Battleship

Battleships are large, heavily armed maritime vessels utilized by Bowser and his armies. Battleships are equipped with various artillery, such as cannons, Bob-omb launchers and also Rocky Wrenches. Their texture is the same as that of the Airships in Super Mario Bros. 3.

In Super Mario Bros. 3, only one Battleship fleet, which guard Dark Land, appear. The fleet, composed of three battleships, was stationed near the beginning of the area, just after the first Tank company. The fleet was commanded by Boom Boom.

Although the battleship fleet was stationed on the world map on what resembled a lava lake, the actual level depicted a brownish liquid that the player could swim in with some difficulty.

The battleships also reappeared in Super Mario Advance 4, the GBA remake of Super Mario Bros 3., as a level for World-e called Kokuppa ni Damasareru na! that is Japan-only. Besides the battleships themselves, it also took place in an area that resembled a port or dock. Getting to the end of the level will have the player face Ludwig von Koopa, regardless of which path the player took.

Trivia

 * In the manual for Super Mario Bros. 3, Lemmy's character quote mentioned that he heard that his father, Bowser, was creating a new weapon. Whether the weapon were the Tanks, the small Airships, or the Battleships wasn't specified, though it's possible that it was the Koopa Clown Car.