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SkyKing's Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)
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| [January 25, 2008 09:44:17 PM]
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Gameplay 2:
Another hour has passed and my friend and I still have not beaten the game. We can't seem to get past the second to last level. Even though we are stuck, we are still having a blast. Usually single player games are a solitary experience, or at least not appealing to an audience. This game, on the other hand, was brought into the lounge of my building just so we could fit everyone who wanted to watch. More and more people would come and shriek in terror as Luigi barely dodges fireballs and bullet bills.
From my room, I can hear the people in the lounge, waiting for me, singing the theme music from the game. Such memorable music stirs up happiness and memories with just one bar.
The game is a very different experience having a huge crowd of people cheering for you after every death-defying jump. Sadly, even with the wishes of many friends behind me, we still have yet to pass the level. Being persistent, my friend and I plan to get right back into it as soon as I finish typing.
Design:
The impeccable level design and dedicated attention to detail in Super Mario Bros. 3 proves that it more than deserves the title as one of the greatest games of all time. Floating bricks may not make much sense in our world but by the time world eight comes around, a non-moving floating block is a safe-haven. The levels become so intricate that only through true mastery may one pass though.
The art and music of the game changes to match the difficulty. The first few levels are very bright and happy-go-lucky. Smiling, my friend and I sang along to the tune as we rushed through level 1-1. The last world is covered in darkness, fire, and skulls. Ominous music intrigues the player but also strikes a chord of anticipation and worry.
Though the levels became insanely hard, I would not change anything in the level design. Fun is sometimes defined as "One more variable than can be handled" and Super Mario Bros. 3 exclaims that. Dodging an onslaught of cannonballs is hard enough but once that is mastered the player must fight another army in the air.
The game's controls are very simple to learn and thankfully too because absolute control over the Mario brothers' jumps is needed. The simplicity of the controls also have a strange enrapturing effect to them. I wanted to jump when Luigi jumped. I leaned forward when Luigi ran forward. Who is really controlling who?
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| [January 25, 2008 08:21:24 PM]
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Super Mario Bros. 3
Summary:
Super Mario Bros. 3 changes up the Mario formula by adding new aspects, such as suits and holdable items, and many, many secrets all the while keeping a strong platforming base.
Gameplay:
Even before I could turn on the game I was smiling. I grew up playing Super Mario Bros. 3 late into the night with my father so I have more than a few fond memories. That being said, I had not touched the game in over 10 years so it felt good to revisit my roots. I asked a friend to play with me and take the place as Mario. Even when I was little I would only play with Luigi. Mario's poor brother was always overshadowed so imagined winning as him would award some lime light for the lime plumber. So once my Mario found some time, we fired up the game and got to work saving the princess.
That being said, this is an exemplary example of a pick up and play game. Very little story is given, as is with instructions. The game is very straight-forward and intuitive; the player just knows what to do within a minute. Though we hadn't played in a long time, we still knew where many of the exploitable secrets were. With the help of two flutes, we were in the eighth world in under five minutes. I always loved the way Nintendo packed hundreds of secrets into the game. Surprisingly, one was just discovered a week ago, eighteen years after the American release.
The game is absolutely a blast to play and it really enraptures the players. My friend and I cheer when we win and cringe when we fail. One particularly hard level in world eight was awarded with ten high-fives when passed. Mario 3 has a really good difficulty flow. The first few levels are a breeze and great for beginners to get used to timing jumps while the last few levels are so hard that 45 minutes can pass and two experienced gamers can still be stuck on the same level.
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SkyKing's Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Friday 25 January, 2008
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