Retro Rewind Review The Smash Hit That Was Super Mario Bros 3

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Retro Rewind Review The Smash Hit That Was Super Mario Bros 3

Super Mario Bros. 3 is arguably the best game the NES ever produced, and is available now on Nintendo Switch Online. wasn't just another Mario title; it was truly unique. We'll explore the history behind it and review it like it's 1990.

The History Of Super Mario Bros 3

After Super Mario: The Lost Levels, Nintendo decided that it wanted to have Shigeru Miyamoto spearhead yet another Mario game. Miyamoto decided to place himself in the position of head director and Nintendo gave him the support he needed by assigning the Nintendo AED team to the project. Miyamoto made it clear that he wanted input from everyone on the team and did not care about their official position or experience. He felt that this would be the best way to get people to share their ideas with one another and he also felt that it wasn't possible to create a good game unless this sort of environment was present. THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY While on the surface it may look like other Mario titles, it wasn't always going to be that way. Initially, Miyamoto and other game designers had the idea of , but they decided that this might be too difficult to grasp for players who were used to the 2D nature of the platformer. Though they didn't go ahead with it, you can get some sort of an idea on what they were trying to make by watching the starting screen of the game. While power-ups weren't anything new, those that changed Mario's appearance were. While you no doubt know about the Racoon powerup that is splashed onto the game's cover, you might be surprised to learn that was also considered. Via: nintendo.co.uk As far as enemies go, it turns out that much like Pokémon, many of the new enemies present in the game were fashioned after real-life experiences that team members had. While fans have always speculated, . Additionally, he based both the appearance and personalities of the Kooplings in the game after the programmers on his team that worked tirelessly to bring his vision to life. To make the character creation process quicker, Miyamoto's team implemented a newly created program which gathered all the available known shapes in the game, giving artists the tools they needed to craft characters that fit easily into the game's existing code. Additionally, thanks to Nintendo's MMC3 chip, the team was able to provide the health and status information that we see throughout the game. While the game seemed to be on track for release in the United States, a caused an unforeseen delay. While at first this seemed terrible, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the company. Todd Holland contacted Nintendo during this time and agreed to , placing it into the film towards the end at a gaming tournament. The mass popularity that the game would receive as a result was a good thing, too, as it would cost Nintendo $800,000 to produce. Its popularity was so great that it has become one of the highest grossing titles to date, .

Gameplay

While still a 2D side-scrolling adventure like its predecessors, Super Mario 3 differs in that it allows players to throw items, climb up vines and of course, fly. Furthermore, the game features eight distinct kingdoms within eight unique worlds which have enemies that mimic the unique environments they are placed in. It is for this reason that seasoned Mario composer Koji Kondo had such difficulty with creating music that suited each level. Players are able to choose their own path to a certain extent when deciding what levels they want to complete to reach a given castle. In two-player mode, players take turns playing as either Mario or Luigi and can work together to progress, even having the ability to share lives. Speaking of lives, players can acquire new ones by either locating a green mushroom, gaining 1000 points, or collecting one hundred coins. Like in previous titles, players can acquire powerups through each level, but they also have the option of defeated mini-bosses and minigames to acquire reserve powerups. In addition to the well-known Racoon suit players will also be able to use a Frog suit, hammer suit, and tanooki suit. The first allows the player to swim at a higher rate of speed, the second allows the player to toss hammers at enemies and the third gives them the ability to fly and turn into a stone brick. This move not only allows you to protect yourself against enemy attacks, but it also gives you the ability to defeat your enemies by crushing them. Via: reddit.com

Review

You are informed at the beginning of the game that the seven kingdoms within the Mushroom world have been taken over by Bowsers children the Koopalings. In the process of doing so each the seven kings of the Mushroom Kingdom have been turned into various animals by the Koopalings using their own wands. While the first few kingdoms may seem easy enough for you to complete, it won't take long for you to notice that the difficulty seems to scale along with your progress. Not only are extra lives and powerups harder to come by, but the puzzles and enemies in each level are also much more difficult. Though it might be frustrating at times, the fact that you must try a level numerous times before you get the spacing and timing of certain jumps right seems very rewarding. You feel as if your ability to transverse through a level becomes more about your skill as a player rather than just blind luck. That isn't to say that you won't need luck on occasion, it just means that you won't have lasting success trying to beat the game in this way. While the music might not be for everyone, it's worth trying to enjoy. It starts to grow on you as you progress, and you really start to notice the distinct differences in each tune. Graphically, sure it's not on the Super Nintendo's level, but it is at the very top when it comes to what the NES can offer. The levels are well thought out too, which each enemy placed in such a way that you must always be on your guard, especially against enemies that can attack you off screen. Each new world presents its own subset of challenges and really makes the game a joy to behold from start to finish. If you don't have a spare NES laying around that isn't a problem as all Switch owners can enjoy the experience through Nintendo Switch Online. If you've never played, I strongly suggest you do. Rating 4.5/ 5