SMB3 helped to re-revolutionize platforming, and to this day it remains one of the very best in the series.
Much like the previous titles, SMB3 is a side-scrolling platformer in which your goal is to go through eight worlds to defeat Bowser and his seven Koopalings in order to save the princess. There are a good deal of levels in each world, each creative and challenging in their own way. You will be facing a great variety of enemies. You have returning enemies like the goombas, koopa troopas, para troopas, cheep cheeps, and hammer bros., as well as a few new faces like the boomerang bro. and chain chomp. Completing each stage gives you a card with a power-up symbol on it. Collecting three of the same card will give you a lot of lives. Collecting three different cards just gives you an extra life. Each stage is accessed via hub map where you can also access special stages to earn power-ups and extra lives. There are also castles to go through and airships that have one of the seven Koopalings inside.
The controls have received a bit of fine tuning from the previous titles and they feel as fluid as ever. The gameplay overall is improved over the previous titles thanks to the varied levels and fun new power-ups. You have the returning mega mushroom, star man, and the fire flower. The Raccoon Suit to allow you to fly once you gain enough speed, as well as allowing you to float down safely. The Frog Suit helps you swim more easily. The Tanooki Suit allows you to turn into a statue to protect you from damage and, just like the Raccoon Suit, allow you to fly. The Hammer Bros. suit lets you throw hammers and it makes owning enemies all the more satisfying.
Returning from the first Super Mario Bros. is the turn-based multiplayer. Whenever one of the players dies the second player can get a turn and play until that person dies as well. But unlike the first Super Mario Bros. you can also switch characters when that person completes a stage. It certainly is a fun feature and it makes for some good times with friends.
The only real issue that I have with the game is the lack of a save feature. Since the game is much bigger than the previous games it would seem like it could have benefited from a save feature. But even so it is not something to really get worked up about.
Graphically speaking this is certainly one of the very best looking games on the NES. The game features a then new graphics engine that made it much more detailed and colorful than the first two games in the series. The graphical detail in this game is really quite outstanding. The level design is, of course, top notch and creative. The music is, predictably enough, fantastic and memorable.
To sum things up:
PROS:
-Excellent graphics
-Great level design
-Great music
-Fun multiplayer
-Good controls
-Varied worlds
-Improved gameplay
CONS:
-No save feature
Super Mario Bros. 3 certainly has the best replay value out of the NES Mario titles. The gameplay just happens to hold up more and it certainly remains incredibly fun, even by today's standards. So it is rather obvious at this point that this is certainly a must play.