2-12-1990		10-3-1988
	8-29-1991		8-29-1991

Mario returned to his former glory with the release of Super Mario Brothers 3 in 1990. It was a return of the classic Mario game play, and there was a lot of great reviews for it. It went on to become the second highest selling game on the NES, and is one of the greatest selling games of all time.
After the disappointment of Super Mario 2 (Doki Doki Panic), the return of the familiar Mario was a great feeling for fans of the original. There was the return of the various items, levels, and everything that was great about the original Mario. This time though, there was a lot more to offer.
Mario 3 was the first title to introduce the over-world maps. This was a map, that Mario traversed to get from one level to another. It was a great addition to the game, and has become something of a common element in the series. There was also the introduction of a host of new items, enemies, and the first appearance of Bowsers children, the Koopalings. Bowser himself first appears with red hair in Mario 3. The worlds also were given more types of areas than in the original. There was not only land and water areas, but now you could traverse sky, ice, desert, and pipe worlds. There was the introduction of mini games, and such to keep you entertained throughout the game. Though games and hidden areas had been done before, this was the first time it was given a whole lot of stuff in a game. This is usually something that is done within the likes of Final fantasy, but was rarely seen in platform titles until Mario 3.
The music for Mario 3 was done very well. It was definitely updated from the first two, but not so much that it takes away. It is still great simple tunes that are hummed easily after the game has been shut off for hours.
The tune which plays when Mario uses the whistle is identical to the melody used for the Recorder in The Legend of Zelda, and in both games it summons a tornado that sweeps up the hero and dumps him elsewhere. Koji Kondo composed the music for both franchises. Also, the tune can be heard in the title theme to Ocarina of Time. Quoted from Wikipedia. This has been verified by myself, and is something of a humorous thing to hear. I guess in all this time, I never noticed until I read that.
The only true complaint I have about Mario 3 i the graphics. Though nice, they are so simplistic, it is almost a step back. Everything is very flat, and 2-D looking. Even at the time of release, the graphics were very short from the standard of the time. This could also be because Mario 3 was actually made and released in 1988 in Japan. By the time we got it in 1990, it was already outdated by the current games coming out.
Graphics aside, Mario 3 is considered by many to be the greatest title in the series. It has everything you could ever want in a Mario game, and then that much more. The mini games are fun, and the game itself is beyond addictive. Truly a masterpiece of the series itself.