'Mario 3' plumbs the heights

Back in 1989, Fred Savage starred in The Wizard, a movie whose only exciting moment came from the first glimpse at the highly anticipated Mario 3. Unlike Savage's career, Super Mario Bros. 3 has only gotten better with age.\nMario 3 represents the very best of Nintendo's eight-bit days. It features classic Mario platforming action, as well as larger levels and new abilities for everyone's favorite plumber. Mario's adventures take him to the Mushroom kingdom, where he must rescue the princess from Bowser and the Koopa Kids. \nThe game is a port of the Super Nintendo revision of the NES game. This causes some minor audio and graphics issues, as both are less clear than the SNES version. Nintendo has added some interesting features to beef it up. Four players can compete in the original Mario arcade game. Through use of the E-Reader accessory players can add extra levels and power-ups. These features should have been added to the game instead of using a peripheral that's not worth the investment.\nDespite its age and translation shortcomings, Super Mario Bros. 3 stands up as one of the true classics of video gaming. If you're looking for a bit of nostalgia, or just a perfect platformer, you can do no better than Mario 3.