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Super Mario Bros. 3
Platforms: Wii, Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Family Computer
Genre: Platform, Adventure
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Release: October 23, 1988
There is probably no video game character more iconic than Mario; the plucky plumber has been the face of Nintendo for more than 30 years. Mario games are the best-selling video game franchise of all time. Platformers, RPGs, sports games, board games: There is seemingly no genre Nintendo won’t plug Mario into. The sun never sets on the Mario empire, and it all goes back to those early platformers, of which Super Mario Bros. 3 is arguably the best Mario game.
The first Super Mario Bros. is a great game in itself, but after 3 it almost seems skeletal. SMB3 adds a number of small features that transform its predecessors’ formula into something truly spectacular. Rather than a linear progression through levels, SMB3 introduced an overworld map where players can move around and select levels, as well as mini-games and obstacles to overcome.
While the first Super Mario Bros. had a few power-ups, they were fairly limited in terms of effects. SMB3 added a plethora of new items for Mario to use, including the iconic Tanooki suit, which allowed Mario to fly and find secrets hidden off the beaten path and sometimes even off-screen. Moreover, the game introduced the ability to hold on to items and use them whenever the player felt like it.
The Super Mario trilogy on the NES is one of the foundational pillars of the video game industry. It ushered in a new wave of interest in games after the market crash of 1983 and solidified Nintendo’s place as a power player in the industry, a role they’ve maintained to this very day. Of that trilogy, Super Mario Bros. 3 is the pinnacle, showing off some of the most clever design and pleasant graphics on the system. Super Mario Bros. 3 is available on the NES Classic and Nintendo Switch Online.
