Super Mario Bros. 3: The Lost Levels Edition (also known as Super Mario Bros. 3 World, or SMB3W) is a bizarre, glitchy, and utterly bonkers version of the classic NES game. Released in 1990 exclusively for the Japanese Famicom Disk System, this version includes:
- 12 New Worlds: Each containing 4 levels and a boss. The levels are designed by an angry Italian plumber who hated platformers.
- 5 Secret Worlds: Accessible only by jumping through solid blocks at precise angles. Requires 1000+ coins to unlock.
- Ultimate Bowser: A giant Bowser that can fly, shoot fireballs that bounce off walls, and is immune to fireballs.
- New Power-Ups: The infamous "Stomp-Out" mushroom (makes Mario immune to damage but causes him to stomp enemies into the ground, causing a chain reaction of explosions), and the "Time-Reverse" star (rewinds 10 seconds of gameplay).
- Hidden Game: A secret "Famicom Music Room" accessible by completing World 8. Plays the original SMB3 soundtrack backwards at double speed.
"This game is why Nintendo stopped making games for 7 years." - A frustrated Game Boy user.