Super Mario Bros. 3

Story-

Bowser returns in Super Mario Bros. 3 armed with a fleet of airships and flanked by 7 new Koopa generals known as Koopalings. Each Koopaling is sent to one of the 7 kingdoms of Mushroom World where they have stolen that king's magical wand and transformed him into an animal of some variety (because... of course). Now it's up to the Mario Bros. to travel to each besieged land and restore the monarchs back to normal otherwise surrender to the Koopa King and his horde once and for all!

Overview-

In Super Mario Bros. 3, your goal is the same as previous installments (i.e. collect power-ups, stomp enemies, make it from beginning point to end, etc.) however this was the first Super Mario Bros. game to have an "over world" screen essentially allowing you to alternate your path through each world and avoid some areas if desired. The worlds (or kingdoms) are made up of many different types of platform stages all leading up to an airship encounter at the end containing one of Bowser's 7 Koopalings who must be defeated (done by jumping on their heads 3 times) before you can proceed. There's also a couple of different bonus levels/mini games that can be played to obtain power-ups and extra lives during your journey.

Mario can jump on enemies just as before but also can use power-ups when he finds them such as the Super Leaf (which allows Mario to use a tail whip attack and also fly) as well as the Hammer Suit (which enables Mario to throw hammers) and many more. Even better, you can now store these items for later (when received on the over world) and use them at your discretion! Traverse your way through the 7 different kingdoms in the Mushroom World defeating all of Bowser's Koopaling henchmen along the way to open up your path to the vile Dark Land. Conquer your way through this final gauntlet to reach the Koopa King Bowser himself and defeat him to complete the game.

Critical Analysis-

• Gameplay: 5/5 (I love it)
  Levels and enemies are extremely varied and fun bringing with them one of the most (if not THE most) satisfying overall experiences you will have on the NES. The multiplayer game adds a competitive aspect that increases replayability by battling with your friends but perhaps my favorite part of the gameplay in Super Mario Bros. 3 is the difficulty curve which presents a perfectly balanced challenge from start to finish. One thing's for sure, there's plenty of meat on this bone for everyone no matter the experience level and Super Mario Bros. 3 is guaranteed to appeal to the masses in this category.
• Controls: 5/5 (I love it)
  Mario certainly gains momentum quick when running (he's pretty fast for a plumber) which can lead to a slippery feel when trying to stop him but it's a microscopic critique in an otherwise close-to-perfect performance control-wise. Jumping feels the best that it ever has to me over previous releases in the series (besides using the Princess in Super Mario Bros. 2) and the power-ups like the Super Leaf and Fire Flower are all very simple to use making the journey through all the different "Lands" that much more enjoyable. Quite frankly, the controls in Super Mario Bros. 3 are among the best of the entire 8-bit generation and a true bar-setter across the whole realm of platforming.
• Music/Sound: 5/5 (I love it)
  The music is great and appropriately fits each area ranging from the happiest of the happy in most of the outside stages to the dark and intimidating drones of the fortress and airship levels. The sound effects are always perfect in a Mario game and this one is no exception scratching that microscopic brain itch that transports you instantly to playing something Super Mario Bros.-related whether it be shooting a fireball or growing big from eating a Super Mushroom which is the highest praise you can get in terms of familiarity. Man, CRANK it up on those underground levels the beats are dope!
• Graphics: 5/5 (I love it)
  Yet another amazing component to this game, the graphics are very impressive and look great specifically the sprites which are all cartoonish and add a ton of character to the Mushroom World. The colors are bright and fit nicely with each new stage though some of the backgrounds are kind of weird looking such as the ones full of diagonal lines in them (kind of hurts the eyes). One flea-sized complaint I have is the game does seem to have too much beige in it at times (geez does the entire sky have to be skin color?) otherwise the overall look is very cool and pleasing to the eye.
• 'Tude Meter: MODERATE (Coolness not guaranteed)
  While the Super Mario Bros. series itself has always felt more family friendly, this game takes you to HELL dude!!! Also, there's Roy Koopa with his super rad hot pink shades and some awesome airships blasting cannonballs around like pirates snorting pixy sticks which pushes the needle more towards the right than its 8-bit predecessors. Still, this game maintains a moderate line as there's just too many stages that continuously vibe with a happy-go-lucky motif constantly injecting my mind with flowers and sunshine instead of skulls and explosions... YUCK!

Final Verdict: 5/5 (Great game)

This game RULES! Despite its cheesy association with the guilty-pleasure crapfest film The Wizard (a movie I LOVE to hate), there's truly not much higher praise I could lump down on this perfect blend of platforming goodness other than to give it as high a score as I can possibly give! Coalescing many of the components that already made the series great with a plethora of fresh ideas befitting of a top-flight sequel, Super Mario Bros. 3 absolutely KILLS IT claiming top marks as both a single and multiplayer affair chalked full of fun factor and variety at every turn. Its excellent level design, appealing graphics, cool sounds and outstanding controls make this game one of the most fun experiences you will EVER have on the NES bar none! Furthermore, I find the challenge to be an absolutely perfect climb from beginning to end as it starts out simple enough in the early levels but crescendo's beautifully in the later stages leading to many loud "ohh's" and "ahh's" especially in the final hell world where the challenge reaches its peak.

It's only "low" point for me is its modest approach towards superficial 'tude which is par for the course of the g-rated Mario Bros. series though I do feel like this one turned up the dial a little bit more than its predecessors indicating its proximity to the neon anomaly as the 90's picked up steam. Overall though, Super Mario Bros. 3 is one of the greatest NES games there is and cannot be recommended enough. In fact, it's one of the greatest games PERIOD! Its showcase of quality and depth is unparalleled and remains instant fun now and forever. Play it alone... play it with friends... who cares... JUST PLAY IT!

Parting Thoughts-

• Pros-
  *Amazing gameplay variety
  *Excellent controls
  *Perfect blend of accessibility and challenge
• Cons-
  *Some odd background colors
  *Scrolling levels cause some cheap deaths occasionally
  *Not enough time in the day to play it even MORE

The 'Tude Dude's Bottom Line-

Without question one of the greatest video gaming experiences that can be had in the hobby, Super Mario Bros. 3 provides players with a BEYOND-grandiose 8-bit adventure full of fun and satisfaction that somehow seems like it shouldn't all be able to fit within one single NES cartridge!

Thanks for reading!