Super Mario Bros. 3 (Retro)
User Review
Product Information:
- Publisher: Nintendo
Game Features:
Single player
Local Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Co-operative
Since playing it on the Gameboy Advance in my childhood, I've loved Super Mario Bros. 3. It is an improvement to its predecessors, thanks to its much broader range of power-ups and environments.
Super Mario Bros. 3 builds on the original Super Mario Bros. game. I find both the Western and Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 2 disappointing, but Super Mario Bros. 3 is a huge leap forward that makes up for their shortcomings. Super Mario Bros. 3 has far more impressive graphics, gameplay options, and stages.
Super Mario Bros. 3 introduces an overworld to the Mario franchise. This allows the player to take branching paths, play optional levels, and play mini-games in Toad houses. There are even levels that are only accessible by using overworld items, such as the hammer. In the original Super Mario Bros., if you lost your power-up, it would often be difficult to regain, forcing the player to make it through tough levels without a barrier of protection. In Super Mario Bros. 3, however, you can use stored power-ups that you obtain from Toad houses. This system can make the game much easier for struggling players, mitigating the difficulty that Super Mario Bros. had.
Super Mario Bros. 3 adds four new power-ups, for a total of six. These exciting new power-ups can affect how you decide to tackle a level, and are some of my favourites in the series. The frog suit, for example, is not spectacular on land, but fills a niche in underwater levels. The most notable power-up introduced is the 'Super Leaf', which allows Mario to fly. This allows for a great opportunity to explore, with many levels having hidden alternate paths only accessible by flying. Super Mario Bros. 3 also introduces temporary power-ups, such as the 'Kuribo's Shoe', which allows you to jump on spikes. Unfortunately, some of the other interesting power-ups, such as the 'Tanooki Suit' and the 'Hammer Suit', appear very rarely. This makes them feel more special, but it stops me from fully appreciating them.
Super Mario Bros. 3 introduces new environments that help the game feel more like an adventure. Like the original, Super Mario Bros. 3 has 8 worlds for the player to complete. However, it has a set theme for each world, including a desert theme, a snow theme, and a cloud theme. Each theme introduces new stage elements, which help to preserve the player's interest as they continue playing. Super Mario Bros. 3 also has intense 'Athletic' stages, which have you running through a scrolling level. Super Mario Bros. 3 has a charming and unique aesthetic, with the game appearing to take place in a theatre.
The music in Super Mario Bros. 3 is whimsical and fun. Up until World 8, most stages have memorable and cheerful music that fit each worlds theme. The 'Athletic' stage music, in particular, I find wonderful to listen to. The sound in general is also perfectly fitted to the game, making it a feast for your ears. It's stunning how much of an improvement Mario 3 makes over the original Super Mario Bros. on the same system.
Gameplay
Super Mario Bros. 3 introduces an overworld to the Mario franchise. This allows the player to take branching paths, play optional levels, and play mini-games in Toad houses. There are even levels that are only accessible by using overworld items, such as the hammer. In the original Super Mario Bros., if you lost your power-up, it would often be difficult to regain, forcing the player to make it through tough levels without a barrier of protection. In Super Mario Bros. 3, however, you can use stored power-ups that you obtain from Toad houses. This system can make the game much easier for struggling players, mitigating the difficulty that Super Mario Bros. had.
Super Mario Bros. 3 adds four new power-ups, for a total of six. These exciting new power-ups can affect how you decide to tackle a level, and are some of my favourites in the series. The frog suit, for example, is not spectacular on land, but fills a niche in underwater levels. The most notable power-up introduced is the 'Super Leaf', which allows Mario to fly. This allows for a great opportunity to explore, with many levels having hidden alternate paths only accessible by flying. Super Mario Bros. 3 also introduces temporary power-ups, such as the 'Kuribo's Shoe', which allows you to jump on spikes. Unfortunately, some of the other interesting power-ups, such as the 'Tanooki Suit' and the 'Hammer Suit', appear very rarely. This makes them feel more special, but it stops me from fully appreciating them.
Sound and Aesthetic
Super Mario Bros. 3 introduces new environments that help the game feel more like an adventure. Like the original, Super Mario Bros. 3 has 8 worlds for the player to complete. However, it has a set theme for each world, including a desert theme, a snow theme, and a cloud theme. Each theme introduces new stage elements, which help to preserve the player's interest as they continue playing. Super Mario Bros. 3 also has intense 'Athletic' stages, which have you running through a scrolling level. Super Mario Bros. 3 has a charming and unique aesthetic, with the game appearing to take place in a theatre.
The music in Super Mario Bros. 3 is whimsical and fun. Up until World 8, most stages have memorable and cheerful music that fit each worlds theme. The 'Athletic' stage music, in particular, I find wonderful to listen to. The sound in general is also perfectly fitted to the game, making it a feast for your ears. It's stunning how much of an improvement Mario 3 makes over the original Super Mario Bros. on the same system.
Super Mario Bros. 3 Virtual Console Trailer
Verdict
What I Liked ...
- Amazing soundtrack.
- Large variety of power-ups and environments.
- Beautiful graphics.
- An improvement on Super Mario Bros. in every possible way.
What I Didn't Like ...
- Some power-ups are rarely utilised, making the game feel like it has wasted potential.
9
Gameplay
Super Mario Bros. 3 has a large selection of power-ups to expand on the Super Mario Bros. formula. It also introduces the ability to run backwards through levels, as well as to scroll the stage upwards. These allow you to explore stages freely, unlike the restrictive Super Mario Bros.
8
Presentation
Super Mario Bros. 3 is colourful and lively, with each world introducing new stage themes. The game is wonderfully smooth, and just the new visuals of each world are a treat.
8
Lasting Appeal
Super Mario Bros. 3 is a game I come back to every couple of months. I don't always play it all the way through, but since I've completed every level in the game, I know that there's a ton of content just waiting to be played. I'd highly recommend completing every level in Super Mario Bros. 3, if you haven't already.
8.5
out of 10
