Super Mario Bros. 3 might be the biggest jump by sequel standards in video games. The original game was absolutely revolutionary giving birth to the side scrolling platformer genre as we know it today. The original sequel was very similar only extremely difficult. Nintendo opted to localize another game instead and simply slap Mario characters into it. That’s why it’s so amazing that we got Super Mario Bros. 3. The mechanics it introduced are, in my opinion, above and beyond an entire generational leap from the early titles. I remember when it was released I was visiting my cousins whom had rented the game. Everyone sat glued in front of the television for an entire weekend simply watching in awe. Super Mario Bros. 3 was, and still is simply amazing.
The story is virtually unchanged here; King Koopa has kidnapped Princess Toadstool again. This time he has brought along his seven kids to help thwart Mario’s best efforts. With that out of the way, this game at first appears very similar to the original but with significantly better graphics. As Mario (or Luigi) you run and jump from left to right through various stages across eight different worlds which are all based around different themes. This time around you have a world map that functions as a level select. Each world features multiple routes which sometimes allows you to completely bypass stages. This non-linear aspect is quite different from in the two previous iterations.
For the first time Nintendo gives you the option to stock power-ups. You can access your stock while exploring the map, and activate them at will. These are gained either in secret areas within levels themselves as well as special places on the map. The majority of these are the basic power-ups, but you will also find special tools. These are more rare but have some great effects such as the warp whistle that allows you to skip entire worlds and kuribo’s cloud that lets you bypass specific levels. The latter two items are usually well hidden, and extremely valuable for when you get stuck.
The developers at Nintendo did an absolutely amazing job in designing the levels here. Enemy placement requires you to plan and think ahead, and some of the obstacles require a lot of thought. The difficulty curve is absolutely perfect; the game is never a cakewalk, and the first few worlds serve well in preparing you for the extremely challenging second half. All of Mario’s old abilities return and you will need to use every one to succeed. He can walk, run, jump as per the standard Mario formula, and the super mushroom, fire flower, and super star all return. They’re all functionally the same as they were in the original game. If something isn’t broken then why fix it, right?
The new power-ups however are the real highlight here. This game introduced the ability to fly into the franchise with a super leaf that makes Mario sprout a tail. Not only can he use this to whack enemies, but by running and filling the “P meter” at the bottom of the screen (which is done when you reach a certain speed) he can briefly fly through the air by repeatedly pressing the A button. A lot of secrets are based around this ability which gives warrant to explore the skies in each of the wide open stages. The tanooki suit (commonly referred to as the ‘bear suit’) grants similar abilities. What’s cool is that Mario can also transform into a statue which grants temporary invincibility.
The other power-ups are even more interesting in my opinion. The frog suit allows Mario to swim with extreme ease through the water, and makes the aquatic stages and areas significantly less frustrating. Unfortunately it slows his land speed down, and it’s only really useful in the water. The hammer suit allows Mario to emulate the hammer brothers abilities by giving you hammers to throw at enemies. These are significantly stronger than any other projectile in the game, and allow you to defeat some bosses in a single hit. These are very rare in the main game (particularly the hammer bros suit). This makes it feel very special when you do use it.
Kuriboh’s shoe is one of my favorite all time power-ups despite the fact that you only encounter it a few times in the main game. Mario rides in this large piece of footwear and makes him invulnerable to floor based enemies. Other power-ups can only be used on the map like the aforementioned warp whistle and cloud, but you also have access to a hammer to break obstacles which block additional areas, and the music box which immobilizes all enemies on the map. Part of what makes this game so special are these power-ups and this game has easily the best assortment of them in the entire series. They’re all useful and special.
What makes this game so special is all of the little touches the developers applied to it. This was the first time in the entire series where normal stages had areas filled with water where you could swim instead of specifically designated aquatic levels. The developers really hit it hard in terms of diversity. Every level feels fresh. Half of the fun is just in seeing what’s around the next corner. This game served as the first in the series to introduce themed stages within each world. These include castles complete with mid-bosses, and airships where the real baddies hide out. The map allows you to see what sort of level is coming up next.
Some of these stages are designed like puzzles, and this element works extremely well. The world map may serve as the interface to progress, but many of these hide secrets themselves. It may seem at first that these are static, but you’ll encounter elements that move around or that otherwise change each time you’re back in control. Super Mario Bros. 3 introduced most of the very best elements in this series. When even simple things like navigating a stage select is fun and inspires wonder you know you’re doing something right. For the most part no other similar game has surpassed it design wise. This was, and still is, Nintendo at their finest hour.
Super Mario Bros. 3 appears to push the original Nintendo to its limits in regards to graphics. It could easily be mistaken for an early Genesis or Turbografx game. That’s saying a lot considering how inferior on a technical level the NES is compared to those other two. The characters/enemies feature significant animation for an 8-bit game. The graphic tiles for scenery/obstacles are not nearly as blocky as in the original installment. Also worth noting is that this game contains a significant amount of different tiles. They do repeat, and a lot at that, but the scenery is significantly more diverse this time around.
Unfortunately the game suffers from a number of technical problems. First off you’ll find that enemies and items flicker pretty regularly. This was a common issue with NES games. Additionally the framerate slows to a crawl when numerous enemies are on-screen at once. This too is a problem frequently associated with 8-bit hardware. It’s not game breaking by any means, but it’s definitely noticeable and kind of annoying. If you aren’t used to it by now then it might be cumbersome. The older gamers won’t mind these nuances at all because they’re so commonplace.
The audio hardware was also pushed pretty hard with this game. The composers did an absolutely amazing job with this soundtrack. Each world map has its own theme, and all are simply amazing and bring back rushes of nostalgia whenever I hear them. The various level themes are mostly original, but a few of them are extremely well done arranged versions of the original title’s music and these were my favorites of the bunch. The sound effects have been completely re-done (except for the 1up effect, but even back then it was already iconic) and they sound really good as well. Overall this is one of the best sounding games on the entire console.
