Super Mario Bros. 3 : le sommet de l'ère NES

Super Mario Bros. 3: The Peak of the NES Era

1286 words | Reading time : 6 minute(s)

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The whole adventure is staged like a play, curtain included. Released on the Famicom on October 23, 1988, in North America on February 12, 1990 and in Europe on August 29, 1991, Super Mario Bros. 3 was directed by Shigeru Miyamoto. This guide covers the world map that put an end to linear progression, the new cult power-up suits and the debut of the Koopalings.

Super Mario Bros. 3 is often cited as the finest platformer on the NES and one of the high points of Shigeru Miyamoto's career. Released on the Famicom in Japan on October 23, 1988, then in North America on February 12, 1990 and in Europe on August 29, 1991, it reinvented the formula laid down by the first Super Mario Bros. with a world map, a downpour of new power-ups and the arrival of the Koopalings.

Developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development under the guidance of Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, the game sold more than 17 million copies and remains a benchmark for the saga. Here is everything worth knowing about this classic.

Contents

An adventure staged like a play

The great artistic idea behind Super Mario Bros. 3 is to stage the adventure like a live stage show. The title screen opens on a theatre curtain rising, and countless details keep that illusion alive all game long:

  • Platforms and blocks are sometimes bolted onto the scenery or hung from cables off-screen.
  • Some elements cast their shadow onto the sky like props on a set.
  • At the end of every level, Mario walks off stage through the side, like an actor heading backstage.

This choice, subtle but fully owned, gives the game a unique visual identity within the saga and still fuels plenty of fan theories today.

Official Super Mario Bros. 3 artwork bringing together Mario, Luigi and the game's enemies
The original artwork, already showing the leaf and the raccoon tail.

The world map: the end of linear progression

The big gameplay revolution is the world map. Instead of running through levels in a fixed order, the player moves across a top-down plan and picks their own route from several paths. That map is bursting with possibilities:

  • The houses run by Toad , which hand out items to stash in an inventory.
  • The fortresses guarded by Boom Boom, to be cleared in order to open the road.
  • Mini-games and bonus squares for racking up extra lives.
  • Roaming enemies (like the Hammer Bros.) that patrol the map.

This system has become a pillar of the saga: it turns up in Super Mario World, the New Super Mario Bros. series and all the way to Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

New power-ups that became icons

Super Mario Bros. 3 introduces a wave of transformations that have stayed iconic. The plumber no longer just grows with a mushroom or throws fireballs:

  • The Super Leaf turns Mario into Raccoon Mario, who gains a tail to whack enemies and to fly after a running start.
  • The Tanooki Suit keeps the leaf's flight and adds the power to freeze into an invincible statue.
  • The Frog Suit revolutionizes swimming and gives far better control underwater.
  • The Hammer Suit (the Hammer Bro's outfit) lets you throw hammers and shrug off fire.

On top of that come map items such as the Warp Whistle, which teleports you to far-off worlds, and the P-Wing, which grants extended flight.

The Warp Whistle is its most legendary secret item: three hidden copies in the game, with the World 9 Warp Zone as the reward.

Artwork of Mario in the Frog Suit being roughed up by an underwater enemy
The Frog Suit, king of the underwater levels.
Mario in the Hammer Bro suit, helmet and shell, ready to throw a hammer
The Hammer Suit: one of the many outfits this entry introduced.

The Koopalings take the stage

This is the entry where we first meet the Koopalings, Bowser's seven minions. Each one rules over one of the first seven kingdoms of the Mushroom World and has stolen the local king's magic wand to turn the ruler into an animal.

Larry, Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy and Ludwig von Koopa act as end-of-world bosses, each one aboard their own airship. Their names pay tribute to famous musicians. Long presented as Bowser's children, they have become recurring villains in the series and keep coming back, notably in the New Super Mario Bros. games and in Mario Kart 8.

A commercial hit and a lasting legacy

Released right at the end of the NES's life, Super Mario Bros. 3 enjoyed a carefully orchestrated launch. In the United States it was even showcased in the film The Wizard (1989) before it hit the shelves. The game sold more than 17 million copies, making it one of the console's biggest successes.

Praised by critics from day one, it has been reissued time and again:

  • Super Mario All-Stars (Super Nintendo, 1993): a 16-bit overhaul of the graphics and sound.
  • Super Mario Advance 4 (Game Boy Advance, 2003).
  • The Virtual Console (Wii, 3DS, Wii U) and later the catalog on Nintendo Switch Online.

Its influence on platformer design remains immense, four decades after its first appearance.

At a glance

Title Super Mario Bros. 3
Developer / Publisher Nintendo EAD / Nintendo
Director Shigeru Miyamoto
Release (Japan) October 23, 1988
Release (North America) February 12, 1990
Release (Europe) August 29, 1991
Key new features World map, Super Leaf, Koopalings

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FAQ

  • How many worlds does Super Mario Bros. 3 have?
    The game has eight worlds, each with its own theme: grasslands, desert, ocean, giant worlds, sky, ice, pipes and Bowser's final kingdom. You reach them from a world map.
  • Which power-ups first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3?
    This entry introduces the Super Leaf (Raccoon Mario), the Tanooki Suit, the Frog Suit and the Hammer Suit. Add to that map items such as the Warp Whistle and the P-Wing.
  • Who are the Koopalings in Super Mario Bros. 3?
    They are Bowser's seven minions: Larry, Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy and Ludwig von Koopa. Each one rules a kingdom and serves as the boss at the end of a world.
  • Has Super Mario Bros. 3 been reissued?
    Yes, notably in Super Mario All-Stars (SNES, 1993) with 16-bit graphics, in Super Mario Advance 4 (2003), on the Virtual Console and in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog.
  • Why does Super Mario Bros. 3 look like a stage play?
    Nintendo chose to present the adventure as a stage show: a curtain on the title screen, bolted-on scenery, cast shadows and Mario walking off stage at the end of every level.
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