E3

[Grey]

I know what you mean, Todd. I was shocked when I first held a GBA cartridge... a 32-bit game that came in a plastic covering half the height of an original Game Boy game. I almost got charged a replacement fee from Blockbuster because the game case they used had a foam insert that held the game.

End result was that they didn't find the game, but the replacement charge got knocked off. I rarely walk in to a video rental store anymore because they don't have video games for rent... but that's another rant for another day.

I love E3... always good stuff to be had.

[Todd Robinson]

Were any of you guys into video games when Super Mario Bros. 3 first came out for the NES?

[Joe Lourenco]

admin said:

Were any of you guys into video games when Super Mario Bros. 3 first came out for the NES?

Absolutely! That was the most anticipated game since SMB2, which was kind of a let-down compared to the original. I remember how hard it was to get for Easter (since it was released in March)! When my friend got his copy first, we played till the console was a warm 350 degrees and the controllers were waterlogged with sweat.

I was (and still am) a NES fan. I still get a warm and fuzzy feeling playing the 8-bit games.

Joe

[Todd Robinson]

Yep, for me, 8-bit is where it's at! When Mario 3 came out we rented it first. The local video store only had two copies of each game it had so we were very lucky to get our hands on it. After renting it and playing it non-stop for two days, my two brothers and I saved up all the money we had and bought it. Those were some of the fondest days of my life; playing Nintendo, eating pizza, drinking Mountain Dew... here's to classic video gaming!

[WesternEstates]

I actually had the lucky chance of playing S.M.B.3 about a year before it came to the states. When I was a kid I knew a couple of taiwanese friends who had a famicom. One day when I was at their house when my mouth dropped. They said they got the new Super Mario Bros. game and I thought they were full of crap until they showed it to me. From that moment forward all I wanted to do was play it. I remember staying over the whole weekend and playing it and barely getting any sleep. One of my fondest memories and the best part was I had bragging rights . Also at the time when it was released in Japan it cost $100 (Which is the average cost of a game there).

The other funny thing I remembered about S.M.B. 3 was a whole movie was released to promote it. It was "The Wizard" with Fred Savage. Man did that movie sucked but it was worth watching then because of all the Nintendo games that were in the movie.

[WesternEstates]

joelo said:

admin said:

Were any of you guys into video games when Super Mario Bros. 3 first came out for the NES?

Absolutely! That was the most anticipated game since SMB2, which was kind of a let-down compared to the original. I remember how hard it was to get for Easter (since it was released in March)! When my friend got his copy first, we played till the console was a warm 350 degrees and the controllers were waterlogged with sweat.

I was (and still am) a NES fan. I still get a warm and fuzzy feeling playing the 8-bit games.

Joe

Most people don't know this but SMB2 is actually "Doki Doki Panic" in Japan and does not relate to Super Mario Bros. world at all. What happened when Super Mario Bros. 2 was created in Japan it was created for the hardcore player. It looked graphics wise just like Super Mario Bros except it was very, very hard. When Nintendo Of America looked at it they feared that most people would not play it because of the extreme difficulty so what they did was took another Japanese game which was popular there and gave it a Mario makeover.

For those of you who are curious in playing the original Super Mario Bros. 2 and have a Super Nintendo you are in luck. On "Super Mario All-Stars" it is the game that is titled the "Lost Levels".

[Grey]

WE, you got it right on all counts.

Something else, though... when the U.S. got Super Mario Bros. Deluxe for GBC, the challenge mode was more challenging because the scores to beat were higher than the Japanese version. But at least SMBDX featured the first eight worlds of Lost Levels.

BTW, has anyone actually been insane enough to actually go to world 9 in Lost Levels without using the Game Genie?

[Todd Robinson]

I am no good at the Lost Levels game. Without using game guide books on Lost Levels, I cannot get past World 3-4 because I can't figure the castles pattern. Then again, I haven't spent a great deal of time with it. As much as I hate to admit it, Lost Levels is a little too challenging for me.

I was aware of the SMB2/Doki Doki panic region switching. I also have the ROMs for anyone interested although they're pretty easy to find on the internet.

Have any of you guys tried Super Mario Bros. VS? You know, the arcade version? Some of the levels, notibly World 3-1, were changed.

[WesternEstates]

admin said:

Have any of you guys tried Super Mario Bros. VS? You know, the arcade version? Some of the levels, notibly World 3-1, were changed.

I haven't played the arcade version since I was 12 but I do remember the VS. version of SMB and I think you are right. I did notice that some of the levels were diferent I think Nintendo did that to encourage people to play the arcade game.

[Grey]

I used to have the ROM of VS. Super Mario Bros.
One of the biggest things I first noticed was that world 1-4 in that game was really world 1-4 from Lost Levels, so Nintendo really didn't think the Lost Levels was, as a whole, extremely difficult. Just difficult enough to get quarters from kids' allowances.

---

admin said:

Without using game guide books on Lost Levels, I cannot get past World 3-4 because I can't figure the castles pattern.

Take the low road for the first two. If you're big/fire Mario, hit the Piranha Plant to shrink. Once you reach two pipes, go up. When you fall, there will be four hidden coin blocks. Hit at least two and go back to the high road. Continue along the high road when you come up to a fire bar. Hit the axe, collect your prize, and move on to world 4-1.

Just remember that world 4 is not only Lakitu territory, but also Red Piranha Plants. Need any other levels mapped out?

[Todd Robinson]

Thanks Grey! No, please don't map any more levels out for me. I really am trying to get passed them by myself but thanks for your advice. Did you figure that pattern out yourself? If so, how in the heck does anyone figure out that hidden coin blocks and hitting the high road will solve the puzzle? :-)

It's great knowing there are some classic gaming enthusiasts here.

[Grey]

I'll be honest, I've had to use a guide for just about every game I've ever played (except for many Sonic games), and Mario All-Stars is one of them.

I still have the original official guide from Nintendo, but I haven't touched it in about a decade. My mind is, for some reason, a diamond-coated solid steel box when it comes to that stuff. The information never really goes away, but it helps that I have the game right next to me to refresh my memory.