Summary
Although it wouldn’t arrive in the West until two years later in 1990, May 31, 2025, is the official release date ofSuper Mario Bros. 3in Japan. At the time when players in North America were experiencing the vast departure thatSuper Mario Bros. 2represented, Japanese players were already getting their hands onSuper Mario Bros. 3, which would serve as the template for all subsequent 2DMariotitles as well as significantly raise the bar for the platforming genre as a whole. On the title’s 35th anniversary and hot on the heels of the release ofSuper Mario Bros. Wonder, it’s remarkable how well the title continues to hold up as one of the best games ever made.
With the Japanese sequel toSuper Mario Bros.deemed too difficult for Western players, Nintendo opted to re-skin a Japan-only game titledDoki Doki Panicas the Western version ofSuper Mario Bros. 2.In the meantime, Nintendo would develop and launch the first “true” sequel toSuper Mario Bros.in its home country, changing gaming forever in the process. In comparison to the first two games in the series,Super Mario Bros. 3is both one of thebest platformers on the NESand a snapshot into one of the gaming industry’s luminaries at their creative peak, and the title’s release cemented Nintendo as an unshakable pillar of the medium.
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Super Mario Bros. 3’s Noteworthy Innovations to the Series and Genre
Disregarding the series' outlier in the Western release ofSuper Mario Bros. 2, the official first two games intheSuper Mario Bros.serieswere largely identical. Both titles used the same assets and gameplay mechanics while the sequel brought a whole new selection of level layouts and significantly increased the difficulty of its platforming. Thanks to technological innovations that made it possible to store more memory on the chipset contained in an NES cartridge, series mastermind Shigeru Miyamoto finally had the resources to reach for the stars with the series' third game, and the impact of the innovations it brings to the table is still felt today across multiple genres.
The inclusion of an overworld map and the option to skip levels allowed for certain stages to act as challenges that test the player’s skill while simultaneously not blocking them from progressing through the game’s critical path. WhileSuper Mario Bros. 3is a notoriously difficult game, it is often cited as one of the most perfectly balanced titles in history, where the difficulty curve gradually and adequately prepares players for the worst the title can throw at them. Navigating these stages is made easier with the inclusion of the first new power-ups in the series, including the iconic Tanooki and Frog suits, whose influence is apparent in nearly every subsequentMariogame, includingSuper Mario Bros. Wonder’s new Elephant power-up.
The Lasting Impact of Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros. 3’s legacy reaches far beyond just theMariofranchise, though, as its release represents a massive watershed moment in gaming. TheoriginalSuper Mario Bros.is the best-selling NES game when taking into account that it was included as a system pack-in, but the single best-selling game in the history of the NES without the benefit of being included with the sale of a console isSuper Mario Bros. 3. And, in addition to its 17 million copies sold, the hype surrounding the title and Nintendo in general is immortalized in celluloid in the 1989 filmThe Wizard.
Super Mario Bros. 3is also partially responsible for one of platforming’s other most impactful series,Sonic the Hedgehog. Nintendo’s success withMarioand theinnovation present inSuper Mario Bros. 3madeSonicpossible, as series creator Yuji Naka has gone on record recalling how the game’s brilliance made him decide to change his idea for a racing game into a platformer that could allow Sega to challenge Nintendo. Between its historic importance and level of pitch-perfect platforming that has yet to be surpassed,Super Mario Bros. 3is both one of the most significant and enjoyable games ever made.
Super Mario Bros. 3is available on Nintendo Switch via the Nintendo Switch Online service.
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