Mario Marathon Part 3: Super Mario Bros 3

You know when something just takes its medium to a whole new level? Like a movie upping the stakes of the story? Well, for games, this is when you get more creative with the overall design giving players so much more to do, and that's exactly what we got with Super Mario Bros 3.

This game was hyped up so much when it first came out, and rightfully so. It took what worked with the first game and made it bigger, better, and more challenging. The gameplay is tighter than ever, the levels may be short but they pack a lot of challenge into each one, and, of course, there are a bunch of brand new powerups Mario can use throughout his adventure, including the Super Leaf, which turns Mario into Raccoon Mario, giving him the ability to fly.

The story, as per usual, is simple for Mario games. Bowser and his elite minions, the Koopalings, have transformed the kings of seven of the neighboring kingdoms and Mario has to defeat the Koopalings and return the kings to normal. Although the game does end with Bowser kidnapping Peach and Mario having to save her, it happens very late into the game's story, so it doesn't feel as annoying here.

The gameplay itself, as I have mentioned, is much tighter than the previous games, with the controls feeling very responsive and the worlds generally being fun and challenging to play through. I only had trouble with one fortress being a little unfair, but besides that, the game didn't feel cheap at all, but that doesn't mean it wasn't hard. As with the first game, Super Mario Bros 3 ramps up the challenge as you progress through the game, which means you have to get more and more competent with the controls.

Overall, this game was definitely the best Mario game on the NES without a doubt. I've never been the biggest NES fan, but this game is probably one of, if not the best, that this system has to offer. It might be brutally hard in some of the later levels, but the game still feels designed to help you succeed, and it feels so nice to defeat Bowser at the end of it all. This is a must play for any classic Mario fan.

Next time, we go a little bit more back to the roots of Mario with his first portable entry. That's right! We'll be playing Super Mario Land!

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