Super Mario Bros. 3

Super Mario Bros. 3 (Japanese: スーパーマリオブラザーズ3, Sūpā Mario Burazāzu Surī, sometimes referred to as Mario 3, SMB3, or Super Mario 3) is the third game in the Super Mario series. The game was released in 1988, and was developed and published by Nintendo.

This game is the second best selling video game, right after Super Mario Bros.. The game is a return to traditions after the very different Super Mario Bros. 2. The game was the first in the series to give Mario the ability to fly via the Tanooki Suit. It is one of the most popular games on the Wii's Virtual Console It is available for 500 Wii Points via a Nintendo Points Card.

Plot
Mario and Luigi are out and about in the Mushroom Kingdom. Traveling in the worlds, Mario and Luigi are asked for help by a Toad who serves the king. The servant pleas for Mario and Luigi help as the king as the land's magic wand had been stolen and the king transformed into an animal. Agreeing to help, Mario stumbles upon an airship. Climbing upon the anchor of the flying vessel, Mario fights to the cabin of the ship and discovers the thief who stole the magic wand. One of Bowser's eight children, a Koopaling, Larry Koopa. Mario defeats the Koopaling and returns the magic wand to the king transforming him back to his normal state. But the adventure is far from over. Mario must traverse across seven kingdoms of the Mushroom World in order to defeat the Koopas and restore order to the lands. While Mario is out adventuring King Koopa takes advantage of the time to kidnap Princess Peach and take her to his castle in Koopa Castle.

Playable
The two playable characters, Mario and Luigi, are almost identical other than the change in color palates.


 * Mario - The main hero of the game.
 * Luigi - Mario's slightly younger but taller, brother.

Non-Playable

 * Princess Toadstool - The princess who gets kidnapped by the evil King Koopa.
 * King Koopa - The Koopa King who kidnaps Toadstool and tries to defeat Mario and/or Luigi. At the end of the game, Mario or Luigi defeats the Koopa army and send King Koopa through an endless pit. Then, either brother goes in and saves Princess Toadstool.
 * Toad - The mushroom-like human from the mushroom people, known as Toad, who helps Mario and/or Luigi on his quest to save Princess Peach by giving him various items. Some even serve

The Kings
The following is a list of the King's transformations that they take over once a Koopa Kid curses him.

Worlds
In the game, there are a total of eight worlds and a single Warp Zone which allows access to certain worlds, depending on the location. The Warp Zone is considered as the ninth world. Some of the world's names were changed with the release of various versions and remakes. Nintendo Power issues 4 and 13 even gave the eight worlds nicknames.

Items

 * 1-Up Mushroom - If Mario and Luigi finds one of these green mushrooms, they gains an extra life.
 * 10 Coin Block - This block has ten coins inside of it, though they may wear out before Mario/Luigi is able to get all ten.
 * Anchor - The anchor stops an airship from moving around the world Mario and Luigi are on in case either one loses the level.
 * Brick Block - A Brick Block is a block of shiny brown bricks. Underneath, this block can be broke by Super Mario/Super Luigi or by a Koopa shell if on the ground. This block is repeatedly seen throughout the game and may contain coin(s) inside. If a Brick Block isn't shiny, it is a Blockhopper or Microgoomba in disguise.
 * Fire Flower - Once Mario or Luigi turns in Super Mario/Super Luigi, one of them are able to find a Fire Flower in some blocks. If Mario or Luigi do find one, they are able to shoot fireballs from their hands. If hit, the brother turns to Super Mario/Super Luigi.
 * Frog Suit - Once Mario or Luigi has a Frog Suit on, they are able to swim quicker than normal and the enemies themselves. They also gain the ability to jump much higher on land, but with the sacrifice of their land speed slowed down.
 * Hammer - Mario or Luigi can use a hammer on the map to break rocks that block them from the other parts of the map.
 * Hammer Suit - The Hammer Suit is able to defeat enemies that can't be defeated by any other method, such as a Boo.
 * Invisible Block - This block is invisible when sometimes suddenly appears when Mario or Luigi. This block sometimes also helps a brother get to a high area.
 * Jump Block - The Jump Block is a block with a music note on it. Once Mario or Luigi jumps on one, they are able to reach high areas inaccessible otherwise by the bounciness of the block.
 * Jugem's Cloud - On the map, Mario or Luigi can use Jugem's Cloud to skip a stage. However, if one dies in the next stage, the brother goes back to the last finished stage.
 * Music Box - If Mario or Luigi uses a Music Box, it puts the Hammer Bros. and Piranha Plants to sleep on the world map. This allows Mario and Luigi to walk safely past the foes without having to go in the stage to battle them.
 * P-Wing - A P-Wing allows Mario or Luigi to fly with a maximized power meter through the entire stage.
 * Starman - If Mario or Luigi finds a Starman, they become temporarily invincible. This item allows a brother to defeat and run through about every enemy.
 * Super Leaf - When Mario or Luigi find a Super Leaf, they are able to use the Tanooki Suit, which lets Mario or Luigi fly up in the air temporarily if enough speed is gained.
 * Super Mushroom - If the player is Small Mario/Small Luigi, he or she can find a Super Mushroom which makes Mario or Luigi bigger and stronger, letting them break blocks. If hit, the brother turns back to Small Mario.
 * Switch Block - Once Mario or Luigi jump on a switch block, the brother turns all the blocks in the stage to coins temporarily.
 * Tanooki Suit - If Mario or Luigi find a Tanooki Suit, the brother is able to do what the Super Leaf can, but with the addition of being able to turn into Statue Mario if Down is pressed on the D-Pad.
 * Vine - Once Mario or Luigi find a vine, the brother is able to go to higher areas in the sky.
 * Warp Whistle - Once Mario or Luigi finds one of the three Warp Whistles, the brother is able to go to a different world. Though, the world varies depending on the world the brother is in. The theme that plays is the same theme of the whistle in The Legend of Zelda.

Development
Super Mario Bros. 3 was developed by Nintendo in Kyoto, Japan. The programmers used a tool called Character Generator Computer Aided Design, which contains all of the game's graphics that are used in the game. Only ten people were involved in the development of Super Mario Bros. 3. This game took went throughout two total years in development.

Re-releases
Remakes of the game include:


 * Super Mario All-Stars (1993)
 * Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 (2003)
 * Wii Virtual Console (2007)

Trivia

 * In certain areas through the game, there are coins in the shape of three, representing Super Mario Bros. 3. In Super Mario Advance 4, it was changed to a four.
 * If both players are standing on the START square in Multiplayer mode and player one presses the A button, both players enter a randomly-selected minigame. One of the minigames is based on the bonus stage from Mario Bros.
 * In Water Land, the island that the castle is on is in the shape of Japan and the castle is the location of Nintendo of Japan.
 * The game was featured on the cover of Nintendo Power ' s volume 11 in 1990. It also appeared on the cover of volume 13, which was a complete strategy guide.
 * The game won three awards in the 1990 Nintendo Power Awards: Best Theme and Fun, Best Play Control, and Best Overall NES Game.
 * The Overworld Theme is later used in Super Mario 3D Land.
 * The Ocean Side map can be heard in the Great Fairy's Fountain and the File Select screen in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.