Super Mario Bros. 3
- This article is about the Nintendo Entertainment System game. For other uses, see Super Mario Bros. 3 (disambiguation).
- "Mario 3" redirects here. For the level in Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge, see Mario 3 (level).
- "Super Mario 3" redirects here. For the Nelsonic Game Watch also known as simply "Super Mario 3", see Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nelsonic Game Watch). For the manga series originally subtitled as "Super Mario 3", see Miracle Peach.
| Super Mario Bros. 3 | |||||||||||||||
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 For alternate art, see the related gallery. | |||||||||||||||
| Developer | Nintendo R&D4 | ||||||||||||||
| Publisher | Nintendo | ||||||||||||||
| Platforms | Family Computer, Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo PlayChoice-10, Virtual Console (Wii / 3DS / Wii U), NES Classic Edition, Nintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer, Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Classics | ||||||||||||||
| Release dates | Family Computer: October 23, 1988[1]Nintendo PlayChoice-10:  July 15, 1989[2][3]Nintendo Entertainment System: February 12, 1990[4] August 29, 1991[?] August 29, 1991[5][better source needed] Between 1989 and 1992[6]
Virtual Console (Wii):
November 5, 2007[7] November 9, 2007[8] November 9, 2007[9] December 11, 2007[10] May 26, 2008[11]Virtual Console (Nintendo 3DS): January 1, 2013[12] December 26, 2013[8] December 26, 2013[13] April 16, 2014[14] April 6, 2016[15]Virtual Console (Wii U): December 25, 2013[16] December 26, 2013[8] December 26, 2013[13] April 17, 2014[17]Nintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer November 10, 2016[18]NES Classic Edition: November 10, 2016[19] November 11, 2016[20] November 11, 2016[21]Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Classics: September 18, 2018[?] September 19, 2018[?] September 19, 2018[?] September 19, 2018[?] April 23, 2019[?] April 23, 2019[?] | ||||||||||||||
| Languages | English Japanese | ||||||||||||||
| Genres | 2D platformer, action-adventure | ||||||||||||||
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| Modes | Single player, multiplayer | ||||||||||||||
| Format |
 CartridgeNES:
 Game PakWii:  Digital download Digital download Digital download Digital downloadBuilt-in
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| Input | Joystick
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Wii:  Wii Remote (horizontal) Wii Remote (horizontal) Joy-Con (horizontal) | ||||||||||||||
| Serial codes | Famicom: HVC-UM PlayChoice-10: PCH1-R-UMNES: NES-UM-USA NES-UM-CAN NES-UM-ESP NES-UM-GBR NES-UM-NOE NES-UM-AUS NES-UM-KOR | ||||||||||||||
- Everyone
- All ages
- Three years and older
- All ages
- General audience
- All ages
- General
Super Mario Bros. 3 is a 2D action-adventure platform game for the Family Computer and Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the fourth installment in the Super Mario series and is recognized as the third in Japan.[22][23] It was released for consoles in Japan on October 23, 1988; in North America on February 12, 1990; and in Europe and Australia on August 29, 1991. Prior to its North American release on the NES, Super Mario Bros. 3 was ported to the Nintendo PlayChoice-10.[3] Being the first game in the series since Super Mario Bros. not to derive its gameplay from another game as well as to release in all regions, Super Mario Bros. 3 retains the same level-based platformer mechanics of previous titles. These core mechanics are iterated upon, featuring greatly expanded levels, several new power-ups, new enemies and bosses, a more fleshed-out multiplayer mode, a world map, and many optional levels and secrets. The game has gone on to become one of the most influential titles for the Super Mario franchise, and several elements introduced in this title have since become mainstays in the 2D games, including landscape-themed worlds, the Koopalings, airships, and Toad's Houses.
The game features a unique stage play-esque aesthetic, with objects being bolted to the background or suspended by ropes and casting drop shadows. Additionally, the ends of most levels feature Mario traveling "offstage" on a black backdrop to complete them. This led to a long-standing rumor that the game was a stage play put on by the Super Mario cast, an idea later confirmed by series creator Shigeru Miyamoto.[24] Some of these aesthetic choices were changed or removed in remakes of the game.
Super Mario Bros. 3 has received near-universal critical acclaim since its release, and it is one of the best-selling NES and Super Mario games of all time.[25] The game has received several re-releases on other platforms, including full remakes for the SNES compilation game Super Mario All-Stars and on the Game Boy Advance as Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3. It is also featured on all of Nintendo's Virtual Console services, as well as Nintendo Switch Online.
Story[edit]
The following text is taken directly from the instruction booklet.
The Mushroom Kingdom has been a peaceful place thanks to the brave deeds of Mario and Luigi. The Mushroom Kingdom forms an entrance to the Mushroom World where all is not well.
Bowser sent his seven children to make mischief as they please in the normally peaceful Mushroom World. They stole royal magic wands from each country in the Mushroom World and used them to turn their kings into animals. Mario and Luigi must recover the royal magic wands from Bowser's seven kids to return the kings to their true forms.
"Goodbye and good luck!" said the Princess and Toad as Mario and Luigi set off on their journey deep into the Mushroom World.
Peace has returned to the Mushroom Kingdom thanks to the efforts of Mario and Luigi; however, Bowser sent his own seven children (Larry, Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy, and Ludwig) to the other countries of the Mushroom World, which the Mushroom Kingdom forms a gateway to. The Little Koopas stole the royal Magic Wands of the seven kings, using them to transform the kings into various helpless creatures. Mario and Luigi vow to go and stop the Little Koopas' mischief, and change the kings back into their normal form. At the end of each world, Mario and Luigi fight one of the Little Koopas, and after the match is over, retrieve the wand from the Little Koopa to turn the king back to normal. While the brothers are out in their adventure, Bowser kidnaps Princess Toadstool and takes her to his lair in Dark Land. The brothers go to Dark Land and fight Bowser. After defeating Bowser, they save the princess and restore peace once again.
Gameplay[edit]
Super Mario Bros. 3 plays similarly to Super Mario Bros., with several additions. The game features a world map where the player can choose which path to take and which level to play. Toad's Houses, Spade Panels, and Enemy Courses are also found on the world map. Midway through each world, Mario or Luigi enter a fortress, where they fight Boom Boom. At the end of each world, they enter the world's airship, where one of the seven Little Koopas is fought. After defeating the Little Koopa, Mario or Luigi restores the king back to his normal state and moves onto the next world.
The first player controls Mario, while the second player controls his brother, Luigi, with the two players taking turns. After one brother completes a level or loses a life, the other brother plays. If one brother interacts with the other brother's icon on the world map, they enter Battle Mode in their Small forms. Whoever wins is immediately given a turn to play in the main game.
New moves include picking up objects and kicking them, as well as sliding down hills, moves which have carried over in future Super Mario games. The Fire Flower returns in this game, where it acts as it does in Super Mario Bros., allowing Mario or Luigi to transform into their Fire forms and shoot fireballs. Several new power-ups are also introduced, including the Super Leaf, a leaf power-up that transforms Mario or Luigi into their Raccoon forms, allowing them to fly into the sky, and the Hammer Suit, which transforms the brothers into their Hammer forms, letting them throw hammers at enemies.
Controls[edit]
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Characters[edit]
Playable characters[edit]
Non-playable characters[edit]
| Image | Name | Description |
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Princess Toadstool | The ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom who directed Mario to help liberate the Mushroom World from the Little Koopas. She periodically sends letters of advice and items to Mario. After defeating Ludwig von Koopa, Mario receives a letter from Bowser, informing him that he has kidnapped Princess Toadstool. |
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Toads | Retainers who run Toad's Houses and Spade Panels, where Mario can obtain power-ups or play minigames. A Toad can be found alongside the king of each world. |
 
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Kings | With the exception of Bowser's Dark Land, each world is ruled by a wand-wielding king. Their wands are stolen by the Little Koopas, who use them to transform the kings into other creatures and take over their kingdoms. Defeating the Little Koopa of the visited land returns the wand to its king and turns him back to normal. |
Enemies and obstacles[edit]
Enemies[edit]
| Image | Name | Description | Levels | New | |
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Little Goomba | Little Goombas wander in whatever direction they happen to be going, mindlessly falling off platforms as they go. | World 1-1 | World 7-9 | — |
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Para-Goomba | Para-Goombas are winged Goombas. They become regular Goombas after just one stomp. Brown Para-Goombas fly around, dropping Micro-Goombas onto Mario. | World 1-2 | World 8-2 | 
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Red Para-Goomba | Red Para-Goombas hop along the ground in small arches, chasing Mario. | World 1-1 | World 7-9 |
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Mugger Micro-Goomba | Mugger Micro-Goombas are small Goombas. They are dropped by brown Para-Goombas. They drag Mario down if touched. Mashing will get rid of them.
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World 1-2 | World 8-2 |
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Pile Driver Micro-Goomba | Pile Driver Micro-Goombas are Micro-Goombas inside dull bricks. They like to hide near other bricks, jumping when Mario gets close. | World 2-1 | World 5-7 |
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Grand Goomba | Grand Goombas are twice the size of Little Goombas. Other than their large size, they are identical to them Goombas, and can be defeated with one stomp. | World 4-1 | World 4-6 |
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Kuribo's Goomba | Kuribo's Goomba is a Goomba wearing a special shoe; they try to stomp Mario with it. If Mario can bump the Goomba from under a block, then he can use the displaced shoe. Any other attack, however, will destroy the shoe as well. | World 5-3 |
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Green Koopa Troopa | Koopa Troopas are found throughout the Mushroom World. One stomp will send it hiding in its shell, a usable projectile. Green-shelled Koopa Troopas walk in one direction and fall over any edge they encounter. | World 1-1 | World 8-1 | — |
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Red Koopa Troopa | Red-shelled Koopa Troopas will turn about if they come to a gap. | World 1-1 | World 8-1 | — |
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Green Koopa Paratroopa | Koopa Paratroopas are winged Koopa Troopas. A stomp removes their wings and turns them into normal Koopa Troopas. However, if Mario hits the block under a Paratroopa, it will tuck into its shell. Other attacks will defeat it completely. Like their wingless cousins, there are two versions of Koopa Paratroopa: green and red shelled Koopas. The green kind tend fly back and forth or hop forwards. | World 1-1 | World 8-2 | — |
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Red Koopa Paratroopa | Red Koopa Paratroopas fly up and down | World 1-4 | World 8-1 | — |
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Green Gargantua Koopa Troopa | Koopa Troopas come in tremendous sizes. They have the same vulnerabilities of normal Koopa Troopas, but their larger size makes them a more dangerous opponent to deal with. Like normal-sized Green Koopa Troopas, Green Gargantua Koopa Troopas walk off the edge of platforms. | World 4-1 | World 4-6 |
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Red Giant Koopa Troopa | Like the smaller ones, Red Giant Koopa Troopas turn around when they reach the edge of a platform. | World 4-1 | World 4-6 |
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Colossal Koopa Paratroopa | Colossal Koopa Paratroopas are winged Green Gargantua Koopa Troopas. They only follow the hopping behavior. One stomp will make them lose their wings, reverting them to Green Gargantua Koopa Troopas. | World 4-1 | World 4-6 |
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Dry Bones | Dry Bones is the animated skeleton of a Koopa Troopa, usually found in fortresses. If they are stomped, they collapse into a pile of bones. Moments later, however, the bones will rise back up off the ground and come back to life. | World 1-Fortress | World 8-The Castle of Koopa |
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Hammer Brother | Hammer Brothers are the Koopa Troops's elite forces that attack Mario by throwing hammers in an upward arc. While not very common in traditional stages, they wander around the maps of Worlds 1, 3, 5, and 6. They tend to appear in pairs, which can make it difficult to find an opening to attack. | World 1-
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World 8-Hand Traps | — |
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Boomerang Brother | Boomerang Brothers are like Hammer Brothers, except that their weapon of choice is the Boomerang. When they attack, the boomerangs they throw will double back for a second attack from the opposite direction. They appear as map enemies in World 2. | World 1-3 | World 8-Hand Traps |
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Fire Brother | Fire Brothers are the least common type of the Hammer Brother family. Only a few Fire Brothers appear in the entire game; two are found in a secret part of World 2, and another one appears in the first Hand Trap level of World 8. They have red skin and they spit fireballs at Mario. | World 2-
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Sledge Brother | Sledge Brothers are larger Hammer Brothers. These tubby turtles have green skin and they throw hammers, albeit slower than Hammer Brothers. Sledge Brothers make big jumps, and if Mario is standing when a Sledge Brother lands, he will be stunned. They appear mostly in Giant Land, where they are mostly map enemies. | World 4-3 | World 8-Hand Traps |
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Buzzy Beetle | Buzzy Beetles are turtles with fire-resistant shells. Otherwise, they act like green Koopa Troopas when on the ground. | World 1-5 | World 4-3 | — |
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Upside-down Buzzy Beetle | These Buzzy Beetles walk on the ceilings of caves. They fall from them while spinning in their shells when Mario approaches. | World 2-Pyramid | World 4-3 |
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Buster Beetle | Buster Beetles are Buzzy Beetles that can pick up White Blocks and throw them at Mario. However, they can be beaten by any attack, even by fireballs. | World 5-1 | World 6-10 |
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Para-Beetle | Para-Beetles are winged Buzzy Beetles. However, Mario can hop on their back for a ride, unlike with other winged foes. | World 5-6 |
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Lakitu | Lakitus are cloud-riding Koopas. They hover back and forth in the air above Mario, tossing a never-ending supply Spiny's Eggs to the ground. | World 3-4 | World 7-3 | — |
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Green Spiny Egg | Eggs tossed by Lakitu that bounce off of walls. The Green ones roll along the ground after Mario. | World 3-4 |
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Spiny Egg | The red Spiny Eggs hatch into Spinies upon hitting the ground. | World 4-4 | World 7-3 | — |
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Spiny | Spinies are small turtles with spikes all over their shells; they cannot be stomped. However, if Mario bumps a block under a S | |||