super Mario Trilogy.

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 13
Date: January 11, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The only reason I keep this game with my collection is because I like to show off that I have every Mario trilogy game. For one thing, the fact of going around on a 2-dimensional level screen does not entertain me. There is no real action, has clunky game play, and has almost impossible challenges. Try it from a friend or connection first, just to see your opinion.

I don't like this game

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 26
Date: February 11, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is my least favorite mario game of them all.
It has bad graphics, especially on the NES, but even on the SNES on Super Mario All Stars, this game just sucks. the music sucks. the levels suck. the only thing good that might come out of this game is the different "forms" or mario.

P.S. If you haven't already, but Super Mario Brothers 2 for the NES because that game i a lot better, but beware, on the GBA that game has annoying voices added on it, play the NES one.

There's better Mario out there

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 8
Date: May 30, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Many people praise this game to no end, and I honestly think it's just the "hardcore" thing to do. Super Mario Bros 3 (SMB3) was a noble effort back in the day, and really pushes the idea of what an NES game can be with intricate level layouts, maps, characters, items, and play mechanics. It also has a great graphical style that's uniquely its own. No other SMB game has ever looked liked this.

But when it comes to actual gameplay, it leaves me a bit wanting. My biggest complaint is the levels are *really* short. Even when later levels try to present you with challenges you can often just force your way through and still make it, because safety isn't far away. Nintendo chose quantity over quality, as there's certainly a lot of them. But when you don't have enough meat on any one level to bite into, it makes the game hard to get into.

Another big let down are the bosses. They're all almost identical (there's a template "sub-boss" form that all sub-bosses base their patterns on and a template "level boss" form that all level bosses base their patterns on. All sub/level bosses use the same (or extremely similiar) sprites too. All easily squashed with the standard 3 hits Miyamoto always requires.

I think SMB3 is just a case of Nintendo getting too caught up in the interface, items, graphics, etc and kinda forgetting about the gameplay. Try SMB2 instead. Either the vastly strange American version that's decidedly un-Mario but an incredibly well made platformer all the same, or the Japanese SMB2 which is basically SMB1 on steroids. Both much better games than SMB3 is.

Before, I gave this game less credit...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: December 23, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I feel that when I wrote that review and gave it only 1 star that my mind was thinking more about games like Specter and Super Mario 2. But this game deserves more credit. For one, you can carry more than one power up but you can only use that power up in your "power up holder" on the level screen. The levels are fun and challenging, but gameplay can get bland, repetetive, and painstakingly long. That is why it needs a save feature. Even if you can beat it in one sitting, you'll feel it tommorrow morning. Probably the best part is two player mode, but I rarely have another player. There isn't much to say. This game is unlike the first two and can be pleasing.

Super Mario 3, my greatest Nintendo addiction ever!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: May 09, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Ah, Super Mario Bros. 3-- one of the all-time classics from the days of yore, and one of my all-time fave console video games. I could play this for hours on end... and I would do so quite often. Sure its graphics are relatively primitive compared to today's painstakingly-rendered and graphics-engined offerings, but what a time I had playin' it. Without taking any warp shortcuts or skipping levels within a world, I was usually able to get through everything in about four hours, give or take a few minutes for bathroom/snack breaks. Sometimes I'd play this to the exclusion of doin' my homework, or going outside to see what the real world looks like:

ME: "Um... mom? What's that big blinding light up in the sky?"

MOM: "That's the sun, dear."

Speakin' of my mom: SMB3 became the first video game she got into playing, although she lacked the will & the patience to play it with any competence. Hey, they were workin' to support my sorry @$$, put food on the table, and pay the mortgage (come to think of it, they're still doin' alla' that today!)-- it's not like they had time to revel in the kinda frivolous, non-productive lollygagging that I lived for...

Anyhoo, while I sometimes enjoyed playing two-man SMB3 with ma-- I especially enjoyed keepin' her from taking on the next level by luring her into the challenge mode, which pitted Mario against Luigi in a classic Mario Bros. mini-game-- I much preferred to go solo. I didn't feel the need to wait for her to clear a level, and I could pick up all the hidden bonuses for myself. Yeah, I'm a selfish player-- whattaya gonna do `bout it?!

Speakin' of bonuses: the mini-games and discovery of hidden power-ups was half the fun for me. I especially enjoyed raiding the coin ships that would show up once in a blue moon, and I did a pretty good job with the card matching game. `Course, when you've got a copy of the Nintendo Power magazine that shows you all the tips, tricks, and cheats-- well, I think you get the picture...

Sadly, as time wore on and I began mastering this all-time classic, I found myself a bit bored with the whole thing. It had gotten to the point where I rarely needed to use my inventory of power-ups and suits to get through everything without too much trouble. And thanks to one particular level in the seventh world, I was able to max-out my One-Ups, which meant I could play almost indefinitely. Still, after the big thrill was gone I'd pull out my old NES system once a year or so, pop the Super Mario 3 cartridge in, and start playin' it again for old time's sake. That is, until the console finally gave up the ghost after many years of faithful service to my sun-deprived, caffeine-addled self. I've been considerin' hitting the local flea market and picking up a refurb NES from this one dealer for about twenty bucks, but I've just been too lazy to do so. Hmm... ya know what, I think I'll do just that tomorrow before I go to work. Yeah, I'll hit the local flea market, pick myself up a "new" NES, and geek out to SM3 all evening after my shift ends. No wait, I'll grab a 16-bit Super NES and the Super Mario All-Stars game pack (check it out at www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000050FBJ/qid=1084083990/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl63/104-3503582-3486339?v=glance&s=videogames&n=507846) instead. Then I'll have all of the Super Mario games on one cartridge, and I can save the games for future play (which is something I was unable to do on the 8-bit cartridge).

Wish me luck...

`Late

This is my game!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: December 06, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This is my type of game that I can enjoy on the NES. Because I like to cheat on it and go to the end, which that makes me feel better. I like Mario's costume as a raccoon, but I didn't know as a kid that raccoons could fly. What a way to lie to a kid! The last level is the best scene to go to, although, it seems hard than I thought. I like Level 7 because of the pipes, although, it gets confusing but it's fun. I had never got passed Level 8 yet. Darn! I wonder who did. This is my game to keep.

Its a pretty good game.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 05, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I like this game a lot but if you played super mario world first you might think other wise about this game. I played mario world then i tried SMB 3 and I got a little annoyed about the saving issue, it takes forever to beat this game with out cheats and there is no saving function. But then again it is a great game with colorful graphics, catchy music, and even more power ups then its Successor.

Enchantment heaven!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: October 30, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Super Mario Bros. 3 is the third game in Nintendo's long-running Super Mario series. It was released back in 1990, during the prime of the NES. It was a game that proved that "hi-fi" technology (like the Sega Genesis) wasn't needed to make a game great. Shigeru Miyamoto managed to utilise every inch of the NES hardware to produce what is probably the best-selling video game cartridge of all time. So enchanting and addictive is Super Mario Bros. 3, that in EGM magazine's 100th issue four years ago, it was chosen as the second best video game of all time!

After failing to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom, Bowser has started creating turmoil in the Mushroom World. He has used a flying ship to travel through the seven lands of the world and transform the ruler of each land into an animal by means of a magic wand. So Mario & Luigi have not only to travel to the Dark Land where Bowser lurks, but also to transform the kings back to normal. For the first time ever, the game makes use of a "land map" in which levels are spread out, so that it's easier to follow the progress you make. Each land has it's own unique map complete with action scenes, bonus games which help you by providing items for the road and a fortress at the end. In each fortress reside each of the Koopa kids with the magic wands. Although this was the biggest Mario adventure till Super Mario World was released a year later, it's not necessary to complete each and every level. If you manage to find an elusive flute, you can warp between each land. But only three lands per flute, otherwise it would become cheap.

The visuals were splendid for its day. I only find fault with the underground areas, because they can get a bit tedious and monotonous. The music is memorable. Each land has its own unique theme which beautifully suits the type of land. For example, Desert Land has a trudgy sort of beat, whereas Ice Land has a soothing tune. There's even a "funky" version of the original underground theme. This game has power-ups galore! The mushrooms and fireflower are back along with a leaf power-up (which let's you fly) and special suits. These suits come in very handy during some levels. For example, the frog suit allows better underwater maneuvering (but is clumsy on dry land) and the cute "tanooki" suit enables Mario to turn into a statue for a short time. There are a few more surprises too! Add to this the ability to keep and use items in stock (upto twenty eight, I think!) and you have all you could possibly ask for in that area.

As for the gameplay, what can I say? It's perfect! Mario controls very smoothly, but not too much as to ruin it. Flying is performed by equipping the leaf and running till the bar at the bottom fills up. When it is full a whistle will sound, signifying that its time to take off! This game was meant to be completed in one sitting, so it lacks a save feauture. The game would have been less exciting if it was present. Challenge-wise it offers just the right amount of challenge without making it tough as nails or cheap. Enjoy Dark Land!

For those of you who didn't comprehend what I said above, here is the bottom line: If you still have an NES collecting dust, definitely buy this game. You couldn't possibly regret it. If you have a SNES, then you can enjoy the Super Mario All-Stars version of this game, which has better graphics and sound and a save feature! I prefer Super Mario World to this because it's much more eye-candy, has better sound effects, has a save feature and Yoshi, but that's only a personal opinion. This is my second favourite NES game, (the first being The Legend of Zelda).

one of the best on the NES

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: May 09, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Super Mario Bros 2 is my favorite game of the series and the original SMB is a legend. So where does this leave Super Mario Bros 3? This was the last Super Mario game on the old NES and while I might like some of the other games more, this might be the class of the series on the NES. With the strange direction that SMB2 went, this was a trip back to the roots of Mario. This is a true side scrolling game and features many of the same enemies from the original. You still jump, stomp and throw fire to make your way through the game. But there are new features now. First, there is now a world map and you can select which level you want to enter next. Some levels are avoidable, some are not, but you can also do special areas (several mini-games and an area where you get bonus items). You are able to get items throughout the game, and you can use them before levels to be stronger. There are also several different suits that augment your abilities. The most common is the Racoon suit which allows you to kill the enemies by flicking your tail at them, and also giving you the ability to fly for short periods of time. There is also a frog suit (allowing swimming to be easier), a Tanooki suit (much like the raccoon suit, but you can briefly turn to stone to avoid enemies...rare), and I believe there is a Hammer Brothers Suit (but I could be wrong about this one....my memory is a little hazy). This is one of the best games released for the NES and is essential gaming for a Mario fan.

Review Page: 1 2 3 4 Next 

Actions