Backlog Game Reviews 15: Super Mario Bros. 3 (Famicom / NES)

                                                               

      Hey there, and welcome to Backlog Game Reviews. Today I'm going to take a look at Super Mario Brothers 3. It was released on October 23rd, 1988 in Japan, and came to North America on February 12th, 1990. It made its way to Europe on August 29th, 1991. It was the third bestselling game on the NES and sold 17 million copies worldwide. Many people today regard Mario 3 as one of the best games of all time. How well does this game hold up today? Let's find out.

                                                          

World 1 Map

 

   The story as you would expect from a Mario game is a simple one. It takes place after Super Mario Brothers. Bowser has been defeated and the Mushroom Kingdom is at peace. But the same can't be said for the rest of the world. In this game, we learn that Mario's world is called the Mushroom world and it’s made up of seven other kingdoms.

                                                      

One of the Seven Kingdoms, the Ice world.

     Bowser's seven children, the Koopalings have been terrorizing the Mushroom world. The seven kings have had their magic wands stolen and were changed into animals by the Koopalings. After hearing this news Mario and Luigi venture off into the Mushroom world to save the seven kingdoms.

                                                         

One of the seven transformed kings.

     It's a pretty straightforward story but it’s a nice change of pace from past Mario games. The princess isn't in danger and Bowser isn't the enemy this time around, and it fleshes out Mario's world by showing us what lies outside of the Mushroom Kingdom. Overall, it's a good story. It's simple but there's some meat to it.

                                                     

A stage from the first world.

 

     Just like the story, the gameplay has evolved as well. The core formula is the same. Your goal is to reach the end of each stage while fighting or running past enemies and completing platforming challenges. This aspect of the game is the same, but everything else has changed. The first thing you would probably notice is that there's a stage selection screen in the form of an overworld map.

                                                   

Map of the second world.

 

    From this map, you choose the stage you want to play. The objective is to make it to the king's castle at the end of the map. Most maps have multiple routes to the castle. If a stage is giving you trouble you can skip it and try a different stage if there's another path you can take. This makes the game slightly easier for newcomers and gives you an element of freedom not present in past games.

                                                       

If stage 4 is too hard then you can try stage 5 instead.

      The number of powerups has increased too. In past games, all Mario had were mushrooms, fire flowers, and starmen. This game still has the original 3 powerups and four new ones. There's the raccoon suit which allows Mario to fly and he can attack with his tail. Then you have the Tanooki suit. It works just like the raccoon suit, but Tanooki Mario can also turn into a statue by pressing down and jump. Mario is impervious to damage while he's a statue.

                                                       

Tanooki Mario's statue transformation.

 

     Another new powerup is the frog suit. It's not that great on land because you can't run with it on. Underwater is where it really shines. Mario can swim in any direction with it on. It makes water stages a breeze.

                                                       

Swimming as frog Mario.

 

    The last new powerup is the Hammer Bros suit. This will turn Mario into a Hammer Brother. It's similar to a fire flower but instead of fireballs Mario will throw hammers, and the shell on his back can block fireballs when he's ducking.

                                                      

Throwing hammers as a Hammer Bro.

 

     All of the powerups are a lot of fun to use. The raccoon suit and tanooki suit's ability to fly can be a lifesaver in some stages. The frog suit isn't all that useful but it’s fun hopping around like a frog. The Hammer Bros suit makes fighting easier and I enjoyed running around as a Hammer Bro. Mario 3 really outdid itself with its powerups.

                                                       

One of the seven Koopalings.

      This game starts out easy but rises in difficulty little by little. As the game goes on platforming gets harder and stages become more difficult to navigate. Some stages are mazes with no enemies. In one stage the floor is covered in Parana plants and you have to keep collecting Starmen to stay alive. The levels close to the end of the game will test your platforming skills and don't pull any punches. If you're looking for a hard platformer this is it.

                                                        

This castle has multiple doors all leading to a dead end except for one.

 

   The presentation is just as good as the gameplay. The graphics are a huge improvement from past Mario games, the Mushroom world is a vibrant and colorful place. The map screen is a great aesthetic. It brings the Mushroom world alive and makes you feel like you’re on an adventure. As for the music, all of the songs are short but they're good and never get repetitive. Everything about Mario 3s presentation is awesome. I can't think of anything to complain about.

                                                       

Toad houses will give you a powerup to use on your adventure.

 

     I honestly can't think of a single thing wrong with this game. It really is one of the best platformers on the NES. It's aged extremely well, no matter how old this game gets it'll always be fun to play. If you're looking for a fun and challenging platformer give this game a try.

 That's all I have to say about this game. Thank you for reading. Next time I'll take a look at a game on the Famicom or Super Famicom. I hope to see you again here at Backlog Game Reviews.

                                     Super Mario Bros. 3 Gameplay video