Super Mario Bros. 3

Easily the definitive NES entry in it's series, Super Mario Bros. 3 improves upon just about every aspect of it's predecessors. Sprites have gone from obvious blocks of pixels to something resembling actual drawings. New powerups and a wider range of enemies provide more variety to the gameplay. An overworld provides a unique level of control over the adventure, which has an improved plot with new kingdoms to save and additional antagonists to defeat. I also found myself smiling at how clever some of the levels were designed, which I hadn't really done with Mario's other 8-bit adventures.

Functionally, Mario 3 has a lot in common with the first game in the series, and players who are used to stomping on koopas or picking up mushrooms will feel right at home here. However, the designers seemed to have a full grasp on the capabilities of their hardware by the time this game was made, and it shows. No longer are there only four levels in each of the eight worlds, as most overworld maps actually hold around a dozen! One of the most unique parts about the addition is that you don't have to complete every level, as the map is designed to allow clever players to skip some by using warp pipes or just choosing an alternate path. 

The magic of Super Mario Bros. 3 is that it retains everything that made the original so fantastic, while improving upon just about every feature. The additional content mixes up the gameplay even more, and it makes the whole adventure more exciting. Although I believe it's no longer the king of 2D Mario, it still holds a legendary status for a good reason, and with the 16-bit remake now available on Switch, there are plenty of options for giving it a try!
The game is available for 3DS here (as of 9/19/20): https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/super-mario-bros-3-3ds/
The game is available for WiiU here (as of 9/19/20): https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/super-mario-bros-3-wii-u/

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