View source for Super Mario Bros. 3

{{Short description|1988 video game}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox video game
| image = Super Mario Bros. 3 coverart.png
| caption = North American box art, depicting [[Mario]] using the "Raccoon Mario" power-up
| alt = Mario is seen flying using the "Raccoon Mario" power-up over a yellow/gold background. The Game's logo appears on the top and the game's tagline appears on the bottom.
| developer = [[Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development|Nintendo R&D4]]
| publisher = [[Nintendo]]
| director = {{ubl|[[Shigeru Miyamoto]]<ref name="kotaku-makingof">{{cite web |last1=Knorr |first1=Alyse |title=The Making (And Legacy) Of Super Mario Bros. 3 |url=https://kotaku.com/the-making-and-legacy-of-super-mario-bros-3-1773499946 |website=[[Kotaku]] |access-date=March 20, 2020 |date=April 27, 2016 |archive-date=September 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927135835/https://kotaku.com/the-making-and-legacy-of-super-mario-bros-3-1773499946 |url-status=live }}</ref>|[[Takashi Tezuka]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendo.com/nes-classic/super-mario-bros-and-super-mario-bros-3-developer-interview |access-date=December 9, 2016 |title=Super Mario Bros. Developer Interview|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101001654/http://www.nintendo.com/nes-classic/super-mario-bros-and-super-mario-bros-3-developer-interview |archive-date=January 1, 2017 |url-status=live  }}</ref>}}
| producer = Shigeru Miyamoto
| designer = {{ubl|Shigeru Miyamoto|Takashi Tezuka|[[Katsuya Eguchi]]|[[Hideki Konno]]|[[Kensuke Tanabe]]}}
| programmer = Toshihiko Nakago
| artist = {{ubl|Takashi Tezuka|Hideki Konno|[[Hiroyuki Kimura]]|[[Yōichi Kotabe]]}}
| composer = [[Koji Kondo]]
| series = ''[[Super Mario]]''
| platforms = [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]], [[Arcade video game|arcade]], [[Game Boy Advance]]
| released = '''NES'''{{vgrelease|JP|October 23, 1988<ref name="japaneserock">{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wiiu/software/vc/fabj/|title=Wii U Super Mario Bros. 3|access-date=June 28, 2014|publisher = [[Nintendo]]|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140817002802/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wiiu/software/vc/fabj/|archive-date=August 17, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>|NA|February 12, 1990<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mario.nintendo.com/history/|title=The history of Super Mario|access-date=2020-09-03|website=mario.nintendo.com|archive-date=February 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201153647/https://mario.nintendo.com/history/|url-status=live}}</ref>|PAL|August 29, 1991<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.giantbomb.com/super-mario-bros-3/3030-10299/releases/|title=Super Mario Bros. 3 International Releases|access-date=June 28, 2014|publisher=[[Giant Bomb]]|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140716071523/http://www.giantbomb.com/super-mario-bros-3/3030-10299/releases/|archive-date=July 16, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>}} '''Arcade'''{{vgrelease|NA|July 15, 1989<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Nintendo Updates PC-10 Software |magazine=Vending Times |volume=29 |issue=10 |date=August 1989 |page=78 |url=https://archive.org/details/VendingTimesVOL29NO10August1989Clearscan/page/n77/mode/2up |access-date=February 6, 2025}}</ref>}}
| genre = [[Platform game|Platform]]
| modes = [[Single-player video game|Single-player]], [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]]
| arcade system = [[PlayChoice-10]]
}}
'''''Super Mario Bros. 3'''''{{efn|{{nihongo|'''''Super Mario Bros. 3'''''|スーパーマリオブラザーズ3|Sūpā Mario Burazāzu 3}}}} is a 1988 [[platform game]] developed and published by [[Nintendo]] for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (NES). It was released in Japan on October 23, 1988, in North America on February 12, 1990, and in Europe on August 29, 1991. It was developed by [[Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development|Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development]], led by [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] and [[Takashi Tezuka]].

Players control brothers [[Mario]] or [[Luigi (character)|Luigi]], who must save [[Princess Peach|Princess Toadstool]] and the rulers of seven different kingdoms from the villain, [[Bowser]]. As in previous ''[[Super Mario]]'' games, they defeat enemies by stomping on them or using [[item (gaming)|items]] that bestow magical powers; they also have new abilities, including flight and sliding down slopes. ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' introduced ''Super Mario'' staples such as Bowser's children (the [[Koopalings]]) and a [[Overworld|world map]] to transition between [[Level (video gaming)|levels]].

''Super Mario Bros. 3'' was praised for its challenging gameplay. It is regarded as the greatest NES game and one of the [[List of video games considered the best|greatest video games]]. It is the [[List of best-selling Nintendo Entertainment System video games|third-bestselling NES game]], with more than 17&nbsp;million copies sold worldwide. It inspired [[The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3|an animated television series]], produced by [[DIC Entertainment]].

''Super Mario Bros. 3'' was [[Video game remake|remade]] for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES]] as a part of ''[[Super Mario All-Stars]]'' in 1993 and for the [[Game Boy Advance]] as ''[[Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' in 2003. It was rereleased on the [[Virtual Console]] service on the [[Wii]], [[Wii U]], and [[Nintendo 3DS|3DS]], and included on the [[NES Classic Mini]]. In 2018, it was rereleased for the [[Nintendo Switch|Switch]] on the [[Nintendo Classics]] service with added netplay.

== Gameplay ==
[[File:Super Mario Bros 3 Gameplay.png|thumb|256px|left|A gameplay screenshot of ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', showing Mario donning the raccoon suit]]
''Super Mario Bros. 3'' is a [[2D computer graphics|two-dimensional]] [[side-scrolling video game|side-scrolling]] platform game in which the player controls either [[Mario]] or [[Luigi (character)|Luigi]]. The game shares similar gameplay mechanics with previous games in the series {{emdash}} ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', ''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]]'', and ''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]'' {{emdash}} while introducing several new elements. In addition to the running and jumping found in previous games, the player character can slide down slopes, pick up and throw certain items, and freely climb vines. New [[power-up]]s are introduced, including the Super Leaf and the Tanooki Suit, which allow Mario to fly and float.<ref name="StrategyGuide-1">{{cite magazine |year=1990 |title=Mario's Basic Moves |url=https://archive.org/stream/Nintendo_Power_Issue001-Issue127/Nintendo%20Power%20Issue%20013%20Mario%203%20Strategy#page/n3/mode/2up |magazine=Nintendo Power: Strategy Guide |publisher=[[Nintendo]] |volume=SG1 |issue=13 |page=4}}</ref> The game world consists of eight kingdoms, each subdivided into multiple [[Level (video gaming)|levels]]. The eight worlds feature distinct visual themes: the first world is grass and the second world, "Desert Land" (or "Desert Hill" in Japanese and North American PRG0 versions), contains sand-covered levels with pyramids, while the levels in the fourth world, "Giant Land" ("Big Island"), contain obstacles and enemies twice their normal height and width.<ref name="Manual-2">{{cite book |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clv/manuals/en/pdf/CLV-P-NAACE.pdf |title=Super Mario Bros. 3 Instruction Booklet |date=February 12, 1990 |publisher=[[Nintendo]] of America |pages=30–34 |access-date=February 16, 2020 |archive-date=November 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105110431/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clv/manuals/en/pdf/CLV-P-NAACE.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

The player navigates through the game via two game screens: an [[overworld]] map and a course. The overworld map displays an overhead representation of the current kingdom and has several paths leading from the world's entrance to a castle. Paths connect to action panels, fortresses, and other map icons, and allow players to take different routes to reach the kingdom's goal. Moving the on-screen character to an action panel or fortress will allow access to that course, a linear stage populated with obstacles and enemies. The majority of the game takes place in these levels, with the player traversing the stage by dashing, jumping, flying, swimming, and dodging or defeating enemies.<ref name="MeanMachines">{{Cite magazine |title=Nintendo Review: ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' |date=October 1991 |magazine=[[Mean Machines]] |publisher=[[EMAP]] |author=Mean Machine Staff |issue=13 |pages=56–59 |url=http://www.meanmachinesmag.co.uk/review/192/super-mario-bros-3.php |access-date=October 26, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226003426/http://www.meanmachinesmag.co.uk/review/192/super-mario-bros-3.php |archive-date=February 26, 2009 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="NP-10-Preview">{{Cite magazine |author=Nintendo Power Staff |date=January–February 1990 |title=Previews: ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' |url=https://archive.org/stream/Nintendo_Power_Issue001-Issue127/Nintendo%20Power%20Issue%20010%20January-February%201990#page/n57/mode/2up |magazine=[[Nintendo Power]] |publisher=[[Nintendo]] |issue=10 |pages=56–59}}</ref> Players start with a certain number of [[life (video games)|lives]] and may gain additional lives by picking up green spotted [[1-Up]] mushrooms hidden in bricks, or by collecting 100 coins, among other methods. Mario and Luigi lose a life if they take damage while small, fall into lava or a bottomless pit, or run out of time. The game [[Game over|ends prematurely]] when all lives are lost, although the player can continue from the beginning of the world they lost their last life in by selecting "[[Continue (video gaming)|Continue]]". If the player chooses to continue, all fortresses and enemy courses, as well as the tank and ship levels from the eighth world that the player previously completed will remain completed and any locked doors that were unlocked will also remain unlocked. This allows the player to continue from the last fortress level they completed in most cases. The player will also be able to keep all of their items in their inventory.<ref name="Manual-2" />

Completing stages allows the player to progress through the overworld map and to succeeding worlds. Each world features a final stage with a [[Boss (video gaming)|boss]] to defeat. The first seven worlds feature an airship controlled by one of the Koopalings, while the player battles Bowser in his castle in the eighth world as the Final Boss. Other map icons include large boulders and locked doors that impede paths. Mini-games and bonus screens on the map provide the player a chance to obtain special power-ups and additional lives. Power-ups obtained in these mini-games are stored in a reserve, and can be activated by the player from the map screen.<ref name="MeanMachines" /><ref name="NP-10-Preview" />

In addition to special items from previous games like the [[Super Mario#Mushrooms|Super Mushroom]], Super Star, and the Fire Flower, new power-ups are introduced that provide the player with new options. The Super Leaf and [[Japanese raccoon dog|Tanooki]] Suit give Mario raccoon and tanooki appearances respectively, allowing him to fly for a short period of time. The Tanooki Suit also enables him to turn into Statue Mario to avoid enemies for a short period of time. Changing into a Tanooki statue while jumping results in Mario pounding the ground and killing whatever enemies are directly under him; this is the first appearance of the now standard "ground pound" move in the ''Mario'' series.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/wikis/super-mario-3d-land/Ground_Pound |title=Ground Pound – Super Mario World 3D |access-date=June 28, 2014 |website=IGN |date=November 26, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140730040030/http://www.ign.com/wikis/super-mario-3d-land/Ground_Pound |archive-date=July 30, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> The new "Frog Suit" highly increases the character's underwater speed and agility, and boosts jumping height on land. Another new suit, the Hammer Suit, gives Mario the appearance of the [[Hammer Bro.]] enemy and allows him to throw hammers at enemies and resist fire attacks when crouching.<ref name="Manual-2" />

''Super Mario Bros. 3'' includes a [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]] option which allows two players to play the game by taking turns at navigating the overworld map and accessing stage levels. The first player controls Mario, while the other controls Luigi (a [[palette swap]] of Mario). Through this mode, players can access several mini-games, including a remake of the original ''[[Mario Bros.]]'' arcade game, in which one player has the opportunity to steal the cards of another, but may lose their turn if they lose the mini-game.<ref name="Manual-3">{{cite book |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clv/manuals/en/pdf/CLV-P-NAACE.pdf |title=Super Mario Bros. 3 Instruction Booklet |date=February 12, 1990 |publisher=[[Nintendo]] of America |pages=27 |chapter=How To Play The 2 Player Game |access-date=February 16, 2020 |archive-date=November 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105110431/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clv/manuals/en/pdf/CLV-P-NAACE.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Plot and characters ==
{{Further|Characters in the Mario franchise|l1=Characters in the ''Mario'' franchise}}
The plot of ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' is described in the instruction booklet. In the [[Mushroom World]], [[Bowser]] has his seven children, the [[Koopalings]], conquer each of the seven kingdoms by stealing its king's magical [[wand]] and using it to transform him into an animal. [[Princess Peach|Princess Toadstool]] receives news of Bowser's actions and dispatches [[Mario]] and [[Luigi (character)|Luigi]] to travel to each kingdom, retrieve the stolen wand, and restore its king to normal.<ref name="smb3 manual">{{cite book|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clv/manuals/en/pdf/CLV-P-NAACE.pdf|title=Super Mario Bros. 3 manual|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|year=1990|location=USA|page=5|access-date=February 16, 2020|archive-date=November 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105110431/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clv/manuals/en/pdf/CLV-P-NAACE.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

Mario and Luigi receive notes and special items from Toadstool after rescuing each of the first six kings. When they rescue the seventh king, they instead receive a note from Bowser, boasting that he has kidnapped Toadstool and imprisoned her within the castle of his own realm, Dark Land.<ref>{{cite video game |title=Super Mario Bros. 3 |developer=Nintendo |publisher=[[Nintendo]] |date=February 12, 1990 |platform=[[Nintendo Entertainment System]] |level=World 7 castle |quote='''Bowser:''' Yo! I kidnapped the princess while you were running around. She's here in my castle, if you dare to try and rescue her. Ha ha ha...}}</ref> The brothers travel through Dark Land, enter his castle, and defeat Bowser in a battle. The game ends with Princess Toadstool being freed from the castle.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flyingomelette.com/reviews/nes/smb3.html|title=Super Mario Bros. 3 Review|publisher=FlyingOmelette|access-date=July 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904235517/http://www.flyingomelette.com/reviews/nes/smb3.html|archive-date=September 4, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to [[Shigeru Miyamoto]], ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' was conceived as a [[stage play]]. The title screen features a [[stage curtain]] being drawn open, and in the original NES version, in-game objects hang from off-screen catwalks, are bolted to the background, or cast shadows on the skyline. When Mario finishes a level, he walks off the stage.<ref name="Stage play">{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/miyamoto-confirms-that-super-mario-bros-3-was-a-play-1729805751|website=[[Kotaku]]|title=Miyamoto Confirms That Super Mario Bros. 3 Was A Play|last=Schreier|first=Jason|date=September 10, 2015|access-date=September 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911111326/http://kotaku.com/miyamoto-confirms-that-super-mario-bros-3-was-a-play-1729805751|archive-date=September 11, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Development and release ==
[[File:Shigeru Miyamoto at GDC 2007 (cropped).png|thumb|256px|left|[[Shigeru Miyamoto]] (pictured in 2007) served as producer of ''Super Mario Bros. 3'']]

Beginning development shortly after the 1986 release of the [[Famicom Disk System]]'s ''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels|Super Mario Bros. 2]]'',<ref name="NES Classic">{{cite web |url=https://www.nintendo.com/nes-classic/super-mario-bros-and-super-mario-bros-3-developer-interview |title=Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3 developer interviews- NES Classic Edition |publisher=[[Nintendo of America]] |access-date=November 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201032653/https://www.nintendo.com/nes-classic/super-mario-bros-and-super-mario-bros-3-developer-interview |archive-date=December 1, 2017 |url-status=live  }}</ref> ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' was developed by [[Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development|Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development]], a team that consisted of more than ten people. The game took more than two years to complete.<ref name="IGN-100">{{cite web| url = http://top100.ign.com/2007/ign_top_game_39.html| title = IGN Top 100 Games 2007: 39 ''Super Mario Bros. 3''| website = IGN| year = 2007| access-date = January 25, 2009| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170409163615/http://top100.ign.com/2007/ign_top_game_39.html| archive-date = April 9, 2017| url-status = dead| df = mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="NP-10-Develop">{{Cite magazine| magazine = [[Nintendo Power]]| title = The Making of ''Super Mario Bros. 3''| author= Nintendo Power Staff| issue = 10|date=January–February 1990| pages = 20–23| publisher = [[Nintendo]]}}</ref> The development budget, when converted to [[US dollars]], amounts to about $800,000<ref>{{cite news |last1=Casey Corr |first1=O. |title=Move To Level Two – Ho A Hurdle, Dodge A Fireball On The Way To Finding The Spirit Of America's Favorite Toy |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19901216&slug=1109845 |access-date=May 3, 2022 |work=Seattle Times |date=December 16, 1990 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628015538/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19901216&slug=1109845 |archive-date=June 28, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> to {{US$|1.3 million|long=no}}<ref name="Leisure" /> ({{US$|{{Inflation|US|0.8|1988|r=1}}–{{Inflation|US|1.3|1988|r=1}} million|long=no}} adjusted for inflation). Developer [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] served as director. He worked closely with the designers and programmers during the conceptual and final stages, encouraging a free interchange of ideas. Miyamoto considered intriguing and original ideas to be key to creating a successful game.<ref name="NP-10-Develop" /> Originally, the team intended for the game to be played from an isometric point of view, but the developers found that this made it too difficult to position jumps, so the game was changed to the 2D side view used in previous games. Some isometric elements remain, such as the checkered floor present in the title screen.<ref name="NES Classic" /> All pixel art for the game was drawn using Fujitsu FM R-50 HD business computers while [[HP 64000]] mainframe computers with a 6502 processor card were used to write and test code.<ref name="SMB3 Dev">{{cite book |last=Murata |first=Eiichi  |title=The Stars of Famicom Games |year=1989 |script-title=ja:社会科 はこばれてくるしくみシリーズ―11 ファミコンゲームの主役たち ゲームソフトの制作と流通|trans-title=The Stars of Famicom Games |url=https://archive.org/details/The-Stars-of-Famicom-Games/mode/2up |language=ja |location=Japan |publisher= Nintendo, PHP Institute }}</ref>

The game was designed to appeal to players of varying skill levels. To assist less-to no skill players, bonus coins and [[Life (video games)#Extra lives|1-up]]s are more abundant in earlier worlds, while later worlds present more complex challenges for experienced players. In the two-player mode, the players alternate turns to balance play time.<ref name="NP-10-Develop" /> The development team introduced new power-ups and concepts that would give Mario the appearance of different creatures as a means of providing him with new abilities. An early idea changed Mario into a [[centaur]], but was dropped in favor of a raccoon tail with limited flying ability.<ref name="IGN-100" /><ref name="NP-10-Develop" /> Other costumes with different abilities were added to his repertoire, and levels were designed to take advantage of these abilities.<ref name="IGN-MarioHistory">{{cite web| url = https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/09/14/ign-presents-the-history-of-super-mario-bros| title = IGN Presents: The History of the Super Mario Bros.| website = IGN| first = Rus| last = McLaughlin| date = November 8, 2007| access-date = May 3, 2022| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120217164813/http://retro.ign.com/articles/833/833615p2.html| archive-date = February 17, 2012| url-status = live| df = mdy-all}}</ref> New enemies were included to add diversity to the game, along with variants of previous enemies, such as [[Goomba]]s, Hammer Bros., and [[Koopa Troopa]]s.<ref name="IGN-100" /><ref name="IGN-MarioHistory" />

Some of the enemies designed for ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' were inspired by the team's personal experiences. For example, the [[Chain Chomp]] enemy, a barking tethered [[ball and chain]] creature with eyes and teeth that lunges at the player when in close proximity, was drawn from Miyamoto's early life, in which a dog lunged at him, but was pulled away from him.<ref name="NP-10-Develop" /> Bowser's children, the [[Koopalings]], were designed to be unique in appearance and personality; Miyamoto based the characters on seven of his programmers as a tribute to their work and efforts.<ref name="IGN-100" /><ref name="NP-10-Develop" /> Nintendo of America named the Koopalings after well-known musicians: for example, the characters "Ludwig von Koopa" and "Roy Koopa" are named after [[Ludwig van Beethoven]] and [[Roy Orbison]] respectively.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/16520/features/10-amazing-mario-facts/ |title=Nintendo Feature: 10 Amazing Mario Facts |magazine=Official Nintendo Magazine |date=April 30, 2010 |access-date=August 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120603174405/http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/16520/features/10-amazing-mario-facts/ |archive-date=June 3, 2012 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

The character graphics were created with a special graphics machine ("Character Generator Computer Aided Design") that generated a collection of the graphical shapes used in the game. Shapes in the collection were assigned numbers that the game's [[Source code|code]] used to access and combine to form complete images on the screen in real time.<ref name="NP-10-Develop" /> The ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' [[ROM cartridge|cartridge]] uses Nintendo's custom [[memory management controller#MMC3|MMC3]] ASIC to enhance the NES capabilities. The MMC3 chip allows for animated tiles, extra RAM for diagonal scrolling, and a scan line timer to [[Split screen (computer graphics)|split the screen]]. The game uses these functions to split the game screen into two portions, a playfield on the top and a status bar on the bottom. On the overworld map, the status bar doubles as an inventory for items and power-ups. This allows the top portion to scroll as the character navigates the stage while the bottom portion remains static to display text and other information.<ref name="NP-20">{{Cite magazine|date=January 1991| author = Nintendo Power Staff| title = Why Your Game Paks Never Forget| magazine = [[Nintendo Power]]| publisher=[[Nintendo]]| issue = 20| pages = 28–31}}</ref>

Like its predecessors, the music in ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' was composed by [[Koji Kondo]], who composed several new songs as well as returning melodies from ''Super Mario Bros.'' According to Kondo, who had composed the music in ''Super Mario Bros.'' based on what he believed fit the levels rather than focusing on composing a specific genre of music, the game was the most difficult game for him to compose.<ref name="Mario's Maestro">{{cite web |url=https://www.usgamer.net/articles/koji-kondo-interview-nintendo |title=Super Mario's Maestro: A Q&A with Nintendo's Koji Kondo |first=Bob |last=Mackey |date=December 10, 2014 |publisher=US Games |access-date=February 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209063018/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/koji-kondo-interview-nintendo |archive-date=February 9, 2018 |url-status=live  }}</ref> Kondo experimented with several different genres of music, unsure of how to follow up the music from the first game after hearing from several people that it sounded a lot like [[Latin music|Latin]] or [[fusion music]],<ref name="NES Classic" /> and came up with several different melodies throughout its development before settling on what ultimately made it into the game.<ref name="Mario's Maestro" /> The development team decided that music on the title screen was unnecessary.<ref name="Mario's Maestro" />

During 1988, a shortage of ROM chips,<ref name="Shortage of Memory">{{cite news | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | title=Shortage of Memory Chips Has Industry Scrambling | first=Andrew | last=Pollack | date=March 12, 1988 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/03/12/us/shortage-of-memory-chips-has-industry-scrambling.html | access-date=July 19, 2019 | archive-date=March 23, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220323122612/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/03/12/us/shortage-of-memory-chips-has-industry-scrambling.html | url-status=live }}</ref> along with Nintendo's preparation of ''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]'', prevented Nintendo from performing various North American game releases according to their original schedules. The delayed products included ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' and, according to ''Nintendo Power'', ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]]''.<ref>{{cite book| year=1993| last=Sheff| first=David| author-link=David Sheff| chapter=Game Masters| page=[https://archive.org/details/gameoverhowninte00shef/page/222 222]| title=[[Game Over (Sheff book)|Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children]]| publisher=[[Random House]]| isbn=0-679-40469-4}}</ref> The delay, however, presented Nintendo with an opportunity to promote the game in a feature film. In 1989, Tom Pollack of [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] approached Nintendo of America's marketing department about a video game movie; inspired by Nintendo [[Electronic sports|video game competitions]], Pollack envisioned a video game version of ''[[Tommy (1975 film)|Tommy]]'' for younger audiences. Nintendo licensed its products for inclusion in what would become the film ''[[The Wizard (1989 film)|The Wizard]]''. During the movie's production, the filmmakers requested and were granted approval from Nintendo regarding the script and the portrayal of the company's games.<ref name="GO-Wizard">{{cite book| year=1993| last=Sheff| first=David| author-link=David Sheff| chapter=The Grinch Who Stole Christmas| pages=[https://archive.org/details/gameoverhowninte00shef/page/190 190–191]| title=[[Game Over (Sheff book)|Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children]]| publisher=[[Random House]]| isbn=0-679-40469-4}}</ref> ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' was one of the products shown in the film and was used in a final scene involving a video game competition.<ref name="GO-Wizard" /><ref>{{cite magazine| magazine = [[Retro Gamer]]| title = The Making of The Wizard| first = Damien| last = McFerran|date=April 2008| publisher = [[Imagine Publishing]]| issue = 49| pages = 84–87}}</ref> The film was released in December 1989, between the home console releases of the game in Japan and North America.<ref name="NP-9-b">{{Cite magazine| magazine = [[Nintendo Power]]| title = NES Journal: The Wizard| first = Michele| last = Matti| issue = 9|date=November–December 1989| page = 90| publisher = [[Nintendo]]}}</ref>

The marketing budget for ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' was {{US$|25 million|long=no}},<ref name="Mario">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star/122671051/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230411133633/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star/122671051/|title=Nintendo fuels "Mario Mania" with "Super Mario Bros. 3|newspaper=[[The Indianapolis Star]]|page=22|archivedate=April 11, 2023|date=April 9, 1990|accessdate=April 11, 2023|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> bringing the game's total development and marketing budget to {{US$|{{#expr:25+0.8}} million|long=no}} ({{US$|{{Inflation|US|25.8|1988}} million|long=no}} adjusted for inflation).

== Reception ==
{{Video game reviews
<!-- Formatting -->
| na = true
<!-- Turn on platform -->
| NES = true
| WII = true
<!-- Reviewers -->
| ASM_NES = 11/12<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Man|url=https://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=1115|title=Super Mario Bros. 3|language=de|magazine=[[Aktueller Software Markt]]|date=January 1992|access-date=July 11, 2021|archive-date=July 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712193759/https://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=1115|url-status=live}}</ref>
| CVG_NES = 98%<ref name=cvg>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-120/page/n21/mode/2up|title=Computer and Video Games Magazine, issue 120|pages=23–8|last=Rand|first=Paul|date=November 1991|access-date=June 28, 2014|work=[[Computer and Video Games]]}}</ref>
| EGM_NES = 9/10, 9/10, 9/10, 9/10<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Electronic Gaming Review Crew: Super Mario Bros. 3 |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |date=April 1990 |issue=9 (1990 Video Game Preview) |page=10 |url=https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_Issue_009_April_1990/page/n11 |language=english}}</ref>
| EuroG_WII = 10/10<ref>{{cite web |last1=Whitehead |first1=Dan |title=Virtual Console Roundup |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_vcroundup_101107 |website=[[Eurogamer]] |access-date=26 February 2021 |language=en |date=10 November 2007 |archive-date=April 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425211433/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_vcroundup_101107 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| Fam_NES = 8/10, 9/10, 9/10, 9/10<ref name="famitsu-88">{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Famitsu|Famicom Tsūshin]]|title=新作ゲーム クロスレビュー|trans-title=New Games Cross Review|date=October 28, 1988|publisher=[[ASCII Corporation]]|issue=60|language=Japanese|last1=Famibo|first1=Tofuya
|first2=Tenchou
|last2=Mizuno
|last3=Morishita
|first3=Mariko
|author4=Taco•X
|p=14}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?a=page_h_title&title_id=202|title=スーパーマリオブラザーズ3 [ファミコン] / ファミ通.com|magazine=Famitsu|access-date=July 23, 2018|archive-date=November 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181109054622/https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?a=page_h_title&title_id=202|url-status=live}}</ref>
| GSpot_WII = 9/10<ref>{{cite web |last=Provo |first=Frank |title=Super Mario Bros 3 Review |website=[[GameSpot]] |access-date=December 4, 2012 |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/super-mario-bros-3/reviews/super-mario-bros-3-review-6184143/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130111024247/http://uk.gamespot.com/super-mario-bros-3/reviews/super-mario-bros-3-review-6184143/ |archive-date=January 11, 2013}}</ref>
| IGN_WII = 9.5/10<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/11/13/super-mario-bros-3-review|work=[[IGN]]|title=Super Mario Bros. 3 Review|date=November 12, 2007|access-date=May 3, 2022|author=Thomas, Lucas M.|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125193902/http://ca.ign.com/articles/2007/11/13/super-mario-bros-3-review|archive-date=January 25, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>
| JXV_WII = 19/20<ref>{{cite web|author=((Jefa57))|date=June 17, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628035638/http://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00015209-super-mario-bros-3-test.htm|archive-date=June 28, 2011|url=http://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00015209-super-mario-bros-3-test.htm|title=Test de Super Mario Bros. 3 sur Nes|language=fr|website=[[Jeuxvideo.com]]|access-date=July 11, 2021}}</ref>
| NLife_WII = 10/10<ref>{{cite web |title=Review: Super Mario Bros. 3 (Wii Virtual Console / NES) |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nes/super_mario_bros_3 |website=[[Nintendo Life]] |access-date=26 February 2021 |date=6 November 2007 |archive-date=February 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225123123/https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nes/super_mario_bros_3 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| TOT_NES = 98%<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Super Mario Bros. 3 |magazine=Total! |date=January 1992 |issue=1 |pages=12–5 |url=https://archive.org/details/Total_Issue_001_1992-01_Future_Publishing_GB/page/n11}}</ref>
| rev1 = ''Game Zone''
| rev1_NES = 93%<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Super Mario Bros 3 |magazine=Game Zone |date=8 October 1991 |issue=1 (November 1991) |pages=40–2 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/4/47/GameZone_UK_01.pdf#page=40 |access-date=February 26, 2021 |archive-date=October 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024021254/https://retrocdn.net/images/4/47/GameZone_UK_01.pdf#page=40 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Mean Machines]]''
| rev2_NES = 98%<ref name="MeanMachines" />
| rev3 = {{ill|Famicom Hisshoubon|ja|ファミコン必勝本|italic=yes}}
| rev3_NES = 4.5/5<ref name="FamHiss">{{cite magazine|magazine={{ill|Famicom Hisshoubon|ja|ファミコン必勝本}}|title=Soft Scramble|date=November 4, 1989|issue=58|publisher=[[Takarajimasha|JICC Publishing Bureau]]|p=6|language=Japanese}}</ref>
}}
''Super Mario Bros. 3'' was lauded by the [[Video game journalism|video game press]]. It is frequently considered the best game released on the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Top 100 NES Games - IGN.com |url=https://www.ign.com/lists/top-100-nes-games |access-date=2023-11-07 |language=en |archive-date=August 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814070857/https://www.ign.com/lists/top-100-nes-games |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Laib |first=Shawn |last2=Byrd |first2=Matthew |date=2022-09-30 |title=25 Best NES Games of All Time |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/best-nes-games-all-time-ever/ |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=Den of Geek |language=en-US |archive-date=November 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107163603/https://www.denofgeek.com/games/best-nes-games-all-time-ever/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Thorpe |first1=Josh WestContributions from Nick |last2=published |first2=Retro Gamer Team |date=2022-06-19 |title=The 10 best NES games of all-time |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/best-nes-games-all-time/ |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=gamesradar |language=en |archive-date=April 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421221100/https://www.gamesradar.com/best-nes-games-all-time/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Every Single NES Game, Ranked From Best to Worst |url=https://www.ranker.com/list/nintendo-entertainment-system-games-list-of-nes-games/video-games-by-console |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=Ranker |language=en}}</ref> ''[[Computer and Video Games]]'' editors Paul Rand, Tim Boone and Frank O'Connor awarded the game a 98% score, praising it for its gameplay, replayability, sound, and graphics. Boone commented that the game is nearly flawless in its utterly "stupendous incredibility and absolutely impossible to put down for anything less than a fire alarm and even then you find yourself weighing down the odds." Rand called ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' the best video game ever, labeling it "the ''[[Mona Lisa]]'' of gaming" and stating that it is "astoundingly brilliant in every way, shape, and form." O'Connor stated that the game "makes ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' look like a wet Sunday morning and even gives the Super Famicom's ''[[Super Mario World]]'' a run for its money."<ref name=cvg />

In the Japanese publication ''[[Famitsu]]'', the four reviewers all praised the game. One said that while it borrows elements from previous ''Super Mario'' games it was still full of diversity and challenge. Another called it the best in the series since ''Super Mario Bros'', but found it slightly dated in gameplay.<ref name="famitsu-88" /> ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' received the second-highest scores from ''Famitsu'' that year, behind ''[[Dragon Quest III]]''.<ref>
{{cite magazine|title=1986~2001 クロスレビュー高得点ソフト Top 10|trans-title=1986-2001 Highly Rated Software in Cross Reviews Top 10|magazine=ファミ通クロスレビュー2001パーフェクトガイド|trans-magazine=[[Famitsu|Weekly Famitsu Cross Review 2001 Perfect Guide]]|year=2002|publisher=[[Enterbrain]]|language=Japanese|location=Tokyo|ref=TopTen|p=148}}</ref> In {{ill|Famicom Hisshoubon|ja|ファミコン必勝本|italic=yes}}, the two reviewers gave enthusiastic reviews; one said it pushed the limits of side-scrolling action games and the other that they had never seen a game with so many ideas that has been thought out so well. Each reviewer criticized the high price of 6500 yen and felt it might be too difficult for a game aimed at a wide audience.<ref name="FamHiss" />

[[Julian Rignall]] of ''[[Mean Machines]]'' said ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' was the finest game he had ever played, citing its addictiveness, depth, and challenge. A second ''Mean Machines'' reviewer, Matt Regan, predicted it would be a bestseller in the United Kingdom, and echoed Rignall's praise, calling it a "truly brilliant game". Regan further stated that the game offered elements which tested the player's "brains and reflexes", and that though the graphics were simple, they were "incredibly varied".<ref name="MeanMachines" /> In a preview of the game, ''[[Nintendo Power]]'' gave it high marks in graphics, audio, challenge, gameplay, and enjoyability.<ref name="NP-10-Preview" /> The items hidden in the game's levels, such as the [[warp (gaming)|warp whistles]], were well-received: Rignall regarded them as part of the game's addictiveness, and Sheff stated that finding them provided a sense of satisfaction.<ref name="MeanMachines" /><ref>{{cite book|title=[[Game Over (Sheff book)|Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children]]|last=Sheff|first=David|publisher=[[Random House]]|year=1993|isbn=0-679-40469-4|edition=1st|page=[https://archive.org/details/gameoverhowninte00shef/page/53 53]|chapter=I, Mario|author-link=David Sheff}}</ref>

Criticism focused on particular aspects of the game. Rignall described the audio and visuals as being outdated in comparison to games on the [[Sega Genesis|Mega Drive/Genesis]] and [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES]] (the latter platform having already been launched in other regions by the time ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' was released in Europe).<ref name="MeanMachines" />

=== Sales ===
''Super Mario Bros. 3'' became a [[List of best-selling video games|best-selling game]].<ref name="IGN-MarioHistory" /> In Japan, it appeared at the top of the ''[[Famitsu]]'' sales charts in December 1988<ref name="ファミコン通信 TOP 30: 1月20日">{{cite magazine |title=ファミコン通信 TOP 30: 1月20日 |trans-title=Famicom Tsūshin Top 30: January 20 |magazine=[[Famicom Tsūshin]] |date=3 February 1989 |volume=1989 |issue=3 |pages=10–1 |url=https://www.retromags.com/files/file/4567-famitsu-issue-0067-february-3-1989/ |lang=ja |access-date=March 14, 2021 |archive-date=April 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424094248/https://www.retromags.com/files/file/4567-famitsu-issue-0067-february-3-1989/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and January 1989,<ref name="ファミコン通信 TOP 30: 1月20日" /> and became the second best-selling game of 1988 after ''[[Dragon Quest III]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=グーム売上ベスト10 |trans-title=Best 10 Game Sales |magazine=[[:ja:ファミリーコンピュータMagazine|Family Computer Magazine]] |date=12 February 1989 |page=116 |url=https://archive.org/details/famimagafebruary1989/page/n106 |lang=ja}}</ref> By mid-1989, ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' had become the second best-selling game in Japan (non-bundled) up until then, after ''Dragon Quest III''.<ref>{{cite book |chapter=総合TOP50 |trans-chapter=Total Top 50 |title=ファミコン通信 〜 '89全ソフトカタログ |trans-title=Famicom Tsūshin: '89 All Software Catalog |series=[[Famicom Tsūshin]] |date=15 September 1989 |page=78 |language=ja |url=https://cdn-ak.f.st-hatena.com/images/fotolife/M/MULTi88/20200420/20200420023605.jpg |access-date=March 14, 2021 |archive-date=May 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200507224142/https://cdn-ak.f.st-hatena.com/images/fotolife/M/MULTi88/20200420/20200420023605.jpg |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' went on to become the overall best-selling game of 1989 in Japan, just above ''[[Tetris]]'' in second place.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=グーム売上ベスト10 |trans-title=Best 10 Game Sales |magazine=[[:ja:ファミリーコンピュータMagazine|Family Computer Magazine]] |date=23 February 1990 |page=133 |url=https://archive.org/details/famimaga-1990-feb-23/page/133 |lang=ja}}</ref> It also topped the Japanese sales chart in January 1990.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Weekly Famimaga Hit Chart! (12/25～1/28) |magazine=[[:ja:ファミリーコンピュータMagazine|Family Computer Magazine]] |date=23 February 1990 |publisher=[[Tokuma Shoten]] |pages=134–6 |url=https://archive.org/details/famimaga-1990-feb-23/page/134/mode/2up |lang=ja}}</ref> By 1993, it had sold {{nowrap|4 million}} cartridges in Japan.<ref name="Sheff3" />

In North America, the inclusion of ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' in ''[[The Wizard (1989 film)|The Wizard]]'' served as a preview which generated a high level of anticipation in the United States prior to its release.<ref name="NP-9-b" /><ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/06/18/watching-the-wizard| title = Watching The Wizard| first = George| last = Roush| date = June 18, 2008| website = IGN| access-date = May 3, 2022| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090827114421/http://retro.ign.com/articles/882/882655p1.html| archive-date = August 27, 2009| url-status = live| df = mdy-all}}</ref> Levi Buchanan of ''[[IGN]]'' considered the game's appearance in the film as a show-stealing element, referring to the movie as a "90-minute commercial" for the game.<ref name="IGN-90minutes">{{cite web| url = https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/06/18/the-90-minute-super-mario-bros-3-commercial| title = The 90-Minute ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' Commercial| first = Levi| last = Buchanan| date = June 18, 2008| website = IGN| access-date = May 3, 2022| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081215104353/http://retro.ign.com/articles/882/882647p1.html| archive-date = December 15, 2008| url-status = live| df = mdy-all}}</ref> The game sold 250,000 copies in its first two days of release, according to a spokeswoman for Nintendo.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1990-03-29-9001260411-story.html|title=U.S. Parents! Get Ready For The 3rd Invasion Of Super Mario Bros.|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=May 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418032359/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-03-29/features/9001260411_1_nintendo-spokeswoman-mushroom-kingdom-game-boy|archive-date=April 18, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> It remained the top-selling game in the United States through April<ref>{{cite magazine|date=11 May 1990|title=U.S.A. TOP 10|magazine=[[Famicom Tsūshin]]|volume=1990|issue=10/11|lang=ja}}</ref> and June<ref>{{cite magazine |title=U.S.A. TOP 10: 6月22日 |trans-title=U.S.A. Top 10: June 22 |magazine=[[Famicom Tsūshin]] |date=6 July 1990 |volume=1990 |issue=14 |page=10 |url=https://archive.org/details/weekly-famitsu-no.-14-july-6th-1990-600dpi/Weekly%20Famitsu%20-%20No.%2014%20July%206th%201990%20%28Searchable%29/page/10 |lang=ja}}</ref> to September 1990.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=U.S.A. TOP 15: 9月28日 |trans-title=U.S.A. Top 15: September 28 |magazine=[[Famicom Tsūshin]] |date=26 October 1990 |volume=1990 |issue=22 |page=10 |url=https://archive.org/details/famitsu-issue-112-oct-1990/page/10 |lang=ja}}</ref> In 1990, the game sold more than {{nowrap|8 million}} units.<ref name="Lancaster">{{cite news |last1=Ehrlich |first1=Willie |title=Beeping Invasion |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39434069/lancaster-eagle-gazette/ |access-date=6 January 2021 |work=[[Lancaster Eagle-Gazette]] |date=6 January 1991 |page=13 |quote=Super Mario Bros. 3 sold more than eight million units after its introduction last March. |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107160127/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39434069/lancaster-eagle-gazette/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Good">{{cite magazine |title=Good Housekeeping |magazine=[[Good Housekeeping]] |date=1991 |volume=212 |page=152 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KgIyAQAAIAAJ |publisher=[[Hearst Corporation]] |quote=8 million Super Mario Bros. 3 games were sold in 1990 |access-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-date=October 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221010212606/https://books.google.com/books?id=KgIyAQAAIAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> By 1993, author [[David Sheff]] said the game had sold 11&nbsp;million unbundled units in Japan and the United States, commenting that, in [[music industry]] terms, the game [[Music recording sales certification|went platinum]] 11 times.<ref name="Sheff3">{{cite book| title = [[Game Over (Sheff book)|Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children]]| first = David| last = Sheff| author-link = David Sheff| chapter = A New Leader of the Club| pages = [https://archive.org/details/gameoverhowninte00shef/page/3 3–5]| publisher = [[Random House]]| isbn = 0-679-40469-4| edition = 1st| year = 1993}}</ref> In the United States alone, the game had generated {{US$|595,000,000|long=no|1990|round=-7}} in revenue for Nintendo by early 1992,<ref name="Leisure">{{cite magazine |title=Unlikely Hero Creates Games and Profits |magazine=Leisure Line |date=June 1992 |pages=25–6 |publisher=Leisure & Allied Industries |location=Australia |url=https://archive.org/details/Leisure_Line_1992-06_Leisure_Allied_Industries_AU/page/n24}}</ref> exceeding the gross revenue of the films ''[[E.T.]]'' (1982), ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'' (1989) and ''[[Jurassic Park (film)|Jurassic Park]]'' (1993).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Real |first1=Michael R. |last2=Real |first2=Michael |title=Exploring Media Culture: A Guide |date=26 September 1996 |publisher=[[SAGE Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-8039-5877-7 |page=81 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o-CM8WNIMBIC&pg=PA81 |access-date=October 9, 2021 |archive-date=October 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221010212606/https://books.google.com/books?id=o-CM8WNIMBIC&pg=PA81 |url-status=live }}</ref> The game was also a hit in other regions such as [[Europe]] and [[Singapore]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Nintendo: Super Mario Bros 3 |magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]] |date=15 March 1994 |issue=125 (April 1994) |page=57 |url=https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-125/page/n56}}</ref>

The game had sold {{nowrap|14 million}} copies by 1995,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Symposium |first1=University of Manchester Broadcasting |title=The Post-broadcasting Age: New Technologies, New Communities : Papers from the 25th and 26th University of Manchester Broadcasting Symposia |date=1995 |publisher=[[University of Luton Press]] |isbn=978-1-86020-502-6 |page=27 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yzrvAAAAMAAJ |quote=One game, ''Super Mario Brothers 3'', has sold 14 million copies and has generated more money than the movie ''ET''. Nintendo now makes greater profits than all of the American movie studios combined. |access-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-date=October 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221010212627/https://books.google.com/books?id=yzrvAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> and {{nowrap|15 million}} copies by 1998.<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Best-Selling Video Game |title=[[Guinness World Records|The Guinness Book of Records 1999]] |date=September 10, 1998 |publisher=[[Guinness World Records Limited]] |isbn=978-0-9652383-9-7 |page=171 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/guinness1999book00slgu/page/170/mode/2up}}</ref> By 2000, the game had sold more than 17&nbsp;million copies worldwide, and held the record for the best-selling non-bundled video game for a long time.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kent |first1=Steven L. |author1-link=Steven L. Kent |chapter=Chapter 23: Run for the Money |title=The First Quarter: A 25-year History of Video Games |date=2000 |publisher=BWD Press |isbn=978-0-9704755-0-3 |page=334 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ny-CAAAAMAAJ |quote=Nintendo sold more than 17 million copies of Super Mario Bros. 3 worldwide, setting a lasting sales record for a game cartridge that was not packed in with console hardware. |access-date=October 22, 2021 |archive-date=October 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221010212627/https://books.google.com/books?id=ny-CAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Boutros|first=Daniel|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/a-detailed-cross-examination-of-yesterday-and-today-s-best-selling-platform-games|title=A Detailed Cross-Examination of Yesterday and Today's Best-Selling Platform Games|work=Game Developer|date=August 4, 2006|access-date=May 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120113519/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1851/a_detailed_crossexamination_of_.php?page=2|archive-date=November 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2011, ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' was the highest-grossing non-bundled home video game up until then, with a 2011 inflation-adjusted revenue of {{US$|1,700,000,000|long=no|2011|round=-8}}.<ref name="cnbc_gross">{{cite news|last=Morris|first=Chris|title=Call of Duty, Guitar Hero Top All-Time Best Selling List|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2011/03/24/call-of-duty-guitar-hero-top-alltime-best-selling-list.html|access-date=May 3, 2022|date=March 24, 2011|agency=[[CNBC]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015054856/http://www.cnbc.com/id/42253109/Call_of_Duty_Guitar_Hero_Top_All_Time_Best_Selling_List|archive-date=October 15, 2012}}</ref> In 2013, ''[[GamesRadar]]'' reported that the game had sold more than {{nowrap|18 million}} copies for the NES.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gilbert |first1=Henry |title=25 things we still love about Super Mario Bros. 3 25 years later |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/25-things-we-still-love-about-super-mario-bros-3-25-years-later/|website=[[GamesRadar]] |date=October 23, 2013 |access-date=May 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128135934/https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/25-things-we-still-love-about-super-mario-bros-3-25-years-later/ |archive-date=January 28, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Game Informer]]'' also reported in their October 2009 issue that the [[Virtual Console]] version had sold one million copies.<ref name="gi_best" />

=== Awards ===
In ''[[Famicom Tsūshin]]'' (''Famitsu'') magazine's 1988 [[Famitsu Awards|Best Hit Game Awards]], ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' won the Best Action Game award.<ref>{{cite magazine |title='88 ベストヒットゲーム大賞 |trans-title='88 Best Hit Game Awards |magazine=[[Famicom Tsūshin]] |date=3 February 1989 |volume=1989 |issue=3 |pages=6–9 |url=https://www.retromags.com/files/file/4567-famitsu-issue-0067-february-3-1989/ |lang=ja |access-date=March 14, 2021 |archive-date=April 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424094248/https://www.retromags.com/files/file/4567-famitsu-issue-0067-february-3-1989/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1989, ''Famitsu'' gave it the award for best [[action game]] released since 1983.<ref>{{cite book |chapter='83〜'89 ベストヒットゲーム大賞 |trans-chapter='83〜'89 Best Hit Game Awards |title=ファミコン通信 〜 '89全ソフトカタログ |trans-title=Famicom Tsūshin: '89 All Software Catalog |series=[[Famicom Tsūshin]] |date=15 September 1989 |page=138 |chapter-url=https://cdn-ak.f.st-hatena.com/images/fotolife/M/MULTi88/20200420/20200420025318.jpg |access-date=March 14, 2021 |archive-date=November 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211116124651/https://cdn-ak.f.st-hatena.com/images/fotolife/M/MULTi88/20200420/20200420025318.jpg |url-status=live }}</ref>

''Super Mario Bros. 3'' has received universal acclaim from modern critics who consider it one of the best games of all time, and has appeared on many top games lists. The game debuted on ''Nintendo Power''{{'}}s Top 30 best games ever list at number 20 in September 1989.<ref name="NP-8">{{Cite magazine|author=Nintendo Power Staff|date=September–October 1989|title=Nintendo Power Top 30|magazine=[[Nintendo Power]]|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|issue=8|page=82}}</ref> It entered the list's top 10 a few months later and reached number one in May 1990.<ref name="NP-11-Top">{{Cite magazine|author=Nintendo Power Staff|date=March–April 1990|title=Nintendo Power Top 30|magazine=[[Nintendo Power]]|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|issue=11|pages=40–41}}</ref><ref name="NP-12-Top">{{Cite magazine|author=Nintendo Power Staff|date=May–June 1990|title=Nintendo Power Top 30|magazine=[[Nintendo Power]]|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|issue=12|pages=42–43}}</ref> ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' remained within the top 20 for more than five years.<ref name="NP-101">{{Cite magazine|author=Nintendo Power Staff|date=January 1995|title=Power Charts|magazine=[[Nintendo Power]]|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|issue=68|page=101}}</ref> More than a decade later, the magazine ranked the game number six on their list of 200 Greatest Nintendo Games.<ref name="autogenerated58">{{Cite magazine|date=February 2006|title=NP Top 200|magazine=[[Nintendo Power]]|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|issue=200|pages=58–66}}</ref> In August 2008, ''Nintendo Power'' listed ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' as the second best NES video game, praising it for making the series more complex and introducing new abilities that have since become signature abilities in the series.<ref name="autogenerated71">{{cite magazine|date=August 2008|title=Nintendo Power: The 20th Anniversary Issue!|magazine=[[Nintendo Power]]|location=[[San Francisco]], California|publisher=[[Future US]]|volume=231|issue=231|page=71}}</ref> The game placed 11th, behind ''Super Mario Bros.'', in ''[[Official Nintendo Magazine]]''{{'}}s "100 greatest Nintendo games of all time".<ref name="100-ONM">{{cite web|url=http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/7297/features100-best-nintendo-games-part-five/|title=100 Best Nintendo Games – Part Five|last=East|first=Tom|work=[[Official Nintendo Magazine]]|publisher=[[Future plc]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307225115/http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/7297/features100-best-nintendo-games-part-five/|archive-date=March 7, 2012|access-date=February 25, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref> ''[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]'' considered ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' Nintendo's standout game of 1989, and commented that its success outshone the first ''Super Mario Bros.''{{'}}s sales milestone; the first game sold 40&nbsp;million copies, but was [[Pack-in game|bundled]] with the NES.<ref name="Edge177">{{Cite magazine|author=Edge Staff|date=July 2007|title=Who Dares Wins|magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]|publisher=[[Future plc|Future Publishing]]|issue=177|pages=63–65}}</ref> They lauded the overworld map as an elegant alternative to a menu to select levels.<ref name="Edge192">{{Cite magazine|author=Edge Staff|date=September 2008|title=Return to Main Menu|magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]|publisher=[[Future plc|Future Publishing]]|issue=192|pages=71–72}}</ref> In 2007, ''[[ScrewAttack]]'' called ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' the best ''Mario'' game in the series as well as the best game on the NES, citing the graphics, power-ups, secrets, and popularity, summing it up as "just incredible" and stating, "If you haven't experienced this greatness, we pity you".<ref name="SA-TopNES">{{cite web|date=October 16, 2007|title=Top Ten NES Games|url=http://www.gametrailers.com/video/top-ten-screwattack/26529|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520001836/http://www.gametrailers.com/video/top-ten-screwattack/26529|archive-date=May 20, 2009|access-date=February 6, 2009|work=[[ScrewAttack]]|series=''[[ScrewAttack's Top 10]]''|publisher=[[GameTrailers]]|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="SA-TopMario">{{cite web|url=http://www.gametrailers.com/video/top-ten-screwattack/22754|title=Top Ten Mario Games|date=July 24, 2007|work=[[ScrewAttack]]|series=''[[ScrewAttack's Top 10]]''|publisher=[[GameTrailers]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090527164230/http://www.gametrailers.com/video/top-ten-screwattack/22754|archive-date=May 27, 2009|access-date=January 24, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In a poll conducted by ''[[Dengeki]]'', the game tied with ''[[Super Mario World]]'' as the number three video game their readers first played.<ref name="dengeki1">{{cite web|url=http://news.dengeki.com/elem/000/000/091/91701/|date=July 9, 2008|publisher=[[ASCII Media Works|Dengeki]]|language=ja|script-title=ja:【アンケート結果発表】初めてプレイしたゲームソフトはなんですか？|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206024859/http://news.dengeki.com/elem/000/000/091/91701/|archive-date=February 6, 2009|access-date=February 5, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref> GamesRadar also called it the best NES game, saying that while ''Super Mario Bros.'' defined its genre, ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' perfected it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/best-nes-games-all-time/|title=Best NES Games of all time|date=April 16, 2012|work=[[GamesRadar]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630014007/http://www.gamesradar.com/best-nes-games-all-time/|archive-date=June 30, 2015|access-date=December 5, 2013}}</ref> In 1996, ''[[GamesMaster (magazine)|GamesMaster]]'' rated the NES version 99th on their "Top 100 Games of All Time."<ref>{{Cite journal |date=July 1996 |title=Top 100 Games of All Time |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/c/cf/GamesMaster_UK_044.pdf |journal=GamesMaster |issue=44 |pages=74 |access-date=July 3, 2022 |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705151248/https://retrocdn.net/images/c/cf/GamesMaster_UK_044.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1997, ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' ranked the All-Stars edition the 2nd best console game of all time (behind only ''[[List of Tetris variants|Tetris]]''), saying it "took the series back to its roots, but expanded upon the original game in every way imaginable. No other game since has been able to recapture the spirit of adventure and enchantment found in Mario 3."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=100 Best Games of All Time |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=100 |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |date=November 1997|page=156}} Note: Contrary to the title, the intro to the article (on page 100) explicitly states that the list covers console video games only, meaning PC games and arcade games were not eligible.</ref> The game has been ranked on several of ''IGN'''s lists of "top games". In 2005, they rated it 23rd among their Top 100 Games, and praised the precise and intuitive controls.<ref name="autogenerated2005">{{cite web|url=http://top100.ign.com/2005/021-030.html|title=IGN's Top 100 Games: 21–30|year=2005|website=IGN|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718213237/http://top100.ign.com/2005/021-030.html|archive-date=July 18, 2011|access-date=January 25, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref> ''IGN'' editors from the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia ranked ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' number 39 in their 2007 Top 100 Games, citing Miyamoto's "ingenious" designs. They further commented that the game improved on the "already-brilliant concepts" of the previous games with new power-ups and enemies.<ref name="IGN-100" /> Users and readers of the website placed the game high on similar lists: 32nd in 2005 and 21st in 2006.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://microsites.ign.com/kfc/top99games/7.html|title=Top 99 Games of All Time: Reader's Pick|year=2005|website=IGN|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207033415/http://microsites.ign.com/kfc/top99games/7.html|archive-date=February 7, 2009|access-date=January 25, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated2006">{{cite web|url=http://top100.ign.com/2006/021-030.html|title=Readers' Picks Top 100 Games: 21–30|year=2006|website=IGN|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229102535/http://top100.ign.com/2006/021-030.html|archive-date=February 29, 2012|access-date=January 25, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In 2009, ''Game Informer'' put ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' 9th on their list of "The Top 200 Games of All Time", saying that it is "a game with incredible lasting power that we won't soon forget".<ref name="gi_best">{{cite magazine|author=The ''Game Informer'' staff|date=December 2009|title=The Top 200 Games of All Time|magazine=[[Game Informer]]|issue=200|pages=44–79|issn=1067-6392|oclc=27315596}}</ref> This is down one place from ''Game Informer''{{'}}s previous ranking in 2001.<ref name="gameinformer1">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/11/16/game-informer-s-top-100-games-of-all-time-circa-issue-100.aspx|title=Game Informer's Top 100 Games of All Time (Circa Issue 100)|last=Cork|first=Jeff|date=November 16, 2009|magazine=[[Game Informer]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160119181519/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/11/16/game-informer-s-top-100-games-of-all-time-circa-issue-100.aspx|archive-date=January 19, 2016|access-date=December 10, 2013}}</ref> ''[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]'' ranked the game #20 on its list of "The 100 Best Games To Play Today", calling it "the one 8-bit game that still shines today, no caveats required."<ref name="edge-online1">{{cite web|url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/100-best-games-play-today/9/|title=The 100 Best Games To Play Today|author=Edge Staff|date=March 9, 2009|publisher=Edge Online|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029131125/http://www.edge-online.com/features/100-best-games-play-today/9/|archive-date=October 29, 2014|access-date=January 21, 2014}}</ref> ''[[UGO Networks|UGO]]'' listed ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' on their list of the "Top 50 Games That Belong On the 3DS", calling it "Arguably the greatest Mario game ever made."<ref name="autogenerated3">{{cite web|url=http://www.ugo.com/games/the-top-50-games-that-belong-on-the-3ds?page=5|title=The Top 50 Games That Belong On the 3DS|author=Sal Basile|date=July 6, 2010|publisher=UGO|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110315180826/http://www.ugo.com/games/the-top-50-games-that-belong-on-the-3ds?page=5|archive-date=March 15, 2011|access-date=April 25, 2011}}</ref> ''[[GameSpot]]'' placed the game on their list of the greatest games of all time.<ref name="gamespot1">{{cite web|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-53.html|title=The Greatest Games of All Time|author=Davis, Ryan|work=[[GameSpot]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322123010/http://uk.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-53.html|archive-date=March 22, 2012|access-date=April 25, 2012}}</ref> ''USgamer'' ranked the game as the third best ''Mario'' platformer ever.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-definitive-super-mario-rankings-30-years-35-games/page-3|title=Page 3: What's the Greatest Mario Game Ever? We Ranked Them All, and You Can Too!|last1=Parish|first1=Jeremy|date=September 9, 2015|website=USgamer|publisher=Gamer Network|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910222034/http://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-definitive-super-mario-rankings-30-years-35-games/page-3|archive-date=September 10, 2015|access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref> ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' ranked 34th on Warp Zoned's "Scientifically Proven Best Video Games of All Time" list, a statistical meta-analysis of 44 "top games" lists published between 1995 and 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.warpzoned.com/2017/01/the-scientifically-proven-best-video-games-of-all-time-34-super-mario-bros-3/|title=The Scientifically Proven Best Video Games of All Time #34: Super Mario Bros. 3|last1=Scalzo|first1=John|date=January 20, 2017|website=Warp Zoned|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312194806/http://www.warpzoned.com/2017/01/the-scientifically-proven-best-video-games-of-all-time-34-super-mario-bros-3/|archive-date=March 12, 2017|access-date=March 12, 2017}}</ref>

== Rereleases and remakes ==
{{Further|Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3|l1=''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3''}}
The NES version of the game has been [[Porting|ported]] to several other Nintendo consoles. It was rereleased via [[video game console emulator|emulation]] as a [[Digital distribution|downloadable]] [[Virtual Console]] game in 2007 for the Wii and in 2014 for the [[Nintendo 3DS]] and [[Wii U]] consoles.<ref name="GS-Wii">{{cite web| url = https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/super-mario-bros-3-review/1900-6184143/| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090208232255/http://www.gamespot.com/wii/action/supermariobros3/review.html| archive-date = February 8, 2009| title = ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' Review| first = Frank| last = Provo| website = [[GameSpot]]| date = December 19, 2007| access-date = May 3, 2022| url-status = dead| df = mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=wiiu3ds>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/super-mario-bros-3-finally-comes-to-wii-u-and-3ds-toda-1564320461|title=Super Mario Bros. 3 Finally Comes To Wii U And 3DS Today|last=Schreier|first=Jason|date=April 17, 2014|access-date=June 28, 2014|website=Kotaku|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140619203602/http://kotaku.com/super-mario-bros-3-finally-comes-to-wii-u-and-3ds-toda-1564320461|archive-date=June 19, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> It is one of thirty pre-installed games in the [[NES Classic Edition]] console,<ref name="NES Classic" /> and is on the Nintendo Classics service.<ref name=SwitchOnline>{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.com/switch/online-service/nes/|access-date=September 9, 2019|publisher=Nintendo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190909211539/https://www.nintendo.com/switch/online-service/nes/|archive-date=September 9, 2019|url-status=live|title=''NES and Super NES – Nintendo Switch Online''}}</ref>{{Clear}}

''Super Mario Bros. 3'' was included in the 1993 SNES game ''[[Super Mario All-Stars]]'', a compilation of remakes of NES ''Super Mario'' games featuring updated graphics and sound,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/games/super-mario-all-stars/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090514164751/http://www.gamespot.com/snes/action/supermariocollection/similar.html?mode=versions|archive-date=May 14, 2009|title=Super Mario All-Stars for SNES: Release Summary|website=[[GameSpot]]|access-date=May 3, 2022}}</ref> which was also later released on the [[Wii]] in 2010<ref name="allstars wii details">{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/24363 |title=Super Mario All-Stars Wii Coming to North America |date=October 28, 2010 |author=Yeung, Karlie |publisher=Nintendo World Report |access-date=May 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213003201/http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/24363 |archive-date=December 13, 2013 |url-status=live  }}</ref> and the [[Nintendo Classics]] service in 2020.

{{anchor|Super Mario 3 Special}}
''Super Mario 3 Special'', an unofficial [[Bootleg recording|bootleg]] port for the [[Game Boy Color]], was released in 2000. This version was developed in [[Hong Kong]] and is truncated to only five levels. Former ''[[1Up.com]]'' journalist Ray Barnholt panned ''Super Mario 3 Special'' as a "horrible, awful, rank piece of software." Barnholt criticized its extremely short length, "atrocious" controls leading him to liken Mario's movement to "a [[drunken]] [[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic]]," poor level design, coloring, and music, and lack of a proper ending.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.crunkgames.com/?p=29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221026024209/https://www.crunkgames.com/?p=29 |title=Super Mario 3 Special |last=Barnholt |first=Ray |date=October 29, 2003 |archive-date=October 26, 2022 |website=Crunk Games |access-date=December 17, 2022}}</ref>

A [[Game Boy Advance]] version, ''[[Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', was released in 2003. In addition to the visual and sound changes from ''Super Mario All-Stars'', this version also includes support for the [[Nintendo e-Reader]] peripheral, which allows the player to access new levels and power-ups stored on [[Nintendo e-Reader#e-Reader cards|e-Reader cards]].<ref name="GS-GBA">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/super-mario-advance-4-super-mario-bros-3/reviews/6077002/super-mario-advance-4-super-mario-bros-3|title=''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3'' Review|first=Ryan|last=Davis|website=[[GameSpot]]|date=October 17, 2003|access-date=January 27, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130623013531/http://www.gamespot.com/super-mario-advance-4-super-mario-bros-3/reviews/6077002/super-mario-advance-4-super-mario-bros-3/|archive-date=June 23, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
[[File:Super Mario Bros. 3 overworld map.png|thumb|256px|right|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' is credited for introducing the use of [[overworld]] maps in the ''Mario'' series.]]
''Super Mario Bros. 3'' introduced several elements carried over to subsequent ''Mario'' games.<ref name="100-ONM" /> A similar overworld map is used in ''Super Mario World'', ''[[Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]]''  and ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'', and Mario's ability to fly has been a feature in games such as ''[[Super Mario World]]'', ''[[Super Mario 64]]'' and ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]''.<ref name="IGN-100" /><ref name="playersguide">{{cite book|year=1996|title=Official Super Mario 64 Player's Guide|publisher=Nintendo}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url =https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/05/06/new-super-mario-bros| title = New Super Mario Bros.| first = Craig| last = Harris| date = May 6, 2006| website = IGN| access-date = May 3, 2022| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090202194503/http://ds.ign.com/articles/705/705537p2.html| archive-date = February 2, 2009| url-status = live| df = mdy-all}}</ref> The game's "Super Leaf" item has returned in more recent ''Mario'' games for the [[Nintendo 3DS]], like ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]'', ''[[Mario Kart 7]]'' and  ''[[New Super Mario Bros. 2]]''. Bowser's red hair was introduced in ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' and has since become a part of his standard appearance.<ref name="IGN-100" />

Through a collaboration between [[NBC]] and Nintendo of America, an animated television series, ''[[The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3]],'' was created from September to December 1990 by [[DIC Entertainment]]. The show aired weekly on Saturday mornings on NBC alongside the second season of ''[[Captain N: The Game Master]]'' as part of the hour-long ''Captain N & The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'' programming block with 26 episodes and featured numerous characters, enemies, and settings from the video game; the original seven Koopalings are given different names based on their given personalities and are also given a new age order.<ref name="NP-16-TV">{{Cite magazine| magazine = [[Nintendo Power]]| title = On the Air: SMB3| author= Nintendo Power Staff| issue = 16|date=September–October 1990| page = 89| publisher = [[Nintendo]]}}</ref> Other Nintendo products have included various elements of the game as well. Music from ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' appears as a track on ''Nintendo Sound Selection Koopa'', a collection of songs from Nintendo games.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://dol.dengeki.com/data/news/2004/12/16/696eec8e065cb4f0abd9d5766171561b.html| title = 「クラブニンテンドー」の交換アイテムに"元気が出る"音楽CD「クッパ」が登場！| publisher = [[ASCII Media Works|Dengeki]]| date = December 16, 2004| access-date = February 5, 2009| language = ja| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090822231844/http://dol.dengeki.com/data/news/2004/12/16/696eec8e065cb4f0abd9d5766171561b.html| archive-date = August 22, 2009| url-status = live| df = mdy-all}}</ref> The game's stages and graphics comprise a background theme in the 2006 [[Nintendo DS]] game ''[[Tetris DS]]''.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20060308/tetris.htm| title = 任天堂、マリオなどが登場する定番パズルゲームDS「テトリスDS」| last = 石田| first = 賀津男| date = August 6, 2008| publisher = Impress Watch| access-date = February 5, 2009| language = ja| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090212234216/http://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20060308/tetris.htm| archive-date = February 12, 2009| url-status = live| df = mdy-all}}</ref> The Koopalings are also world bosses in ''Super Mario World'', ''[[Mario Is Missing!]]'', ''[[Yoshi's Safari]]'', ''[[Hotel Mario]]'' and all ''New Super Mario Bros.'' games except ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]''<ref>{{cite web |last=Thomas |first=Lucas M. |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/06/03/e3-2009-return-of-the-koopalings|title= E3 2009: Return of the Koopalings? |website=IGN |date=June 3, 2009 |access-date=May 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090612002414/http://wii.ign.com/articles/990/990242p1.html |archive-date=June 12, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/new-super-mario-bros-wii/videos/new-super-mario-bros-wii-stage-demo-6211673|title=New Super Mario Bros. Wii Stage Demo|date=June 4, 2009|format=Flash|website=[[GameSpot]]|access-date=December 12, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120612003625/http://www.gamespot.com/new-super-mario-bros-wii/videos/new-super-mario-bros-wii-stage-demo-6211673/|archive-date=June 12, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Boom Boom, another boss from this game, additionally reappears in ''Super Mario 3D Land'' and ''[[Super Mario 3D World]]'', alongside a boomerang-wielding female counterpart named Pom Pom.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/wikis/super-mario-3d-land/Boom_Boom_&_Pom_Pom|title=Boom Boom & Pom Pom|access-date=June 8, 2014|website=IGN|date=November 23, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140614041134/http://www.ign.com/wikis/super-mario-3d-land/Boom_Boom_%26_Pom_Pom|archive-date=June 14, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' is one of the games represented as themes in both ''[[Super Mario Maker]]'' and ''[[Super Mario Maker 2]]''.<ref>{{Citation|title=Super Mario Maker Review|date=September 2, 2015|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/09/02/super-mario-maker-review|work=IGN|access-date=2019-11-21|archive-date=November 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105194752/https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/09/02/super-mario-maker-review|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/super-mario-maker-2-the-kotaku-review-1835857984|title=Super Mario Maker 2: The Kotaku Review|website=Kotaku|date=June 28, 2019 |access-date=2019-11-21}}</ref>

In the early 1990s, the American game developers [[John Carmack]] and [[Tom Hall]] developed an [[IBM PC]] clone of ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' based on their innovative [[adaptive tile refresh]] software, which performed smooth side-scrolling graphics on [[Enhanced Graphics Adapter|EGA]] cards. They demonstrated it to Nintendo leaders, who were impressed but rejected cloning in favor of exclusivity.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2015/12/14/10123754/john-romero-super-mario-bros-3-pc-demo | title = Doom dev shares rare Super Mario Bros. 3 PC demo | first = Allegra | last = Frank | date = December 14, 2015 | access-date = July 13, 2021 | work = [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] | archive-date = July 13, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210713212017/https://www.polygon.com/2015/12/14/10123754/john-romero-super-mario-bros-3-pc-demo | url-status = live }}</ref> Carmack and Hall went on to found [[id Software]] and develop ''[[Commander Keen]]'', a series of platform games inspired by ''Super Mario Bros. 3.''<ref name="Masters of Doom">{{Cite book|title=Masters of Doom: how two guys created an empire and transformed pop culture|url=https://archive.org/details/mastersofdoom00kush|url-access=limited|last=Kushner|first=David|publisher=Random House, Inc|year=2004|isbn=978-0-375-50524-9|location=New York, NY|page=[https://archive.org/details/mastersofdoom00kush/page/n49 50], 57|oclc=50129329|orig-year=2003}}</ref><ref name="SMB3 demo at Ars">{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/12/heres-what-id-softwares-pc-port-of-mario-3-could-have-looked-like/|title=Here's what id Software's PC port of Mario 3 could have looked like|last=Orland|first=Kyle|date=December 14, 2015|website=Ars Technica|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310162034/http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/12/heres-what-id-softwares-pc-port-of-mario-3-could-have-looked-like/|archive-date=March 10, 2016|access-date=December 15, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://planetromero.com/games/dangerous-dave-in-copyright-infringement/|title=''Dangerous Dave in Copyright Infringement'' on John Romero's Site|publisher=[[John Romero]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713175911/http://planetromero.com/games/dangerous-dave-in-copyright-infringement|archive-date=July 13, 2014|access-date=December 15, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Keen">{{cite news|url=http://legacy.3drealms.com/keenhistory/index.html|title=A Look Back at Commander Keen|date=October 18, 2014|access-date=October 18, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110132009/http://legacy.3drealms.com/keenhistory/index.html|archive-date=November 10, 2014}}</ref><ref name="SMB3 demo at IFD">{{cite AV media|title=Super Mario Bros. 3 Demo (1990)|date=1990|publisher=[[John Romero]]|url=https://vimeo.com/148909578|access-date=December 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151215031136/https://vimeo.com/148909578|archive-date=December 15, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' demo had not been readily shared, but a working copy was discovered and preserved in the [[Museum of Play]] in July 2021.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamespot.com/articles/id-softwares-super-mario-bros-3-pc-port-found-in-the-wild/1100-6493889/ | title = Id Software's Super Mario Bros. 3 PC Port Found In The Wild | first = Gabe | last = Gurwin | date = July 13, 2021 | access-date = July 13, 2021 | work = [[GameSpot]] | archive-date = July 13, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210713200251/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/id-softwares-super-mario-bros-3-pc-port-found-in-the-wild/1100-6493889/ | url-status = live }}</ref>

In April 1993, ''[[Famicom Tsūshin]]'' (''Famitsu'') awarded ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' a world record for having the most [[strategy guide]] books published, with 20 strategy books published for the game up until then.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Bravo World Record! |magazine=[[Famicom Tsūshin]] |date=16 April 1993 |issue=226 |page=81 |lang=ja |url=https://archive.org/details/famitsu-issue-226-apr-1993/page/81}}</ref> At the 2007 [[Game Developers Conference]], [[Stanford University]] curator Henry Lowood, along with game designers [[Warren Spector]] and [[Steve Meretzky]], academic researcher Matteo Bittanti and game journalist [[Christopher Grant (editor)|Christopher Grant]] named ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' one of the 10 most important video games of all time, being a member of a "[[game canon]]" whose inductees were submitted to the [[Library of Congress]] for having "cultural significance or a historical significance".<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/arts/design/12vide.html|title=Video Games – Report|last=Chaplin|first=Heather|date=2007-03-12|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-11-21|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=June 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619050204/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/arts/design/12vide.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/canon-2-0|title=Canon 2.0|website=Game Developer|date=November 12, 2010|access-date=May 3, 2022|archive-date=May 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220503220623/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/canon-2-0|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' reported Grant said its inclusion was due to the game's [[Nonlinear gameplay|nonlinear play]] being a "mainstay of contemporary games", and how it allows the player to move backward and forward in levels.<ref name=":1" /> On November 20, 2020, a sealed copy with rare alternate cover art featuring "Bros." on the left instead of the center was sold for $156,000, the most money ever paid for a video game at the time.<ref name="most expensive">{{cite news | title=A different Super Mario Bros. game now holds the title for most expensive ever sold | date=November 23, 2020 | first=Jon | last=Porter | work=[[The Verge]] | url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/23/21591120/super-mario-bros-3-record-breaking-auction-price-condition-sealed | access-date=November 23, 2020 | archive-date=January 12, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112230332/https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/23/21591120/super-mario-bros-3-record-breaking-auction-price-condition-sealed | url-status=live }}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Portal|Video games}}
{{Wikibooks|Super Mario Bros. 3}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080501175809/http://www.nintendo.com/wii/virtualconsole/games/detail/kJyITQolhiZ0m1WXkKlNJJ6ZlYqnyC8U ''Super Mario Bros. 3''] (Virtual Console version) at [[Nintendo]]'s website
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100626035218/http://www.nindb.net/game/super-mario-bros-3.html ''Super Mario Bros. 3''] at [http://www.nindb.net/ NinDB]
*{{mobygames|/super-mario-bros-3}}
* [https://www.nintendo.com/jp/famicom/software/smb3/index.html ''Super Mario Bros. 3''] on the [[Famicom]] 40th Anniversary page {{in lang|ja}}
{{Super Mario}}
{{Shigeru Miyamoto}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1988 video games]]
[[Category:Works about plays]]
[[Category:Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Entertainment System games]]
[[Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games]]
[[Category:Super Mario|Bros. 3]]
[[Category:Nintendo Classics games]]
[[Category:Pack-in video games]]
[[Category:PlayChoice-10 games]]
[[Category:Side-scrolling platformers]]
[[Category:Virtual Console games for Nintendo 3DS]]
[[Category:Virtual Console games for Wii]]
[[Category:Virtual Console games for Wii U]]
[[Category:Video games about raccoons]]
[[Category:Sequel video games]]
[[Category:Video games scored by Koji Kondo]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Japan]]
[[Category:Video games designed by Shigeru Miyamoto]]
[[Category:Video games directed by Shigeru Miyamoto]]
[[Category:Video games directed by Takashi Tezuka]]
[[Category:Video games produced by Shigeru Miyamoto]]