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Classic Game of the Week  Super Mario Bros. 3
- By Eric Tajchman
Flashback, Christmas 1989. The NES is the most popular video game system ever. Hundreds of great games have been released for it, and millions of people flock to pick up the newest and hottest games. Nintendo is one of the most well-known names across the globe and has become synonymous with video games and fun. People have learned that games from Nintendo are guaranteed to be fun. Consumers have already experienced the joys of Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Metroid, Kid Icarus, The Legend Of Zelda, The Adventures Of Link and other hot titles. Every one of these titles was very successful and sold millions of copies each. But, Nintendo was about to top itself by releasing its final Mario game for the aging 8-bit system.
 
Marketing video games had turned out to be extremely profitable. The Super Mario Bros. TV show was a very popular after-school cartoon show among children, Captain N: The Game Master was a popular Saturday morning cartoon, and Nintendo sold merchandise based on popular video game characters. But it wasn’t until 1989 that one of the largest gaming advertising stunts ever and a jewel of American cinema was released upon the throes of moviegoers and gamers alike, The Wizard. The Wizard starred Fred Savage and Christian Slater and was about an autistic boy who had an uncanny talent for video games and competed in the National Video Game contest. It was a somewhat realistic and entertaining film that gamers could relate to and enjoy. The real treat of the movie, however, was the video game that was to be used in the competition finals. That game was Super Mario Bros. 3, a game that had casual and hardcore gamers alike gasp in shock and excitement, as it was the first glimpse of the game ever.
And Nintendo’s little publicity stunt worked like a charm. The Wizard, despite its mediocrity and confusing plot, managed to hype gamers up for the coming launch of Super Mario Bros. 3 and was itself a successful movie. Kids swarmed to see the film many times over just for a chance to view the few minutes of the game. Kids begged their parents to get the game for them when it came out. Parents cursed Nintendo more because of this craze coming once again from their children. Nintendo prepared the game’s release by creating advertisements and promotions on hot children’s products and popular snack foods. By the movie’s release, Nintendo had already started production on the game three months before its release to ensure that there was no shortage because of consumer demand. However, three months later when the game launched, the hottest NES title sold out.
Super Mario Bros. 3 is arguably the best Mario title ever. This game went back to the roots of the original Super Mario Bros. where once again, Bowser has kidnapped the Princess Toadstool but now he has his seven Koopa Kids to help him. However, Mario had much more to contend with then just simple, linear levels. The game featured an overworld map in which you could pick which levels you wanted to play, the path you wanted to take, and in some cases, which level you wanted to skip. The world environments were varied and innovative, ranging from snowy winterlands, tropical beaches, and worlds that were many times larger than normal. The goal of every world is to make your way to the castle, where the king has been transformed into an animal. There, you must board the flying fortress, defeat the world’s respective Koopa Kid, and retrieve the Magic Wand so you can change the king back and restore harmony to the world.
But instead of just his patented Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, and Invincibility Star, Mario has new moves and powers to take him across the eight perilous worlds. The Super Leaf could turn Mario into a raccoon where the tail gave him the power of flight and could be used to attack by swinging it at enemies. There was also the Frog Suit, which enabled Mario to swim fast through the water, the Power Wings that gave Mario the permanent ability to fly for an entire level, the Music Box which put Hammer Bros. and other obstacles asleep and allowing you to pass unharmed. You could also find hammers, which could be used to crack through boulders blocking the path, clouds, which allowed you to pass over levels, and the infamous Tanooki suit, which had all the properties of a Super Leaf but could also turn Mario into a statue and protect him from attack. All of these items could be obtained from Mushroom Houses, Toad’s Memory Game, defeating the Hammer Bros. and received as a gift from the Princess. Mario also had a new menu system where he could keep multiple items and use an item before entering a level.
 
Two friends could also play Super Mario Bros. 3, one as Mario and the other as Luigi, and take turns playing levels. They could also battle each other in the classic Mario Bros. arcade game for coins, points, and for cards that were awarded at the end of every level and redeemable for extra lives.
There’s so much to this game that it’s impossible to list every detail that makes this game so wonderful without carrying on for another ten lengthy paragraphs. Over seven million copies of Super Mario Bros. 3 were sold before Nintendo simply stopped counting, and the Guinness Book of World Records states that over 15 million copies were sold worldwide, which easily makes Super Mario Bros. 3 the best selling video game ever, and for good reason. Though all Mario games have a certain high level of quality and entertainment, Super Mario Bros. 3 was truly the best of the best. If you haven’t played it, you’re missing a milestone in Mario history and one of the most entertaining and challenging games ever.
Pictures courtesy of The Mushroom Kingdom.
- 8.13.2001 |
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