Cover artwork I generate from the game data. I do not use publisher artwork.
Game profile
Super Mario Bros. 3
The NES classic is regarded as one of the greatest platformers ever made and is playable today through Nintendo Switch Online. Its world map, power suits and tight level design remain hugely influential.
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What kind of game this is
At its core this is Platformer, set in a fantasy world. Visually it is built on pixel art, and the overall tone stays light and upbeat. The structure is guided rather than open, so you are moved along instead of dropped into a map. It is built around short sessions, which makes it easy to pick up for half an hour.
The difficulty is moderate and fair, demanding attention without punishing you for it. There is no story to speak of, the systems carry everything. It is a single player experience from start to finish. It is available on one platform. It sits in the budget bracket.
What stands out
- World map structure
- Iconic power suits
- Tight level design
This fits you if
- you want to wind down rather than be tested
- you usually have thirty to sixty minutes and want that to be enough
- cutscenes annoy you and you just want to play
- you play alone and want a complete experience without other people
- you are watching your budget
- you like a deliberate retro look over photorealism
Look elsewhere if
- you play mainly for narrative
- you want something that lasts, this is over after 6 hours
- pixel art puts you off
- you want to play it side by side with someone
What it costs you in time
About 6 hours in total. At two hours per evening that is around 3 evenings, so about a week of casual play.
How the rating ranks
Critics settled on 91 out of 100, which puts it above 90 percent of the 1206 games here and at rank 116 overall. That is a strong score, comfortably above what most releases manage.
For comparison, Platformer averages 84 points across the database, so this one sits 7 points above its own genre. The figure rests on 1716 collected ratings.
Released in 1988, which makes it 38 years old. A genuine classic, and worth checking how the version you buy holds up today.
The facts
- Release year
- 1988
- Genres
- Platformer
- Playtime
- approx. 6 hrs.
- Difficulty
- Moderate, fair
- Story weight
- None, pure gameplay
- Play with
- Solo
- Setting
- Fantasy
- Visual style
- Pixel art
- Price bracket
- Budget
- Platforms
- Switch
- Critic rating
- 91 / 100
Direct comparison
| Genres | Release year | Playtime | Critic rating | Price bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Bros. 3 | 1988 | approx. 6 hrs. | 91 | Budget |
| Super Mario World | 1990 | approx. 7 hrs. | 96 | Budget |
| Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island | 1995 | approx. 8 hrs. | 92 | Budget |
| Kirby Super Star | 1996 | approx. 6 hrs. | 90 | Budget |
If you liked this, try these
- Super Mario World Shared: Platformer, Fantasy, rated higher
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Shared: Platformer, Fantasy, rated higher
- Kirby Super Star Shared: Platformer, Fantasy
- Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest Shared: Platformer, Fantasy, rated higher
- Islets Shared: Platformer, Fantasy
- New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe Shared: Platformer, Fantasy, longer