it's pretty hard to argue against super mario bros. 3 being the single most definitive title on the nes. as many have said before, it's genuinely mind-blowing this game released not only on the same console as the original super mario bros., but also only a mere 3 years later. this feels like one of those natural, massive generation gaps, like final fantasy vi to vii, that completely reinvents and perfects a genre for a new generation - and yet, here it is, on the original nintendo, and it's timeless.
unquestionably on the short list of 'most influential' or 'most important' games ever made, super mario bros. 3 was kind of gaming's first true blockbuster - hell, the film 'the wizard' (actually a pretty charming road-trip kids flick, i like it enough) essentially serves as a 90 minute commercial leading up to the real-life public reveal of the game and how it looked, sounded and played. on a personal level, i'm pretty certain super mario bros. 3 was also my first video game - a family friend would often come to visit with her nes and this was the title we both naturally gravitated towards. my oldest, longest standing friendship now reaching 15 years began with a conversation in which i explained the warp whistles in this game and where to find them. basically, this game was massively ingrained in pop culture well before me, and in my personal culture as far back as i can remember.
mario 3 is a game i don't even need to replay at this point to remember, it's muscle memory at this point - but just to jumpstart my memory i did a typical ~30 minute runthrough the game 'cause i felt like it before writing this. i've made so many self-imposed challenge runs throughout the years, and i'm pretty certain almost every level has become that sort of second nature blitz for me at this point. it's one of those games i go to if i need something simple as sensory stimulation because i don't have to think about it that hard; and its highly charming, endearing nature makes that enjoyable every single time.
this is the first game in the series i think everything basically worked out to future standard - mario's design feels pretty fleshed out, the controls are tight, the levels are almost all perfectly balanced and fair, the power-ups are still the best bunch in the entire series, the soundtrack is front-to-back classics, the two-player mode is a lot more engaging, the addition of world maps and continues is a godsend - though, one of mario 3's few blunders is the lack of a save system on the initial release - point being, it's pretty much as spotless as an nes game gets, and on the right day, it's my favorite the system has to offer.
my only other gripes with mario 3 are on rare occasion where levels feel either too short, too obtuse (the repetitive hallways with identical doors with no indicators are a little tedious), or too similar across a sequence, but they're almost all winners. the worlds are all classic, with my favorite being world 5: the sky. i was always mesmerized by the first section's skybound fortress with its unique textures and the weird coin-block structures in the latter half. the boss battles are very same-y but mario games never exactly excelled at those - nor do most mascot platformers - and i don't mind so much. it's just a miracle this game is as content-packed, tight to control, and plain damn FUN as it is. a staple of literally anyone's game collection, end of story.
unquestionably on the short list of 'most influential' or 'most important' games ever made, super mario bros. 3 was kind of gaming's first true blockbuster - hell, the film 'the wizard' (actually a pretty charming road-trip kids flick, i like it enough) essentially serves as a 90 minute commercial leading up to the real-life public reveal of the game and how it looked, sounded and played. on a personal level, i'm pretty certain super mario bros. 3 was also my first video game - a family friend would often come to visit with her nes and this was the title we both naturally gravitated towards. my oldest, longest standing friendship now reaching 15 years began with a conversation in which i explained the warp whistles in this game and where to find them. basically, this game was massively ingrained in pop culture well before me, and in my personal culture as far back as i can remember.
mario 3 is a game i don't even need to replay at this point to remember, it's muscle memory at this point - but just to jumpstart my memory i did a typical ~30 minute runthrough the game 'cause i felt like it before writing this. i've made so many self-imposed challenge runs throughout the years, and i'm pretty certain almost every level has become that sort of second nature blitz for me at this point. it's one of those games i go to if i need something simple as sensory stimulation because i don't have to think about it that hard; and its highly charming, endearing nature makes that enjoyable every single time.
this is the first game in the series i think everything basically worked out to future standard - mario's design feels pretty fleshed out, the controls are tight, the levels are almost all perfectly balanced and fair, the power-ups are still the best bunch in the entire series, the soundtrack is front-to-back classics, the two-player mode is a lot more engaging, the addition of world maps and continues is a godsend - though, one of mario 3's few blunders is the lack of a save system on the initial release - point being, it's pretty much as spotless as an nes game gets, and on the right day, it's my favorite the system has to offer.
my only other gripes with mario 3 are on rare occasion where levels feel either too short, too obtuse (the repetitive hallways with identical doors with no indicators are a little tedious), or too similar across a sequence, but they're almost all winners. the worlds are all classic, with my favorite being world 5: the sky. i was always mesmerized by the first section's skybound fortress with its unique textures and the weird coin-block structures in the latter half. the boss battles are very same-y but mario games never exactly excelled at those - nor do most mascot platformers - and i don't mind so much. it's just a miracle this game is as content-packed, tight to control, and plain damn FUN as it is. a staple of literally anyone's game collection, end of story.