

Although the player can’t go down this particular pipe, the fact that an enemy emerges from it hints at the possibility of Mario being able to do the same. The red Venus Fire Trap is also introduced here and - in typical Mario fashion - doesn’t respawn if killed and only comes out if Mario isn’t standing next to its pipe (or on top of it).

In addition to being positioned over Mario’s head, a slowly approaching Goomba encourages the player to jump up and discover that hitting the blocks from below can yield rewards (in this case, some Coins and a Super Mushroom).

Since they utilize a fairly universal symbol for a question, they inherently invite the player to investigate. World 1-1Īs with the original Super Mario Bros., the “?” Blocks are encountered as soon as the game begins. It’s been my habit as well, but this time I resolved to experience SMB 3 in its entirety.Ī lot of small, geometric stages later, here’s an overview of what I found to be the most notable points in the first world. This also means zooming past a plethora of well designed levels. I suspect that the majority of people who replay the game are familiar with the secret and use it to skip to the last world. The sequence is fun to watch, but it also serves as a great preview of numerous game mechanics. SMB 3’s playful title screen has Mario & Luigi messing around with a bunch of enemies and powerups. I recently decided to play through the All-Stars version of SMB 3 without using any Warp Whistles.
