Difficulty:

Hard

Time Spent:

100 or More Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Best in series"

I must say, over the past 25 years, gaming has changed as I know it. I started in '89, with Super Mario Bros/Duck Hunt. And those were the days, weren't they? 8-Bit graphic fun. Simple controls, improved graphics compared to the Atari 2600.

But that was just the beginning...

I remember the first time I played Mario Bros. 3... It was at a friends house, age.. I think 4 or 5. We mainly did the famed Battle Mode from this game. We also tried the World Play. I was mesmerized from day one.

So, automatically, this game leaps beyond some games of the system, with multiple multi-player features (say that three times fast). The side-scrolling graphics are much improved...New item on demand system allows you to use any item you want from item shops at any level. And the items, some are new as well, such as the Squirrel Outfit...

Oh.. did I mention you can fly as well? :)

There is nothing repetitive about this game. Yes, you do a lot of side-scrolling, but in different, abstract worlds, different music... There were even side games like match-up and slot picture... Mini-bosses.... There was, IS, nothing wrong with this game. The only problem I have with it is in retrospect, as sometimes the speed of the game slowed down sometimes, due to lack of memory. But that's nothing, REALLY, considering this is on the NES.

As for difficulty, it's a matter or steadily increasing, level to level. Level 1 is the easiest, Level 8 is freaking HARD.

This timeless classic, in my opinion, still stands to today. There are many reviews to this game, and they are usually favorable ones.

And like those other reviewers, I still play this today.

9.95 out of 10. Prior to Super Mario All-Stars, this would be a perfect, flagrant 10.