History YMMV / SuperMarioBros3

** This game also originated the "jump on their head three times" method of defeating bosses that appeared in many future Mario games. While the bosses in the first half of the game tend to be pretty easy to defeat, starting with World 5 the Boom-Booms get a lot faster and more unpredictable, while the Koopalings gain annoying projectile attacks and/or the ability to cause the screen to shake whenever they jump, making the fights deceptively hard. In future games that kept with this boss battle formula, especially in the ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' series, the lower overall difficulty tended to result in a lot of ZeroEffortBoss fights.

** The game also originated the "jump on their head three times" method of defeating bosses that appeared in many future Mario games. While the bosses in the first half of the game tend to be pretty easy to defeat, starting with World 5 the Boom-Booms get a lot faster and more unpredictable, while the Koopalings gain annoying projectile attacks and/or the ability to cause the screen to shake whenever they jump, making the fights deceptively hard. In future games that kept with this boss battle formula, especially in the ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' series, the lower overall difficulty tended to result in a lot of ZeroEffortBoss fights.

* SignatureScene: Mario turning into Raccoon Mario and being the first instance of flight in a mainline Mario game. Also in the third level of the first world, ducking on top of a white block as a shortcut to a warp whistle.

* NightmareFuel:
** The Angry Sun can be this to younger players. The fact that it flies after you doesn't help much. ''Especially'' so in 8-2 where it suddenly comes out at you from behind a hill in the dark. Slightly pacified by the fact that you can permanently kill it with a ''Koopa shell'' of all things.
** Boss Bass in stages 3-3 and 3-8 can be just as frightening. A big, fast moving fish that can snatch Mario in mid-leap and eat him alive in a single gulp, causing you to instantly lose a life regardless of your powerup status. God help you if you fall in the water without the Fire Flower powerup. And unlike the Angry Sun, killing him doesn't get rid of him for good; he'll simply come right back after you seconds later. You cannot be blamed for saving the power-ups that Peach gave you at the end of the previous two worlds to skip one or both of Boss Bass' stages altogether. If not, well, better hope you at least have a few Fire Flowers handy on the map screen.
** Chain Chomps are already scary, but they can actually [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4THDnt3wSA break loose from their chains]] and turn into nigh unstoppable monsters.
** The first World 7 fortress is ''[[NothingIsScarier completely devoid of life]]'' save for Boom Boom at the end. Having a time limit of only 200 seconds and hiding its exit quite well makes it even more unnerving. The fact that the horizontal pipe at the furthest right room doesn't work also led many to feel the game was broken and gives the feeling of being trapped until you figure out the esoteric solution.
** The letter you get from Bowser is a very effective JumpScare thanks to the scary music playing and flashing lights.
** The GBA version adds a cutscene to the second layer of Bowser's Castle where a screaming Peach is dragged down a pipe. Mario himself can get randomly dragged down in this segment as well.
** Dark Land, or World 8 basically looks like FireAndBrimstoneHell, with fires, red-coloured rivers and skulls decorating the landscape. A sub-screen is completely black and is being surrounded by said skulls. The disembodied hand that occasionally drags you down is probably the freakiest part. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA6xrfUb06E The Dark Land theme]] doesn't help. The ''VideoGame/SuperMarioAllStars'' remake toned down the hellish aspects by depicting the region as being partly volcanic, with 8-1 even being a forest covered in dense foliage, helping to offset the bleakness to a degree. The over-world still retains the skulls and fire of the NES incarnation however.
** The opening to ''Super Mario Advance 4'' shows at full display how much of a threat the Koopalings actually are. Larry's airship flies over Grass Land in the middle of a raging storm, he busts into the castle [[DynamicEntry through the roof]], puts up a CurbStompBattle against Toad, and [[ForcedToWatch makes him watch]] as he steals the king's wand and transforms him into a Cobrat right before his eyes, going back out the way he came in.

** Boss Bass, an InstakillMook who can be found in two of World 3's stages, and has an annoying habit of swallowing Mario whole irrespective of what power-up you're using, instantly costing you a life. Sure, you can at least temporarily get rid of him with the Fire Flower, but he will reappear soon after, just as hungry.

* FranchiseOriginalSin: This is the first game in the series to start throwing huge numbers of extra lives at you. Here, it's justifiable on the grounds that ''you'll need them'' for Worlds 6 to 8, but it began a trend towards DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist later in the series, which resulted much later in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'' just doing away with lives altogether.

** The Airship Theme owes a lot to "Mars, the Bringer of War" from [[Music/GustavHolst Gustav Holst's]] ''The Planets.''

*** The Nintendo Power guide for the NES release even says they're a major nuisance in World 8. And that's an understatement!

* EvenBetterSequel: As important as the first game was, many regard this as the game which ''really'' set the bar for how platforming games should be done, and still consider it one of the best games ever made. The secret behind this success is that the game manages to preserve the original formula while introducing several new elements to keep it fresh, so it's neither a MissionPackSequel like ''Lost Levels'' nor a DolledUpInstallment of another game like ''Super Mario Bros. 2''.

* JustHereForGodzilla: Many fans are interested in the ''Super Mario Advance 4'' port purely for the addition of World-e (a special world exclusive to the GBA port that is accessed only via the e-Reader and special e-Reader cards), as it feels like a brand-new mini 2D Mario game. So much so that when Nintendo rereleased the port onto the Wii U Virtual Console and Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, the inclusion of World-e and all of its content was a big selling point.

* PolishedPort: ''Super Mario Advance 4'' boasts the upgraded graphics from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioAllStars'' as well as adding new levels via e-Reader cards. Though the e-Reader's failure prevented many people from accessing the new levels, the Wii U Virtual Console and Nintendo Switch Online versions make them all available without the need for an e-Reader. Even the ScreenCrunch isn't as bad as in some other GBA ports, as many changes were made to the levels to accommodate the smaller screen. It helps that, by virtue of being released around the time of the Game Boy Advance SP (which boasted a proper front/backlit screen), the graphics aren't as washed out as they were in the previous ''Super Mario Advance'' ports.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Not to the extent of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'', since there's still a large amount of content and variety to keep the game feeling fun rather than primitive, but still, with how many ''Mario'' series conventions were established here, younger gamers probably won't be as impressed.

** Hammer Bros. are already this trope across the series, but [[MacroZone World 4]] introduces Sledge Bros. - ''giant'' Hammer Bros. that ''shake the ground'' when they land after jumping, immobilizing you if you're not in the air. The only saving grace is that they don't attack as quickly as regular Hammer Bros. do.
** Speaking of Hammer Bros., they got a buff in this game as well – instead of throwing hammers at random, they do so at a steady and constant rate, leaving even less room for you to attack them if you forgot your Fire Flower. The GBA remake nerfed them slightly.

** Nipper Plants are annoying creatures with unpredictable moving patterns who love to try to jump when you do. Jumping on them isn't a good idea - but they're very easily dispatched by other attacks. This doesn't apply to their fire-breathing brethren who thankfully appear in one level.

** A fourth WarpWhistle can be obtained in 5-1 using a glitch - but [[NoExportForYou only in the Japanese version of the game]].

* ItWasHisSled: Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach at the end of World 7. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer Yes]], that was supposed to be a twist.

* ItWasHisSled: Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach at the end of World 7. Yes, that was supposed to be a twist.

* ItWasTheSled: Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach at the end of World 7. Yes, that was supposed to be a twist.

** Castle Dash and No Time to Dawdle!, both from ''Advance 4''. The gimmick for both levels is that they're {{Timed Mission}}s, meaning the player has to make a mad dash to the end. One wrong move, and it's back to the start of the levels. Going for the Advance Coins is even worse, as it requires planning out new paths in split-second reflexes, with No Time to Dawdle! requiring the player to come to a complete standstill in order to get the fourth one. Don't even attempt getting all the Advance Coins in No Time to Dawdle! in one go as Luigi, as his floatier jump will make getting them all in one try impossible due to its timer being less than half that of Castle Dash.

** World 3-8 has you contending with sinking and rising platforms as you did in 3-3, only the platforms sink much lower and there are fewer safe spots — some of which are vines that you have to grow — increasing your vulnerability to the resident [[InstakillMook Boss Bass]]. There's also more waiting involved by virtue of safe zones going underwater for much longer than usual. Fall off, or fail to grow the vines, and you're very likely to become lunch, particularly if you do not have a Fire Flower.