Play Super Mario Bros 3 [t1] (J) Online

Game Overview

Super Mario Bros 3 [t1] (J) still feels fresh—the way each world has its own theme, like the desert with angry sun or the giant enemies stomping around. You start with basic jumps and running, but then the power-ups change everything. The Tanooki suit lets you float, the frog suit makes swimming less awful, and the hammer bros outfit... well, it’s fun until you realize how clunky throwing hammers actually is.

Some levels are brutal if you don’t memorize the layouts, especially the airships with their fire bars and bullet bills. But the overworld map gives you choices, so you can skip the worst ones if you’re stuck. The music sticks in your head, too—that overworld theme is just permanently burned into my brain now.

It’s one of those games where you can tell the devs were really playing with what the NES could do. Super Mario Bros 3 [t1] (J) holds up because it doesn’t just rely on nostalgia—the level design is still sharp.