There are so▨ many classic games in the Mario canon that very few can be short-listed as being a viable candidate for the best game in the series. Super Mario Bros. 3,🌳 however, is one of those games. Out of all the 2D Mario games, it arguably has the best level design and pacing, taking place across eight distinct worlds with different themes, power-ups, and enemies to contend with.
Not only was it lauded by critics upon release, 𝔍it became a fan favorite and one of those games that people return to again and again. Holding a special place in gamers' hearts, everyone has a favorite world, level, enemy to stomp, and power up to utilize. This fan adoration and critical acclaim are mirrored in the tens of millions of copies of the game sold worldwide, as well as its multiple re-releases on platforms such as the Super Nintendo, Game Boy Advance, 3DS, and Wii U.
One of the things that players loveꦡ the most about this title is the amount of little Easter eggs and secrets that are contained within it. Every world has a shortcut, there are hidden passages w🦩ithin a litany of levels, and random mini-games scattered throughout the game give you new power-ups and bonuses.
That being said, even the most arde𒊎nt Mario player would be unlikely to have discovered everything within the game. The number of layers and somewhat random nature of events within the game mean that many of these things would have been missed. Here's a look at some of the best secrets available!
Updated June 26, 2021 by Russ Boswell: The Super Mario Bros. series is still going to strong in 2021 and has shown absolutely no signs of slowing down. Right now, dedicated fans are awaiting the upcoming release of Mario + Rabbids 2, a crossover franchise that many never expected to be such a smash hit with players.
But even with all the new and exciting Mario content hitting store shelves in the future, many players ache to revisit the classics. Super Mario Bros. 3 is perhaps the pinnacle of retro Mario design and stands out as a game that absolutely every Mario fan should experience at least once in their lives. To better celebrate this titanic classic, this article has been updated with better pictures and more information. Here's a look at some of the best Super Mario 3 cheats and Super Mario 3 secrets that players have found.
25 Hide Behind Scenery 🃏
One of the most fan theories about Super Mario Bros 3 is that the enꦕtire game is just aඣ play. Meaning that the levels, worlds, enemies, and power-ups merely stages and props for the protagonist Mario, his brother Luigi, and their cast of friends and enemies to use.
This feature, which is easy to miss, backs up this idea. If players stand on a white block and hold down, they will "disappear" behind the scenery. Way to break the fourth wa🔯ll, Mario!
24 War🀅p🌸 To World 8
Super Mario Bros. 3 is, like most Mario games, easy to pick up and play, yet challenging to complete. Given that the spikes in difficulty have waned over the years, this relatively old 2D Mario game is certainly no to this rule. So, if you're too impatient to trudge through all the levels in all eight worlds, wh🌌y wait! The warp whistle allows you to forego much of the game and warp your way straight to the final🅰 stage!
23 ꦆ White Mushroom Houses 🥃
There are many mushroom houses scattered throughout the game in plain sight and are, therefore, practically impossible to miss. These "levels" give respite to players, while also providing them with extra lives and power-ups which can help ease their journey as well as help them survive it. Lesser known are the white mushroom houses, which can only be accessed by getting enough coins in specific levels. These houses can give rare, special items such as p-wings and anchors. This is a Super Mario 3 hidden secret that all players should use.
22 🍌 An Easy Swim On A Har✃d Level
The second level in the final world of the game is a tricky one. It requir𒁃es Mario to take on a fleet of Bowser boats, a challenging proposition for sure. However, there is a way to ease the difficulty that doesn’t require a glitch or c🌊heat.
If players simply swim underneath the boats, they can avoid formidable enemies and their weapons and float all the way to♑ the end of the stage. They'll still have to fac🌄e the boss on the final boat to complete the level though.
21 𝐆 💞 There Are Different Letters For Different Suits
The airship battles are some of the most iconic not only in the game but in the entire series. Defeat Koopa Jr. end of the ship and players will receive a thank you letter from the King. A kind gesture, to be sure, but what you may not know is, depending on what Mario is wearing, they can receive multiple different letters from his royal highness. Don the Tanooki suit, frog suit, or hammer suit, and the note of thanks players receive will be a little bit꧟ different!
20 See Beyond The Throneꦆ Room ꦡ
Ah, the throne room! Where players are rewarded by the king for their chivalrous good deeds. And now, thanks to players who are able to access off-screen content, the curtain can now be pulled back (remember how it's all supposed to be a play!) and see beyond what the public was meant to. Now, in fairness, there’s not much to see here, just a bla🔥ck and white background. But, if players go above the throne room, they jump into the outline of the 💛letter which Mario receives from the king congratulating him!
19 Those Things On The Map Are Not Jus𓄧ಞt Objects!
Every world map in Super Mario Bros. 3 is different. These maps are filled with ⛦level ports, mushroom houses, and castles. They’re also littered with scenery related to the world, like pyramids in World 2 or cactuses in World 1.
And these levels are just there for the scenery, right? Well, no. Actually, some of them can be activated like a level, with a variety of results: it may bring players to a mushroom house, it may turn the world map into a crazy, glitchy mess of a level. Or, it may just crash the game. It's one of the weirder Super Mario 3 secrets.
18 Slip And Slide In The Hammer Suit 💯
By itself, the slide attack which allows Mario to glide along a sur𒆙face after gathering momentum could be missed by the more casual or non-observant Mario fans. As cool as it is, it cannot be used while wearing the hammer suit. Or can’t it? Well, the answer is: kinda. When sliding down a steep surface (like a cave entrance), Mario😼 can turtle up while wearing the suit, tricking the game into allowing you to engage in a slide!
17 ♛ Skip Past A Big Pyramid ♏
Coming at players with more glitches here, the interactive py♎ramid scenery which was talked about above can, in one instance, be activated with no risk of making the game go bonkers! When players go into the level, there is a brief moment at the start where they must scale part of the pyramid to access a door that takes them to the level proper. However, again if players go beyond the perimeters of the map which were meant to be viewed, they'll come across a secret stash of coins and a shortcut to the end of the level.
16 Extra Livesꦛ Galore
Extra lives are an essential survival mechanism in Super Mario Bros. 3. In the second level of world 1, there is a glitch 🍒where, if players stand over a pipe wearing the raccoon suit at the beginning of the level, rows upon rows of goombas will emerge from it. Jump on one and fly into the air, glide back down and smash another one, and Mario will gain an extra life.
Players ca🐻n do this as much as they'd like until they are satisfied with the number of lives they have, get bored or, somehow, miss their target.