Take Super Mario Bros. 3. I love that game, especially its GBA port, despite it being one of the hardest Mario titles I’ve played. However, despite being my preferred entry, thanks to gameplay tweaks, the two times I’ve beaten it via my DS Lite were scarring because I broke the handheld’s left shoulder button. Perhaps it’s that my palms would sweat from nerves, or that I’d beaten the game both times in the heat of Summer, but no longer being able to use the L-trigger was a bummer. So when I decided to replay it on The Nintendo Switch Online, I was worried this’d happen again.
This was my fear going in. Fortunately, it was immediately eclipsed by me remembering how fun the game is. Because it is, made more enjoyable by the GBA port having autosave. Instead of being thrown back to the beginning of a map after a Game Over, I could now start from the last level I’d beaten. I could also Quick Save my progress, meaning I wouldn’t have to start from scratch whenever I booted my console. It’s details like that that made me appreciate this game more.
That said, I was reminded of another truth: the game’s hard. You’d think having already beaten it twice would be an asset, but it was really challenging. Compounding that was how I’m notoriously bad at video games, making the same mistakes over and over. Perhaps God made me a good writer as a trade-off for being a terrible gamer, but I wish I could be both. It’s not like I wouldn’t benefit from that!
Nevertheless, like GoldenEye 007, the challenge isn’t unbearable. Some parts can be gruelling, but it’s nothing you can’t learn from. Your mistakes are easy fixes with another attempt, assuming you’ve realized what you did wrong. In this way, Super Mario Bros. 3 is the perfect trial-and-error experience, and none of the in-game deaths are unfair. I groaned and whined a lot, though…
It helps that the levels are short. Many modern games drag out their levels, Nintendo titles included, but Super Mario Bros. 3 doesn’t. Perhaps it’s because of the NES’s size limitation, but most levels can be completed in 1 or 2 minutes. In some instances, like in the speed-running community, the game can be completed in less than an hour. But that’s because they know it like the back of their heads. So maybe that’s a bad example.
Either way, I struggled quite a bit. In one instance, the World 8 castle, I had to look up how to get to the boss. It pained me discovering that I was overthinking the solution, but it was a testament to how little external help I needed. Considering I look up solutions frequently, especially with older games, that’s impressive. It’s a testament to how straightforward Super Mario Bros. 3 is.
It helps that the levels are short. Many modern games drag out their levels, Nintendo titles included, but Super Mario Bros. 3 doesn’t. Perhaps it’s because of the NES’s size limitation, but most levels can be completed in 1 or 2 minutes. In some instances, like in the speed-running community, the game can be completed in less than an hour. But that’s because they know it like the back of their heads. So maybe that’s a bad example.
Either way, I struggled quite a bit. In one instance, the World 8 castle, I had to look up how to get to the boss. It pained me discovering that I was overthinking the solution, but it was a testament to how little external help I needed. Considering I look up solutions frequently, especially with older games, that’s impressive. It’s a testament to how straightforward Super Mario Bros. 3 is.
It helps that the game’s bosses follow a similar formula: jump on their head three times. The exception is Bowser, who has a different method I call “surviving long enough”. Basically, avoid his attacks and have him fall to his doom, which sounds easy…until you remember that his attack time is quick. Unless you’re 100% on the ball at all times, you’ll lose. It happened a few times to me, despite his attack patterns being predictable.
With Bowser beaten, I got to rescue Princess Peach. I miss the NES’s final joke she makes, and I wish the end credits tune had been ported to the GBA version, but the rescue feels earned. This is also one of the few games I’ve 100% completed, which is a testament to its quality. Considering there are in-game items that allow you to skip levels, that I didn’t use them is also telling. Props to Nintendo here.
There’s more I can talk about with Super Mario Bros. 3. I could mention how each world’s a map that makes you feel like you’re playing a board game. I could discuss how each level’s a stage play, with ending curtains and a panel to complete it. I could even talk about how the experience is dreamlike, infusing fantasy with pirate ships and otherworldly elements. And let’s not forget how it used the Zelda franchise’s title screen music before the Zelda franchise, which is a cute nod in hindsight.
With Bowser beaten, I got to rescue Princess Peach. I miss the NES’s final joke she makes, and I wish the end credits tune had been ported to the GBA version, but the rescue feels earned. This is also one of the few games I’ve 100% completed, which is a testament to its quality. Considering there are in-game items that allow you to skip levels, that I didn’t use them is also telling. Props to Nintendo here.
There’s more I can talk about with Super Mario Bros. 3. I could mention how each world’s a map that makes you feel like you’re playing a board game. I could discuss how each level’s a stage play, with ending curtains and a panel to complete it. I could even talk about how the experience is dreamlike, infusing fantasy with pirate ships and otherworldly elements. And let’s not forget how it used the Zelda franchise’s title screen music before the Zelda franchise, which is a cute nod in hindsight.
But that doesn’t really do justice to the experience. It’s so well-crafted that, after over 37 years, Super Mario Bros. 3 still stands the test of time in ways many NES titles don’t. Innovation doesn’t always age well in the world of gaming, but this is an exception. Kudos to Nintendo for this game, one that finally didn’t break my controller! How’s that for a happy ending?
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