The Story of Super Mario Bros. 3

A documentary about the creation of Super Mario Bros. 3, the unparalleled hype surrounding its release, and why it's considered one of the greatest games of all time.
CHAPTERS
00:00 - Intro
01:19 - Part 1: The Ultimate Mario
24:21 - Part 2: The Hype
38:13 - Part 3: The Greatest
45:59 - End Credits
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#SuperMarioBros3 #Nintendo #GamingHistorian

[@GamingHistorian]

Super Mario Bros. 3 is the game that made me fall in love with video games. It was only a matter of time before I talked about it. This video contains rare images, archival footage, and design documents! If you enjoyed it, please share. Happy Holidays!

[@NotDopple]

Sup dawg

[@jacklazzaro9820]

2:39-2:57 Where did you get this quote?

[@sspotter1978]

Super Mario 3 absolutely blew my mind as a 12 year old. The Wizard was probably the best demo ever for a game or product. Had me drooling for the release.

[@nativelatinosfooktrump5348]

Gaming Historian 🎮 I loved Super Mario Bros. 3📺

[@DaNoob1485]

Great work on this video!

[@anthonyiodice]

My mom thought it was a good idea to surprise me with this at 7am before school. I can confidently say that I remember none of that school day

[@JasonSmith-vj1de]

That must have been torture to have to wait was was probably close to nine hours.

[@rendyazha4315]

I wake up early to play this game

[@videoluvr4204]

my mom surpised me with it too i was about 7 years old

[@petermozuraitis5219]

Omg that’s like telling a teenager he’s getting laid after school

[@jrsek362]

I would wake up to squeaky buttons being pressed and teeth smacking,that was my mom playing this video game learned all tricks from her best times of my life

[@poweroffriendship2.0]

_"I think that inside every adult is the heart of the child. We just gradually convince ourselves that we have to act like an adult."_ *~ Shigeru Miyamoto*

[@googlecorn1410]

Omg i see you everywhere

[@eval_is_evil]

@@googlecorn1410 lol ikr ??

[@songoku9348]

Junior Orellana The new Justin Y

[@googlecorn1410]

@@songoku9348 LOL

[@HunterPBrown]

@@googlecorn1410 same here but he's a good dude.

[@goathousegaming2308]

I remember being on the waiting list to rent this game and asking my mother to call every hour to see if it came in yet. I was wanting to play it so bad. My father came home from the training exercises (military) and I told him that we were waiting for it but I didn’t think we were going to get it that day. He told me that it was unfortunate, but he got me something that he hoped would make me feel better. He opened his bag and gave me my own copy of SMB3. We played that game all day. That is one of my favorite memories as a kid.

[@billblaski9523]

Lol the good ol days, Super Mario 3 wad tight! Did you know the game was actually a stage play the while time.

[@guileniam]

How's your Dad now? I hope you're taking care of him coz that's a cool old man

[@PowuhToSeven]

That's an amazing memory of the times

[@ambrosiaplatypus]

Back in 2007 when the Wii first came out and was impossible to find, I came home from school, and my dad, who worked as a dairy delivery driver at the time, told me he brought home some ice cream from work. I looked in the freezer, and there was a Nintendo Wii in there.

[@micjamking]

Damn, I don’t know why but this choked me up 😅

[@RogueVideo]

Anyone else get warmly emotional seeing what all the Mario 3 team creators ended up doing later in life at the end?

[@spittingame4241]

Yes

[@ThaGreatWhite813]

I did, and then watched his video on the history of Tetris. One of the Russian guys migrated to the US and he ended up slaughtering his family and killed himself. It was strange getting emotional reading the first few people then his threw me off lmfao.

[@daleanmonster4218]

Yes I got tears

[@KahlessTheUnforgettable]

No.

[@tiktok-mc2nq]

​@@ThaGreatWhite813 I AM SORRY BUT WHAT 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

[@AleBanjo]

Miyamoto in 1987: “Yeah, we need the company to buy me an all expense paid trip to Disneyland! Foooor... research and development... yeah that’s it...”

[@Brydude87]

Sounded more like a vacation if you ask me. and edit DisneyLand to Disney world please and thank you. (If you edit it I'll edit my comment)

[@visualgagging]

Yes that is the joke

[@markwalter2900]

The proof is in the puddin

[@Chaos89P]

Who says you can't have fun at work, especially when the fun shows dividends?

[@itsasecrettoeverybody]

Well, a day of smb3 sells more than paid for his vacation.

[@gabrieltorres7596]

And 30+ years later, Mario 3 still holds up to this day.

[@Gameprojordan]

Out of the original trilogy it's the only one that holds up the best. SMB2 was a bit too withdrawn from the original concept, and SMB1 felt like a bare bones version of SMB3. The only one that competes with SMB3 in terms of "holding up through the years" is Mario world, Yoshis island aswell though that's more of a yoshi game than a mario game

[@gabrieltorres7596]

@@Gameprojordan I can agree with that in certain ways even though technically Super Mario World and Yoshi's Island are like next level but I can totally see what you mean 👌🏾

[@damin9913]

It's 2022 and NES Super Mario bros 3 still holds up

[@Aurora-qn2dx]

Agreed

[@fredtaylor9792]

You're not kidding. I've recently played through all three chronologically, taking my time to explore. Smb3 truly was a masterpiece and I enjoyed every minute of it.

[@canebro1]

"A game that lived up to its unparalleled hype". That is high praise, and completely true.

[@CorollaLvr2000]

I come back and watch this from time to time because not only is it incredibly well done and informative, but it somehow completely captures the spirit of being an excited child in the very late 80s/early 90s (which I also was). I can't thank you enough enough for the incredible content, Norman.

[@sn1000k]

​@@JH-rt2coget bent

[@JH-rt2co]

@@sn1000k Are you denying that there are 14+ genders?

[@misterlexx2721]

I am 43. I co sign.

[@thevinyltruffle]

I got home from school one day in the 2nd grade and my dad said “Clean your room.” And I, of course said “Why?” He replied “So we can play THIS!” As he brought SMB3 out from behind his back, I shit my pants or fainted. Possibly both. Best day ever.

[@MrDustpile]

I consider the Mario games and select others like Tetris on the Nintendo consoles as akin to Beatle albums, as they are timeless, addictive, especially these days attractive to young and old as well as being comfortable yet revolutionary and multi-layered.

[@jasondashney]

@@MrDustpile Bingo. I just finished SMB3 on an NES my brother in law had, and we played with my 7 yr old nephew and he liked it just the same as the modern games. They hit the sweet spot.

[@jovetj]

The game is timeless. That's how well done it was! It truly is a masterpiece.

[@edgarbaez516]

This comment made me laugh so hard. Thanks for sharing your story!

[@tydish]

I remember renting it from a local convenience store. Would get caught by my parents for talking in my sleep, saying jump jump. Renting that thing for a couple days I was literally glued to it playing. Because I was a kid I automatically caught on. But remember my mom could not catch on and she played it enough. She couldn't learn how to speed run. If you can't learn that the game was pretty much useless

[@penguinZ85]

My cousin and I spent hours playing this. One time,she wanted to play through the entire game without using the warp whistle and on the last level, I accidentally bumped the game system and it reset the entire game. She got so mad that she unplugged the controller and chased me through the house with the cord yelling that she was going to kill me. About 20 years later, we still laugh about it and she included that in her maid of honor speech at my wedding.

[@drivehardearnhard6574]

😂😂😂

[@Rikorage]

Memories

[@fredtaylor9792]

Lol awesome.

[@guanoApe]

It made criminals of all of us. I begged borrowed and stole to rent it so many times I could’ve bought it

[@fredtaylor9792]

@@guanoApe Not all of us. My dad bought mine with the money he made from arresting thieves. Lol

[@tayayaso]

I still vividly remember it was in fall SMB3 came out in Japan. quarter of my classmate got it and within a week some defeated Bowser including me. Because there are a bunch of stages to explore, we never got bored. one day one of my friends told me about his discovery related to white platform. It fascinated me so much because of the idea you can go to the background of the game just pushing down on a white platform. felt like a rabbit hole or something but sadly enough you are brought back to the foreground reality eventually. I thought it was a glitch and goofed around with it and somehow out of curiosity tried how far I could go staying in the background and boom! I found out the 2nd whistle.

[@kingdoge69]

Great memories my friend

[@typhoonth8689]

Guess it was historical, cause you defeated the King Koopa in Super Mario Bros 3 before the fall of Berlin Wall.

[@MapsAndCaps]

I always considered the first whistle to be the one from level 3. The 3nd from the small castle in world 1. Theres a third one i used to knownof but i dont recall where it is.

[@VaniRoyal]

There’s something so perfect about the North American cover art, it’s just pure confidence. The bright yellow background, the prominent title (with extra emphasis on the 3) and most importantly, that they not only use the original Japanese art, but they isolate it to just Mario himself. Everything about just screams “this is the one”

[@DaveFallows]

Whenever I think of the early nineties I think of that cover, as well as the T2 cinema poster.

[@cadowyn735]

@@DaveFallows Still remember being six years old with my dog at the local hotdog restaurant staring in awe at that poster. lol I was six. We went and saw it. Still remember tearing up when he got lowered down into the liquid metal!

[@NightmareSWGOH]

"A game that lived up to it's unparalleled hype." Very well said.

[@Daidan0]

and few games since have ever lived up to the hype the devs build up

[@lesternielaine18]

"With the updated hardware, Miyamoto was finally able to let his hero... ride a dinosaur." It was like a dream come true for Shigeru.

[@lawrenceledda6573]

I Cried in this part..

[@jeancarlosartist]

I bet he did like the nintendo 64 kid when that finally happened. YES! YES! YES! YES!

[@meatballmeatwad5730]

But a bunch of Chinese bootleggers made it possible in a super Mario world nes bootleg

[@willn8664]

I was wondering how it was a hardware issue because I remember the Adventure Island series having a character that rode different animals.

[@greenclydefrog]

@@willn8664 it’s probably due to the size of the game and how much the NES cartridge could hold.

[@chrisherself]

Some of my best childhood memories are going to visit my grandma and watching her absolutely kill at this game. She loved video games and had an NES, SNES, and Genesis. And she was GOOD! She'd always let me play if I wanted, but I just loved watching her go at it. She would talk out the strategies and secrets while she played and I ate it up. She was a living player's guide. This was in the early 90s and she was in her 70s! These consoles had such a universal appeal. The older I get the more the memories mean to me. Love you grandma, you were ahead of your time.

[@superpaul968]

I had the exact same experience with my aunt. There was one game that she could beat that I could never do. The Hunt for Red October for the Nintendo entertainment system. She died last year, so I’m thinking of picking up the game again and beating it my own for the first time.

[@yoshi50agent]

Wow gamer grandma

[@zatchg1212]

Super Mario 3 was my first video game love. I can remember we were at circuit city and I saw it locked inside the video game case, my mom said “maybe Santa will get it for you”. Right then and there my grandma said I’ll get it for him. This game is so special to me. It’s a masterpiece

[@olcloudy1618]

I remember getting this game for Christmas in 91. I woke up at 4am. Went to the tree to see my new game laid in all its glory. I played quietly untill my family woke up. What a magical time

[@hightolerance8728]

Bru you don’t freakin know how relatable and close to home that statement is. I was 4 years old doing the exact same thing in 1991. I just got chills thinking about that b.c I haven’t recalled that memory in so long. 😂 Meanwhile my older brother had just got this shiny new looking thing called a Sega Genesis(lol) and got Sonic The Hedgehog. 35 years latter still The best Christmas I ever had. Indeed a magical time.

[@RAZORRAZE2K]

@@hightolerance8728 that Xmas had to be pure epicness in ya 🏠 that day

[@hightolerance8728]

@@RAZORRAZE2K indeed it was indeed. Man

[@1stone379]

That was me for Mortal Kombat.. Then I'd wrap the gift up juuust the way I found it before everyone woke up 😂😂😂 Shhhhhh

[@isaactorres5908]

Nice!

[@frownieclownie]

I like how every Koopaling's name had some extensive history and then there was Larry who just looked like a Larry

[@chadwilson461]

King koopa

[@ZnakerFIN]

@@chadwilson461 King Koopa is not a Koopaling.

[@ToonCatTV]

Living like Larry

[@hungryowl1559]

LARRY!

[@frownieclownie]

@@hungryowl1559 LARRY PRICE CHECK!

[@anthonyterry8162]

This video made me so emotional, especially at the end. This was one of the peaks of my childhood and a reason I truly love video games. It was an amazing time to be alive. Thank you Norman for releasing masterpiece after masterpiece of videos

[@TheFawse]

Mario 3 is one of, if not my first memory of playing video games. Being 3 years old and playing it at my grandparents’ house with my brother and cousins, absolutely enraptured the entire time. What an amazing game

[@Realunmaker]

The nights spent playing this game while my mom listens to radio and walks around the house. It's such a mundane memory, yet one that I treasure so dearly.

[@bigbassjonz]

I too have this memory.

[@leohavoc2183]

I have a very similar memory. Playing this game while my dad listens to music. I can't help but to think about the band White Zombie every time I see this game.

[@gcnelite5983]

So your mum just walked randomly around the house listening to music?

[@Realunmaker]

GCNElite she used to turn on the radio and walk around tidying up the house, cleaning and stuff while I usually helped a bit and played a bit.

[@gcnelite5983]

Realunmaker oh alright

[@Master0fHyrule]

This video actually made me tear up for some reason... You did a good job with this, Norman.

[@knowbert]

same.. nostalgia is very powerful stuff.

[@tomatotomatoe7253]

Who is this Norman of which u speak

[@cinesmiths8977]

same. I miss being a kid so much.

[@marcelbey-el1947]

😊💚🎮👍

[@dallaselgin2636]

Lol gay

[@IamNotashamed88]

Super Mario Bros 3 was, is and always will be the greatest video game ever! At 48 yrs old I can look back with vivid memories of me and my younger sister sitting on the floor for hours playing this masterpiece. You would have to pause the game to go eat lunch, or even sleep and come back the next day. Kids today can't understand the concept of having to start the game from the beginning every single time. "What do you mean you couldn't save the game?!?" What a great time in history to be a kid! Thank you for a wonderful stroll down memory lane. You did a fantastic job on this documentary. It should be on TV! Also, loved your one on Super MarioKart. Great Job!

[@override7486]

To be honest, there's nothing memorable about not being able to save game or using non-volatile carts back then. More like just acceptance of the fact and that the games back then were much shorter to complete in the first place. It just wasn't "a thing" back then. I remember myself leaving console powered on, when had to stop for a moment or parents wanted to use TV themselves. But it was more like constant fear and annoyance than fun. And God forbid, someone knocking power cable and loosing game state because of that (which was far too common in my experience, with my NES knock-off).

[@javiermoreno9041]

That ending music from super mario 3 and the description of each game developer brought a tear to my eyes. These are the guys that are responsible for the happiest memories of my childhood. Such an incredible documentary.

[@HanSanwich]

“As for Larry Koopa... that name just seemed like a good fit.” That made me smile.

[@jeffrowisdabest]

I always thought it was because he looked so goofy, reminded me of the Three Stooges.

[@priceandpride]

That dude that made those names was a tard

[@raymondjack902]

Not really the names fitted in with life at that times

[@jeffrowisdabest]

@@priceandpride If he is a tard, then he's a tard who came up with names that have stuck throughout the series. So he must have done something right.

[@rush1er]

My inner teen immediately thought it was probably named after Penthouse Mag founder LARRY FLINT... then I laughed like Beavis & Butthead.

[@ahobimo732]

The fact that SMB3 was made for the original NES is kind of mind-blowing. They definitely pushed the limits of what that console was capable of.

[@captainscentsible1811]

That and zelda.i mean just having a system you could play in your house was insane. 1st time i saw atari.i was blown away

[@Shannonbarnesdr1]

it was and still is a masterpiece all of the mario games are , in terms of play-ability, function , movement responsiveness , just great design and programming all around

[@islandbee]

@@captainscentsible1811 - You've got to include Crystalis in the mix too.

[@cadman10000]

Especially comparing it to very early Famicom games.

[@johneygd]

Supermariobros 3 demonstrated for what the mmc3 chip in conjunction with the nes was capable off, including split screen and diagonal scrolling, animated tile updates, dpcm playback etc,,, But ,,, it become only just ,,, the beginning, because later nes games such as bucky o hare, metal storm ,sword master and battle toads showed off some incredible multiple background scrolling, while games such as seesam streets and carnaval 92 necca showed some heavy pcm playback etc,,, Some games such as kirby’s adventure are way more detailed & colorful the mario 3, and seeing mario 3 on the snes just blows my socks off about how much better it looks then the nes ,BUT,, If we would push the nes & the mmc3 chip over it’s limit with all these mentioned nes games in mind , we could even make mario 3 on nes more detailed & colorful along with multi scroling backgrounds ,(trough tile updates) And playing 8 channel adpcm trough a chip wich then could mix & stream it as 1 channel trough the nes pcm channel, this way mario 3 can look & sound more closer to it’s snes counterpart, It’s not wishful thinking and Am not trying to make it up but it’s just true!!!

[@erinmalone2669]

Super Mario brothers three was the absolute best. Just clean play. I still have a VHS of me finishing the game and this was over 20 years before streamers would broadcast their play. I really wanted to record what happens when you reach that final moment. that music was so awesome to my middle school self.

[@shadownet_nft]

In a century from now, video game historians will look back at these superb artists and engineers and wonder, how did they create such sublime art.

[@CazadoresRob]

A.I. will be doing most of the programing.

[@nicblueberry6360]

Whenever I get fed up with social media and youtube drama - I just remember that Gaming Historian exists - and suddenly I feel much better. You are a source of goodness in this world, and don't you forget it!

[@Bwianman85]

100% correct!

[@khristkannon1172]

Agreed. Always so much love, care and positivity put into each video. Love it!

[@friendlyjunco6836]

FOX News has a KZbin channel

[@fylosofyk5220]

So true. The Mr. Rogers of video games

[@WillowFaded]

Agreed

[@Akfamilyhome]

"Nintendo was ordered to send out rebates to customers." "The rebate took the form of a $5 coupon that could only be used to buy Nintendo games." gottem

[@teamspirits732]

That's a win/win on their part. You know they're not just going to simply give any money back.

[@kildaver]

"All according to keikaku*."

[@gregmelts]

They did the same thing with the 3ds after the price drop. People (like myself) got angry because they paid nearly double for it like a week before, so they gave a credit in the online game store 😑

[@Woodenspade]

@@gregmelts no? Lol. They gave you 10 NES games and 10 GBA games

[@pokeio2]

@@Woodenspade which were never released outside of that promotion

[@marcelpatel9017]

Growing up in the 80's was truly the best time to be a kid. I fondly remember when I got my NES in 1984. It was a game changer but Mario 3 was on another level. The amount of things you could do with only 2 buttons was unbelievable. Most of the Mario games today have taken elements of this game even now. I still play my original NES Super Mario 3 from time to time. Incredible even today.

[@David-md7nf]

I'm 40yrs old now and this was my childhood!!! I miss those great days, today I'm a father of 2 kids and still playing video games, wow how video games have evolved.

[@EmmanuelA1]

I thought I would watch a few minutes and then click off, but I was glued to this the whole time, you killed this documentary man, great job. Seeing what this group did and continue to do at at Nintendo was eye-opening and inspiring

[@thelastdragon5551]

Emmanuel A. Man I can watch Norm make a documentary about the history of folk music. I dig his style of story telling and editing. So this was a no brainer as SMB3 is my 3rd favorite Mario game of all time.

[@EmmanuelA1]

@@thelastdragon5551 I agree, he's great at what he does, I'll be checking out more vids now. I experienced this game playing Super Mario All-Stars and always loved it growing up, I had absolutely no idea it was original on the NES though. I thought it was cool to realize different generations love this game, speaking to how great it is.

[@soggybaguette8457]

Emmanuel A. Same, wonderful work. If I could buy this on DVD I totally would.

[@Dangic23]

I did the same.....let me watch a little while I eat. Finished eating and didn't get up until the video was done.

[@humb1s3rvant]

That is how GH do

[@NESendings]

You deserve to be on Netflix if they ever make a Games that made us series.

[@chillbane9074]

I hate how they do that documentary....they keep cutting and going all over the place from topics to person...there is no focus.

[@jeremy_cricket]

Games That Made Us should definitely be a thing. Video games, board games, card games, arcades, different generation consoles and PC. There’s an entire season right there.

[@dansmith1661]

They would show only gaymers and promote LGBTQP propaganda

[@8BitDarkNESsR3v14]

@@dansmith1661 wym

[@gcnelite5983]

I would definitely watch Games That Made Us if it was made a thing

[@shawty7055]

I’m 40, I just bought a Nintendo switch and here I am, playing again SM3!!! That is my favorite game of all times!

[@arsxxmoriendi]

Still one of the greatest games ever made and a joy to play every time.

[@kylemundy8871]

They did such a good job with this game, it STILL holds up. What an achievement!

[@deborahchesser7375]

The best in the series for sure

[@Mynostalgicvideos]

So many Nintendo brand games do, I can't believe the original Pokémon Snap graphics everytime I play it. That game looks like it was made this year.

[@mjkittredge]

@@deborahchesser7375 some would say Super Mario World is even better

[@chrisparnham]

Why did it take them 3 years to get to Europe? I get they need to translate to various languages but that didn't seem to hold up other video game companies. I think this might explain why Nintendo has been left behind the other 2 big video companies.

[@ultrairrelevantnobody1862]

@Chris Parnham Two reasons. Nintendo took their time optimising games for the PAL region. Mario 3 in particular was extremely well optimised. Nintendo wasn't nearly as influential in Europe; Sega reigned supreme in many markets like the UK and Spain, so naturally their mentality for releasing games over here was more apathetic than in North America and Japan.

[@LuisXGP]

My... the ending song... just made me cry. My father danced with us when we finished the game with that beautiful song.

[@livashlin]

Holding back the tears at 46:00 🥺 This music is so nostalgic. If ever anyone asks me what is happiness, I would direct them to this music ❤️🎶

[@bricemorrison8458]

This is probably the best video I have ever seen on KZbin. It's hard to express how much Super Mario 3 means to me, it's my favorite game of all time. This was an incredible documentary, I don't know where you got so much footage and images from the original development. Bravo and thank you for making this, it gave me shivers to think about the creation of something that has achieved such mythical status

[@rabensdo]

I'm still playing this game in 2019!! My all time favorite!

[@TapDat52K]

It was the first game I played on the NES growing up. I feel blessed to have that be my first game I ever played despite it being roughly 8 years old at the time.

[@dakotakoerner2284]

Heck yeah! My all time favorite game as well!

[@josephhuffman2757]

I love that giant world!

[@djk8541]

Me too. But I don't have an NES anymore so this was my main motivation for getting a Raspberry Pi for retro gaming.

[@pfeiffdog0811]

My all time favorite is super Mario world but this is close second

[@RussellB]

I remember getting SMB3, holding that yellow box behind my back and then revealing it to my friends. Check out what I GOT!! Then later on for my birthday we all gathered in my basement and held a huge SMB3 tournament with little prizes. It was so great. Then I moved away and never had as much fun again.

[@wids]

This is beautiful & sad lol

[@frozenfresh6406]

I had a similar experience to this, but with smash brothers for N64. It was a blast to play, and 4 people could play at once. My mom bought pokemon cards for me, and I'd give out packs to the winner.

[@fen4554]

Such is the wonder of childhood.

[@broomicute]

i feel u bro, played smb3 with my dad alot, loved it.. life was easier back then

[@amandapenisten2907]

Do you still have a nes

[@matda3779]

Honestly just one of the best videogames ever made. I pick it up every few years and best it all over again. It never ever ever gets boring.

[@prostreetcamaro]

Found my old nintendo and hooked it up the other day. Blew and blew and blew and finally games started to work. My 7 year old sat and played this game for quite a while. Was surprised as he plays a lot of fortnite, forza 5 etc etc.

[@MrCalverino]

The airship theme IS THE BEST 8BIT SONG EVER!!! It's so ominous like "We coming to take over!!!"

[@stevendudley5687]

You can hear it in New Super Mario Bros Wii, and yes, it sounds like a "we are marching off to war" song.

[@SumeaBizarro]

I was gonna comment and Steven put it nicely enough - very march like, very war like song, invoking something from a war or large scale fight scene in a movie.

[@MrCalverino]

@@SumeaBizarro the crescendo just gives me goosebumps

[@MrCalverino]

Yea that New Super Mario on the Wii has nice music, I love the castle themes on there

[@pinkywinky911]

I still play SMB3 on my 3ds from time to time and I still get chills everytime I hear the airship theme 😬

[@seanb.6793]

"A team of over 10 people" - funny to think that was a big team just a few years ago.

[@groom_of_the_stool]

@Lassi Kinnunen Umm, this is crap.

[@Brinta3]

Lassi Kinnunen What are you trying to say?? Modern games are so much more complicated than 8-bit games, so they have huge teams working on them, sometimes for years. That’s why they cost millions to make. One team can easily have a hundred people working on it.

[@tixontoxin6429]

Compare that to Mario Odyssey, which has hundreds of names listed in the credits. The industry certainly has grown a lot, and we have Shiggy and his portly little plumber dude to thank for it.

[@GankiaSFM]

@@Brinta3 "8 bit" game is very hard to make on NES because you need to code in 6502 Assembly.There's also the sounds and sprites are very long to make if you make everything from scratch

[@Valentine82]

A few years ago? Don’t you mean 30 years ago?!? 😂

[@jesseblair7317]

I appreciate being apart of this generation!! The old school generation, the new game system are great but back in the day this was all we had “simple gaming ! No online playing! Friends hanging out playing this was the way to go. Thanks for this!!

[@Gameprojordan]

I'm glad these old mario games made their way onto the GBC/GBA(also the DS systems that can play gameboy cartridges) They found a new niche in the modern day as perfect play-on-the-go games. They're straight forward and no nonsense fun. They sure as hell are better than 99% of mobile games even to this day

[@chadpatrick6795]

Tooooo many games now. A blurr if garbage

[@bt3743]

@@chadpatrick6795 ok boomer

[@molvuth]

I was 6 years old and I went to visit My grandfather to his workshop (was a Taylor) and I remember he was playing this amazing game on world 1 stage 2 ; the music, the colors and how you can control the character blew my mind. Since that day everything change and still remember that exact day

[@magilla2282]

I remember the desert sun scaring the crap out of me as a kid.

[@milesaway1980]

Me too!

[@DR.ELEKTRIK]

Lol

[@jagged6373]

I just found out you could defeat it. Or I had somehow forgotten. I just ran like hell

[@IsaiahAmos017]

I never scared me but I did give it a voice i’m going to get you I’m gonna get you I’m going to get you

[@stephanierando3477]

I live in Texas. Sometimes in the middle of summer it feels like you are in that sequence of SMB3

[@mandu9520]

"In the previous mario game, he added eyeballs to many objects. He did the same thing in super mario brothers 3. He wanted to add eyes to just about everything."

[@mwm48]

Mario 3 was such a big part of my childhood….I remember when I was around 9 y/o I finally beat the game and was so excited I woke my dad up from his nap to tell him. He wasn’t as thrilled.

[@KnivesMcBride]

It's rare to have such emotions caused by a documentary.

[@vnblack7460]

Same here. It's brilliant

[@magemega4262]

I mean.... Some of the most gut wrenching films ever made were documentaries... But the fact that it's a videogame documentary totally proves your point.

[@aztecwhistle9122]

There's nothing quite like SMB3, even after considering all of the other Mario games.

[@raymondharnack4160]

Those member berries be hittin just right.

[@KronosTheDeejay]

Same... I wondered why I got teary-eyed at the intro, and am glad I am not alone! 😂

[@nateh8syou]

“They even gave the Mario theme lyrics” DO THE MARIO! Swing your arms from side to side...

[@georgewilson7432]

Eat your teeth and the again...

[@MrRae7231]

I love that song 😂

[@Real_The_Goof]

Yup, we indeed had our own.

[@partack1]

german mario theme was better. "swing de arm, alpha now, Sex? oh yes! enter! super mario! i'm shit for, OH NO, GUY MAN THAT'S MARTIN MARIO MINE A FAULT, OHYA JUST FOR GAYS"

[@Tailstraw_xD]

Rest in peace, Captain Lou Albano.

[@d_willLife]

This game was my childhood. As much as I enjoyed Super Mario World, nothing comes close to this game’s balance of level design, creativity, and overall difficulty.

[@jeremiahblum7833]

I just realized The Wizard was basically Rain Man for kids

[@jckummermusic]

This game is one of the best games of all time.

[@Gonejackalgaming]

Indeed! It is a flawless gem of a game.

[@ryangurnett568]

I replay it every few years. It never gets old.

[@jameswatsonatheistgamer]

I still play it on.my Wii.

[@SoulDevoured]

I still occasionally fire it up. One day I'm gonna beat it without warps.

[@elephant35e]

I should replay it sometime. I loved the game when I was little but haven't played it since 2006 or so.

[@giltyascharged]

Im 34.. and still play this game every once in a while. just takes me back in time.. and amazing game!

[@yellowlightingbolt]

So do I, I do not really play any other game but Mario Bros 1,2 and 3 from time to time.

[@MontviewBlvdBabiez]

Same! Most iconic video game of all time!

[@sofakingraw4149]

I’m 34 too

[@mindphaserxy]

Same here. I'm 41 and as a kid in the early 90s there are 2 game releases that stick out as the biggest ever to that point. Super Mario Bros. 3 in 1990. If you were a boy aged 7-15 during Christmas of that year you absolutely wanted SMB3. It was huge. A mega event. The mainstream media outlets covered it. After that...the next biggest release I can think of, as far as hype and media coverage, was of course Mortal Kombat in 1993. Sure the SNES got some coverage at launch but as a singular game...nothing was bigger than those 2 titles in the early 1990s.

[@sofakingraw4149]

@@mindphaserxy man me and my dad and cousin put in work on Mortal Kombat and to this day I have Lui Kang Dragon 🐉 Fatality stuck in my head.

[@johnminer8672]

I was 9 years old in 1990. I had Nintendo Power. I saw the Wizard. I live through the frenzy. This video is not exaggerating how crazy it was. The hype was bigger than anything I've ever experienced. Finally opening that yellow box and playing the game was the most glorious experience ever.

[@eligalvan8515]

Dude. This is gonna sound silly lol. But this vid literally brought me to tears. I played this game with my family growing up. All of us in the same house loving life. How times have changed. Great video man. Keep it up

[@djb950]

EA said the NES was going to be a fad that would fade out. It's funny seeing that EA is still a terrible company today

[@pheeshy5589]

Blob EA got it in the face

[@rommix0]

EA was only really good when they made software for the Amiga.

[@mariomirabal4288]

well to be fair with EA, at the time it was a nascent art based developer working on some of the greatest software on the ultimately doomed Amiga. to them the micros were the future and they weren't going to go back to the 6502 or closed developer environments, because they had issues with the ten games per year policy since EA was a pump.

[@mariomirabal4288]

the nes essentially had all the things they disliked.

[@studyzen8836]

In EA’s defense... j/k There’s no defending EA.

[@billyscenic5610]

I started hallucinating while trying to play this without any sleep as a kid. I couldn't tell if I was playing or dreaming. It didn't matter both were SMB3.

[@Brind-amour]

😄

[@oakstrong1]

Game consoles went past me (too costly, too busy etc) but get that with some other games.

[@RardTangler]

Dude is it weird that I remember doing that as well? It wasn’t due to a lack of sleep, just playing for many hours uninterrupted. It was when I first got the Nintendo, and it was Mario 1 not Mario 3.

[@xtscarfacem8255]

True, this game and specially when you had a hard time advancing or just had a great run made you feel it like you lived it.

[@SunnyIntervalsORG]

I got my NES for my 10th birthday, it came bundled with SMB3. On that morning I was more excited by the thought of playing SMB2 which I'd borrowed from a friend. But when I started playing 3, I was hooked. It was so addictive and fun!

[@BluePhoenix559]

What year was it

[@damonterrell27]

I’m only 24 but I usually play this game at least twice a year. It really is a gem in video game history and definitely my favorite game ever!

[@shabzone]

The amount of thought and imagination that went into this game is so incredible. The technology might be old but it still hold up as one of the best produced games ever.

[@mikeywinsor]

"Westerners who have made the pilgrimage to Kyoto to meet him have included Paul McCartney, who said he wanted to see Miyamoto, not Mount Fuji" ~ Rolling Stone Article from 1992

[@CHlEFFIN]

Tremendous quote from Sir Paul THE BEATLE McCartney.❤️👌🏽✌🏽

[@CHlEFFIN]

Atkins Paints The World! Great! Thanks! Goodbye.

[@antoniasalinas513]

200th like, but... Yeah, who knew Nintendo got so big so fast?

[@JoeyArmstrong2800]

Super Mario Bros 3 and Mega Man 2 are forever engraved into my adolescent heart.

[@marioreds7826]

to this day, my favourite videogame. i occasionally still play it on an emulator on pc. a timeless masterpiece.

[@MitchClement-il6iq]

I play it on nes mini :)

[@TheBoxBreakers]

I was one of those kids that didn’t have a baseball bat aka Nintendo and resorted to renting the console. One of those rentals accidentally came with Super Mario Bro’s 3 cartridge inside. I knew the rental place had no idea and for some reason I put it back in hoping the next kid without a baseball bat would be as surprised as I was to find one of the best games ever inside. I kinda wish I would have kept it but still hopeful that someone else got to tell the same story. With love respect appreciation thank you.

[@montruo000000007]

The Box Breakers You did good, spreading the love instead of keeping it to yourself!

[@TheWaynelds]

The Box Breakers Baseball bat?

[@montruo000000007]

TheWaynelds watch the video :P

[@lucianothewindowsfan]

If you have a Baseball Bat, you will become Ness from EarthBound.

[@2_572]

Nice❤

[@Galiaverse]

"The Koopalings, to whom were christened names inspired by famous musicians, some well known, and even some talk show hosts." "...Also Larry."

[@Happy_Pappy_2024]

So they named him after Larry King then. Mystery solved! 😁😁😁

[@penguinmaster2361]

I thought he was called Larry because, "he just looked like a Larry"

[@ukyo6195]

Larry Flint

[@jamesrussell8256]

I find it so interesting that he was called Larry, just because he looked like a Larry; and not because of anybody famous with the name of Larry.

[@soco2020]

This was BY FAR the best game released in the franchise IMO. I still love playing this game 32 years after its American release.

[@VicDrums83]

When I saw The Wizard when I was a kid and saw SM3, it blew my mind. One of the greatest games ever made.

[@hurtigheinz3790]

14:40min After 27 years I get to know that Hammer Mario can protect himself with the shell?!? wtf!

[@kelcieharrison5678]

hurtig heinz I was today years old.

[@scottydukes5987]

Same here!! Wtf is right!

[@jovetj]

LOL! I didn't know that either. Not that I've ever considered myself a SMB3 expert, but just goes to show there's ALWAYS more to learn about that game. I scoffed at the part where they talked about the Strategy Guide published showing ALL the secrets-NOT POSSIBLE! haha!

[@jimmypchacko]

I wonder If that's only the Japanese version?

[@hurtigheinz3790]

@@jimmypchacko Well that could be. I had the European version (in English). You also didn't shrink to mini Mario once hit as flower or leaf Mario.

[@Awesmic1]

This documentary was so well-edited and thought out that I was literally in tears by the time it was over. Being part of that time, it really hits home.

[@thelastdragon5551]

Awesmic I’d kill for a Super Mario World/SNES and a Super Mario 64/N64 documentary.

[@burstthroughtheconcrete]

Ditto on my end. When that ending sequence came in, that felt just like the end of a classic NES game, I almost cried. Felt like the little kid in me was playing all over again, but this time, looking behind the curtain of the game.

[@dominicperales9296]

That last song with the ending credits made me shed real tears

[@Vereid]

Glad I'm not the only one who had teary eyes by the end. I was thinking 'geez I'm such a baby' lol.

[@Tanukey6807]

Happy to see I wasn't alone in my weeping. Incredible.

[@lukahmad5683]

I love how Mario's staff love to put texts or message for the player like World 9 after SMB2, and the credits saying thank you for playing and compliments the players for winning the hard stages and also in the SMB3 manual. It makes me emotional the way they treat me like a friend

[@wal1013]

Somehow this documentary gave me goosebumps on several occasions. So many memories! What a great film you made! I remembered my cousin had a pirated cartridge with Super Mario bros 3 long before it came to Europe. My friends didn't believe me when i told them a third SMB game existed and that my cousin had it.

[@badnewsbruner]

Everything you produce is pure gold. My father, rest in peace, would play this game with me up into the wee hours of the morning. I have so many fond memories with this game, and still have my original cartridge. I'm so glad I found this wonderful channel, thank you Gaming Historian!

[@campinatorxbox1610]

Great story and I'm sorry for the loss of your father.

[@badnewsbruner]

@@campinatorxbox1610 Thank you so much :)

[@eartheternal3565]

@@badnewsbruner I'm currently creating gaming memories with my 4 year old. He keeps me up all night playing Mega Man 1-6 and it drives me crazy sometimes because I'm trying to be cool playing these difficult games that I never even played back in the day. I was always more of a Mario/Street Fighter guy. I hope my son writes about me as you have about your dad someday.

[@badnewsbruner]

@@eartheternal3565 :) I'm glad that you're making these wonderful memories with your son. Also, yes the Mega Man games are absolutely BRUTAL! lol xD I'm sure he will remember his gaming with you fondly!

[@LUCKO2022]

No one gives a slight fuck about you or your father.

[@christmastiger]

This game is so closely tied to many of our childhood memories, it's so fascinating to hear about the story behind something that brought millions of people so much joy. Thanks for making this!

[@AngeloXification]

When I was a kid I struggled for nearly 2 days trying to get past the first castle, the ghost kept killing me. I eventually managed to beat the stage, I jumped up in excitement but accidentally pulled the entire console and power adapter ripping out of the wall. I have never since experienced an extreme low immediately after an extreme high...

[@manueltapia1859]

@@DamageJackyl same I am from 82, me and sisters used to play in one of our cousins House. Now as an adult recently bought SNES and play with my nephew Súper Mario World and Mario Kart.

[@SuperArt7]

Devs don't have passion like this anymore

[@SuperArt7]

@@DamageJackyl same also 37 ...so many great memories with this system

[@keselekbakiak]

Indeed. This game is part of our childhood

[@christianjon8064]

I never knew it was coming but my buddy showed up with it one day and showed it to me it literally blew my mind I was so hyped. Especially after Mario 2 nobody ever expected Mario 3 to hit like that.

[@Learnjapanesefromsomeguy]

23:50 This is 100% the reason, as a kid, I told myself that I would learn Japanese. Sad thing is, now that I have accomplished my goal, I don't really play video games anymore...

[@RhythmGrizz]

I hope you come across a new video game that makes you want to play again. That happened to me in 2017. The game that made me a player again was Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild.

[@DomyTheMad420]

"how big a geek are you?" I finished watching a 50m long documentary about Super Mario Bros 3..

[@Sarfraz42]

Domyras exactly what my wife said to me whilst I was watching this documentary!

[@kennymichaelalanya7134]

Nah, not me. I'm no geek. I just wanna know about the origins of SMB3 because that game rocks🙃

[@lunarmodule6419]

Bah ok big geek. I dont even play, i just like the design process, chips, and programing. MMC3B yay 😃

[@austinfrazier7325]

Anyone that was a kid at the time needs no excuse to watch! Lol

[@jayrose6312]

I’m proudly pushing a ‘PhD in Geekology’ level right now. 😜

[@briangrossett3381]

I remember overhearing other kids talk about Racooon Mario, and I was in awe just listening, until I finally saw it myself, I was in amazement.

[@sylastial]

Right , racoon Mario = favorite Mario of all time.

[@da9nerdy]

Simpler times.. where most of our knowledge came from school yards word of mouth.

[@briangrossett3381]

@@sylastial .Definitely

[@Ur2ez4me81]

Brian Grossett Game was awesome for it’s time...

[@pharumnelson7108]

Tanooki

[@jamesjustice8711]

My mom introduced me to Mario Bros on her Nintendo. I fell in love with that game. I remember finding Mario Bros 3 at a garage sale some time during the mid 90s.

[@ZagnutBar]

27:12 "players were none the wiser..." I definitely knew something weird was going on, but I had no idea what actually happened. SMB2 never felt like a SMB game, and when 3 came out it felt like we were back on track

[@Stephanie-mv9iy]

I always did like the things that originated in 2 but stayed the whole series through, like grabbing, shy guys and pokeys.

[@mkicon]

Another masterpiece I love the long form, documentary style videos like this, and you knocked it out of the park again.

[@DagoRuiz]

Agreed.

[@ChairmanMeow1]

this is his best video yet imo

[@Rich_LASTELLE]

This and the Tetris video were perfection

[@mkicon]

@@Rich_LASTELLE yup I honestly feel like the Tetris one is the best video on all of KZbin

[@Ralph_Sandwich]

@@Rich_LASTELLE I honestly feel like we'll see him on Netflix or Amazon Prime soon enough

[@lazuliman]

I’m glad we live in a world with Nintendo.

[@knightx630]

The world should be nintendo

[@thuongbuianhhedgefishsuppo7550]

yeah, without Nintendo, gaming would not have a future, we are very grateful that Nintendo exists to save us from the video game crash of 1983.

[@hightidekraken]

Mr LaFours but yet I have more fun playing PS4 then Switch lol

[@hightidekraken]

Mr LaFours considering the Joycons were designed for people with elf hands I beg to different

[@phormacyx4010]

@Mrck Ree Gon he's refering to console gaming.

[@CsprDvdFrdrch]

Greetings from Germany: I was born in May of 1990 and my Cousins were 10 years older than me, earning an NES. By the time I was 4 they had a huge amount of games for it and it introduced me to video games until later, in 1997, I got my own first console: The N64. Thank you very much for the nostalgia you gave me with this documentary.

[@channelbrookes]

Another fantastic retrospective, really well informed and presented as always. I have stupidly fond memories of SMB3 and saving for what felt like an age to have the money when it was released in the UK. My dad used to pick up my games for me on his way home from work and release day was painstaking waiting for him to get home. The other kids on my little cul-de-sac didn't believe me when I told them I had a copy, one wouldn't until I showed him the box and still refused until I showed him the cartridge. Good times.

[@Dashx64]

19:28 That theme song holds alot of happy memories, thanks Koji

[@koreyjeffers6963]

In my eyes Kondo is perhaps the best of all time. Him and Yasunori Mitsuda worked on some of the most iconic games of all time. Most people don't even know there names which is a shame but you can bet that if you remember and hum the tune of nes and snes games, they were most likely composed by one of these 2 men

[@amielmalay1681]

Is that guitar rendition on Spotify?

[@annehobson2481]

Me to but I started on the og which is iconic

[@timj3788]

I can’t believe he played so much of it. Hope our dude doesn’t get a strike.

[@LuigiLaker]

They're all beautiful, but the game's ending theme is what really got me emotional..about childhood gaming years gone by..

[@n8rm]

I was like "cool I'll watch this for a second" here I am almost an hour later totally feeling content. Thank you so much.

[@bryanshields5571]

This was amazing! I REALLY enjoyed it. Thank you so much for creating it and sharing. 😊

[@Pikmin442]

As a kid I've heard of Super Mario Bros. 3 and even seen the cartoon on DVD, however I never had the chance to play it on either the Wii due to not having internet at the time or the GBA version. It wasn't until I went to see relatives in another state where my cousin introduced me to her friend who liked games as much as I did, she had a NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. 3 and I asked her if we could play it. While we didn't get far Ill always remember the fond memories I had with that friend and hope one day Ill be able to see her again.

[@SonofMrPeanut]

"He wanted to add eyes to just about everything." Are we sure this isn't a Rare documentary?

[@depluggedplus1699]

True rare even added eyes to the collectibles in banjo kazooie

[@Groovebot3k]

That 'just about' is the important distinction.

[@s0nataTF]

Ubisoft

[@MrGrace]

Or a Resident Evil documentary lol

[@QJ89]

The hills have eyes...

[@NightFlyStudio]

This could have aired on Netflix I kid you not. Such high production values.

[@rulebrad333]

Love watching videos like this

[@jacobscarberry4799]

Maybe Norm could be less flat sounding

[@FranTheMan78]

This dude is nice with it!

[@AverageSynth]

@@jacobscarberry4799 isn't the whole point of a documentary to have a calm quiet voice so you're easily understood

[@jacobscarberry4799]

@@AverageSynth Calm, yes. Downright downtrodden to the point of roboticism? No

[@jesus5082]

As a child I remember never being able to get this game until a friend whose parents made more money than my parents let me borrow it and I had it in my possession for more than a year. Man this game had so much to discover that I never got bored of it. Good childhood.

[@msusann]

I still have my Nintendo and I still love and play this game. I just played through every board a few days ago.

[@Melissa-rf9xv]

Both my husband and I shed some tears watching this, it brought back so many good memories. Such a well made video featuring an amazing game! Thank you 😭😊

[@roblena7977]

Yeah kind of weird how this channel can stir up memories you weren't aware were even memories.

[@nelsoncabrera6464]

It's been over 30 years and I still get chills when the movie guy shouts "Super Mario Brothers 3!" and the screen slides open.

[@unknownwolf4046]

I'm age 31 🤗 gonna be 32 in few months Born may 3 1990 early 90s

[@OreganoParsley]

@@unknownwolf4046 ok?

[@qx4n9e1xp]

Great video! I felt like I was a part of history watching this, even though I only played SMB3 on the Gameboy. Please make another video game documentary about another game you care about. Any labor of love is great!

[@CodyCleggMusic]

This was so well-produced. Downloaded it and watched it on a plane instead of the other in flight entertainment. Well done!