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One of Nintendo's many masterpieces, essential gaming for the video game enthusiast

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 20 / 20
Date: October 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

SUPER MARIO BROTHERS 3, one of the most famous games Nintendo has ever produced, came out toward in the middle of the NES console's life cycle, and brought renewed life to the aging console. Like the original Super Mario Brothers, SMB3 became one of the biggest selling games ever. SMB3 also brought a lot of new innovations to the Mario series, many of which can still be found today. SMB3 regularly charts both player and critic polls as being among the best video games ever released.

Released [in at the end of 1988] October 3, 1988 in Japan, SMB3 became one the Famicon's biggest sellers. America had to wait for over a year from when Japan got it. Originally released in some Nintendo arcade machines before it even hit stores, the buzz soon spread about the game. This buzz was helped by the ninety minute commercial known as THE WIZARD (some people insist that it is a movie proper, but it's little more than a Nintendo advertisement) in which the climax of the movie - er, commercial - is the unveiling of SMB3, as well as revealing the secret location to the one of the warp whistles. America finally got its hands on the game in released February 12, 1990.

The game went on to sell approx. eighteen million copies, and when you include the reissues and rereleases with SUPER MARIO ALL STARS and SUPER MARIO ADVANCED, this figure swells to over thirty three million copies. And what makes SMB3 such a successful, highly regarded title? Read on.

For the second* officially released sequel to the biggest selling game of all time, Nintendo didn't pull any stops when it came to crafting this game. Returning to the familiar environments and gameplay of the original title, rather than the radical reinvention of SUPER MARIO BROTHERS 2, Nintendo greatly widened Mario's moves and gamestyle. The Fire-flower and starman return. Nintendo introduces Mario's famous raccoon suit, which enables Mario to fly briefly, and greatly opens up what is possible in level design. New suits and powerups also include the Tanooki suit, which enables Mario to become a stone statue, a Frog suit for swimming, and Hammer Brothers suit, which enables Mario to shoot hammers.

One of the biggest innovations was the inclusion of an overall game map, where Mario would move between levels. Nintendo also used the concept (in a much different setting with a much different effect) in ZELDA II: THE ADVENTURE OF LINK, though in that title the overworld was much more important and you had a lot more freedom. Here, the map served as a level grid in which to progress through the eight worlds. SMB3 returns to the eight world format of the original game, rather than the seven world format of SMB2.

The level design itself is where SMB3 truly shines. First off, Nintendo returned to the original game for its basic game mechanics but [induing] ensuring Mario has a whole new bag of tricks to beat the nasty Bowser and his koopa kids. While staying true to the overall atmosphere and play of the original title, Nintendo, over the course of eight worlds, features platforming levels that ingeniously use the game's new suits and powerups to fully integrate the player into the game's world. Each of the eight levels is themed. The first world is grass lands. The second world is desert (much like the second and sixth world in SMB2). The third is the water levels. Where the castle is on the overworld map for World 3 is roughly a map of Japan and Tokyo. The fourth world is the land of giants. The fifth is the Skylands. The sixth is frozen tundra, all ice. The seventh is Pipeland, and the eight is Bowser's world, featuring lava, tricky airships, and challenging levels.

SMB3 also introduces the seven children of King Kooper (whose the mother???), each of which rule one of the worlds and which at the end of each world you must fight in an airship. Other innovations include minigames, new enemies (many of which would feature prominently in later titles), and the aforementioned suits.

A good portion of NES games are notorious for being extremely difficult. Some titles are damn near impossible (BATTLE TOADS, NINJA GAIDEN III), and others are filled with cheap shots and just unforgiving, unreasonable difficulty (the original MEGA MAN). In fact, the original sequel to SUPER MARIO BROTHERS (known everywhere but Japan as THE LOST LEVELS) went unreleased in its original format stateside or in Europe for twenty one years due to difficulty and too similar to the original game. We only just now got the title via the Virtual Console on the Wii.

Fortunately, SMB3 has a very intuitive difficulty level. As each world progresses, so does the difficulty of the levels, which culminates in the last world of Bowser, which does have some hard patches. Overall, however, SMB3 has a medium range of difficulty, and while there are some tricky parts here and there, the game is not really that difficult and most players will be able to beat it given enough time. Not giving too much away, SMB3 also jokingly refers to the original title after you beat Bowser, with the first words out of Princess Toadstool's mouth is "Thank you Mario, but our princess is in another castle . . . just kidding." Strangely enough, they cut this joke in the SUPER MARIO ADVANCED reissue.

Overall, SMB3 stands as one of the gaming industry's most outstanding achievements, and is one of the corner stones of the Mario Series. As much as I love SUPER MARIO BROTHERS 2, SMB3 really felt like the true sequel to the original game, and Mario went out with a blaze of glory on the original NES with this title. One of the greatest games ever.

*Though this is the second sequel to be released and that the general public knew about, this was actually the fourth officially licensed sequel to SUPER MARIO BROTHERS. The first, developed by Hudson Soft with Nintendo's permission, was a game called SUPER MARIO BROTHERS SPECIAL, which appeared on the obscure NEC PC-8801 in Japan only. This is the truly forgotten Mario game, the real lost levels if you will. Due to technical limitations, it does not scroll and the hit detection is rather off. Nintendo had nothing to do with its development. The second sequel is SUPER MARIO BROTHERS 2, released in 1986. This title was released only in Japan. The game was just like SUPER MARIO BROTHERS, but much harder. Howard Lincoln of HOWARD AND NESTOR fame (anyone who had Nintendo Power back in the 1980s knows what I am talking about) hated the title, so they took a Japanese game called Doki Doki Panic, changed some sprites, and in 1988 released the American version of SUPER MARIO BROTHERS 2.

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.

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

The greatest game on the NES

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: June 20, 2006
Author: Amazon User

If Super Mario Bros.(1) maded mario a star, arguably Super Mario Bros. 3 is where his legend begins as a video game character. In this game, mario has the most power-ups than any game he has had ever before and after. The music and game mechanics are astounding. It Truly ranks up there with Super Mario World 1&2 and Super Mario 64

Highly Recommended

One of mans greatest achievments

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: March 18, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Give me this game over any of todays fancy high tech next gen games. you See, im an old school gamer, even though i have an X-box. The greatest days of my life were spend playing games like this, you see, this was back when games were FUN, and not about fancy ass graphics or realistic sequences. Realisticnes is dumb for a video games! If i want to play basketball, I go out side.If i want to go to war, ill join the army, if I want to jump on turtles, eat mushrooms to get big, run around in a tanookie suit or shoot fire balls, then Ill play videogames.Video games used to be about the fun, now its about realism.Ol school mario 4 life.

'the greatest game ever' is underrating this masterpiece

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: June 01, 2001
Author: Amazon User

this game is amazing. the graphic are bad, who cares?the game is a side scroller, the greatest types, and even though its not all futuristic, its still awesome.in fact, that makes it better. desite one or two problems, this game is always very fun and very addictive, and it always deliver s

One of the best games for the NES, period

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: June 12, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I'm 13, and I've owned an atari 2600/7800 and a NES all of my life, and I have to say that the game I've played most(other that Zelda, Metroid, Super Mario Bros., etc.) is Super Mario 3. The game was so well designed and so enveloping, and was still simple enough for a 2 year old(yes I've been gaming that long)to play. All in all, this game brought me some good memories and is worth every penny.

The best bounce back game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: October 16, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Most of us played Mario 2 and a lot of us didn't like it because it went in a totally different direction than it's predecessor Super Mario Brothers. Well, Super Mario 3 made probably one of the biggest comebacks ever when it went back to it's roots and followed the gameplay plan of Super Mario.

New worlds, new obstacles, new challenges, new bonus rounds, let's face it, Mario 3 made it very hard for any other Action/Adventure game to follow it's success. When comes down to it, this was one of the reasons why SEGA couldn't keep up.

If you don't have Mario 3, get it soon because this is sometimes a hard title to find. And from what I have found, a lot of used game stores seriously jack the price when it's Mario.

Welcome To Super Mario's World

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: January 23, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is enormous.Its the best game Ive ever played in my life. If you have a Game Genie youll play it like crazy. The Game Genie is the reason why you should still have an NES in the first place. Metroid you dont need one Zelda you dont need one Icarus you dont need one.This you do.Long live classic games!

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