Greetings ladies and gentlemen to the finale of Mario Month. I know I said I would end with Super Mario World, but I figure I can just save that for later. I also want to give that game the focus I feel that it deserves and I don't feel like I can do that in the time I have left. So Super Mario World will be the start of Mario Month 2, which will probably be in a few months. Anyway, back on track. Super Mario Bros. 3 certainly had quite the build up. All the commercials, the infamous movie, The Wizard (which, by the way I've never seen, but from what I've heard I don't want to), and probably a heck of a lot more. This game certainly looked to be Mario's, and quite possibly Nintendo's, most ambitious game. We in America got the game in 1990, Japan got it 2 years earlier, and I am happy to say that it didn't disappoint. This game is often considered the greatest NES game of all time. Some even call it the best Mario game of all time. While I have to admit that I disagree with the latter, it is certainly the best NES game I've ever played. Why is this game so praised?  What do people find so awesome about this game? Let's dig a little deeper and find out.

Graphics
     This is probably the best-looking NES title ever. The graphics are simply amazing for the NES. The animations are far smoother than the other two games, and the sprites seem more detailed than ever. Everything is easier to see, especially given the fact that the HUD is actually on the bottom of the screen, giving more room for the actual level. The levels and backgrounds are all done very nicely. The game certainly gives off a theater type feel with its art design. Certain platforms are bolted in, some are hanging from a ceiling, and they even make shadows on the backdrop. This has lead many to believe that the entire game was built around it being a play, but that's another topic.

Sound
     Every track in the game is just epicness and this game certainly contains some of the best music on the NES. The over world themes, the level themes, and especially the airship theme. The airship theme has become probably one of the most recognized pieces of music in Mario history. It's had it fair share of reuses and remixes, each just as epic as the original. It's probably my favorite track in the game. The soundtrack is also far more varied than the original Super Mario Bros., containing far more tracks and variations. I can easily say that the Super Mario Bros. 3 soundtrack is the absolute best on the system.

Addictiveness
     With tons of levels and power ups, there's certainly a lot that's going to drive you to come back to this game. While I personally don't come back to it too often, it's not because the game sucks, it's just that I have other things to focus on. I don't have as much time to focus on this game as I would like. Either way, it's definitely a fun game that I'm sure Mario fans will be sure to come back to.

Story
     Ah, the good old plot line, here you are again. Oh how I missed the Bowser kidnaps Peach story...wait, that doesn't happen until later in the game? What is the world coming to? In all seriousness though, the story goes as such; An evil spell has been cast on the kings of various lands in the Mushroom Kingdom, or are they all separate kingdoms? I don't even know at this point. This spell has transformed these kings into various creatures. Mario needs to collect the magic scepters from each world in order to transform the kings back into their normal selves. The scepters are in the possession of Bowser's Koopalings, who you fight at the end of each world on their airship. A good enough plot and it's certainly a little better than Peach getting kidnapped right off the bat.

Depth
     There are 8 Worlds total, wit each containing a varied amount of levels. Each World is set in a different setting. You can travel through almost any environment. From Grassland to Desert, from the sky to a fiery pit, and so on. Each level usually has it's own little gimmick as well, making the gameplay very enjoyable. There is also a plethora of power-ups. In addition to the Mushroom and Fire Flower from previous games, you have the Frog Suit, which allows you to swim more easily, the super leaf, which gives Mario a raccoon tail, allowing him to fly, and even more. I think the main selling point for this game is the sheer amount of stuff it has for you to do. It's probably the NES game that has the most depth.

Gameplay/Controls
     I'm pretty sure you all know how to play a 2D Mario game at this point, so I'm just going to tell you about how Mario handles. For the most part, Mario handles quite nicely, although at times I feel its a little bit too slippery. Now, it's nowhere near as slippery as Luigi's Lost Levels controls, but it is a little bit difficult landing on smaller platforms at times. It's not a major issue, but I though it was at least worth mentioning. As a whole, the game does control quite nicely though, and I'm willing to look past that small nitpick to see the greatness this game truly is.

Overall, Super Mario Bros. 3 is the hands-down, absolute best NES game of all time. With the best soundtrack in the NES library and possibly the most power-ups in any Mario game ever developed, I give Super Mario Bros. 3 a 9 out of 10. Well, with Mario Month out of the way, I think it's time to celebrate the most recently announced Sonic game, Sonic Lost World, by doing Sonic Month 2! (Not to be confused with Sonic 2 Month, which is from here on known as simply Sonic Month) I'm skipping straight to the modern era, and it shall begin with my review of...Sonic...'06. Now, if you'll excuse me I'm going to prepare for mess of a game, but until then, PEACE OUT!

Very thorough and detailed. At least you backed up your reasons for the scores and statements. I do personally disagree with some things. I don't think the graphics were close to the best. it was still very 2 Dimensional. I think the first Battletoads for NES had far superior and more detailed graphics (and music). But to each his own. Great review.