Welcome to VC Weekly, N-Europe’s guide to the wonderful world of Nintendo’s download service. Written by Sam C Gittins

If you can't get enough of a certain classic NES platformer then here is a treat for you because for the first time we have the same game on both formats at once, just as well that it's one of the best ever made then! Anyway enough from me and on with the games!
 
Available for download this week we have...     

Super Mario Bros. 3 (Wii U)
Super Mario Bros. 3 (3DS)

Price: GB £3.49, EU €4.99
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo R&D4
Released: 1991
System: NES

Widely considered to be quite simply one of the finest entires in the series to date Super Mario Bros 3 which was released after the somewhat disappointing first sequel is responsible for incorporating many new elements into super Mario's world. Not only that though but the gameplay is so much like the terrific template of the original which set the standard except it improves upon it tenfold in its exemplary design.

Bowser along with his Koopalings are causing chaos yet again, but this time they're going beyond the Mushroom Kingdom and into the seven surrounding worlds. Mario and Luigi must battle new enemies, returning favorites and a new Koopaling in each unique yet distinctive world on their way to the final fight with the ever evil reptile himself.

This time around in addition to the already established mushroom, fireflower and starman items you also have access to a plethora of power-ups which make their dynamic debut. Everything from the terrific Tanooki ability acquired by the touch of a leaf to the Frog and Hammer Bros suits are here which enable Mario to Fly, Swim and throw projectiles respectively; these abilities are amazing additions which add so much to the game as well as being something previously unseen that genuinely amazed players upon the games original release.

Indeed the Power ups are a particularly prominent part of the game as you obtain them frequently within the levels or from Toad houses through a variety of simplistic but fun mini-games. The same can be said for lives which you will obtain regularly enough, yet this does not cheapen the game one bit as the level design is extremely well thought out, providing such a great challenge as you run and jump through an astonishing amount of levels which scroll both vertically and horizontally in both directions rather than being a simple “left to right” affair from start to finish.

Newly introduced is the map screen which acts as a hub of sorts as you travel through the seven splendid set-pieces which are the games worlds. Ranging from deserts, dungeons,  fire, ice and water based locations each featuring a lengthy set of levels including a sub/main castles too; oh and did I mention that you can now save your progress in addition power ups on the map screen? Yet another newly introduced innovation for this already impressive title which features some simply stunning 8-bit visuals and astounding audio considering the hardware, really it's a wonder how at the they managed to fit all this brilliance onto a single cartridge at the time.

There is so much more to this title that simply needs to be played to be believed, including extra explorable areas, exploits, shortcuts and much more is there for you the player to discover not to mention the solid two player battle mode. If you have yet to play this true Nintendo masterpiece then do yourself a favor and download what is quite possibly one of the finest platform games ever, for only less than three and a half pounds it is worth it now and would even be worth getting if it were more, a true classic now available to play by generations old and new alike complete with a thriving Miiverse community plus the option of playing on the TV screen or gamepad; pure platforming bliss even when compared with New Super Mario 3D World, never forget the greatness of the original Tanooki Suit even if the Cat one is rather cute.       

Verdict : Two-dimensional platforming at its very finest.

Price: GB £3.49, EU €4.99
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo R&D4
Released: 1991
System: NES

What else can I say about SMB3 that I haven't literally just said about the Wii U VC incarnation? Lots as it happens... the simple charm of those visually diverse worlds created from a relatively simple palette that actually has a lot of hidden depths thanks to its simple style that succeeds in supplying a constant feeling of contentment no matter how long you play is just one thing that makes this Mario title stand out from the others. Odd things such as having a dollar symbol in place of the standard coin icon, the bouncy white music blocks which sometimes contained a power-up, the stage where you have the sun literally trying to kill you and lets not forget the music box which makes all the Hammer Bros fall asleep on the map screen; it's simple things like this which really made Super Mario Bros. 3 all the more magical.  

Perhaps the best thing about this entry though is the sheer wealth of secrets contained within including the infamous crouching upon the white block in stage 1-3 allowing Mario to run in the background then behind the level end in order to obtain one of the magic whistles, discovering the lesser-known 'white coin ship' by meeting specific conditions within a level, unlockling the 'N-Spade' card game by beating an exisiting stage score of at least eighty-thousand or even finding some deviously hidden 1-up mushrooms. Not only is there an entire world filled with fantastic water-themed levels - a staple of any platformer worth its salt - but it's also interesting to note that the map theme of the third world sounds remarkably similar to the file select/fairy fountain theme from The Legend of Zelda, just another small detail which further adds to that classic Nintendo charm which is written through the very dna of this classic.

The precise nature of control that you have over Mario is really brilliant, mechanically this was very much the pinnacle for 8-bit releases as you always feel in complete control even today due to the fantastic Nintendo d-pad remaining almost unchanged over the years, the joy of playing this classic platformer on a portable machine can't be measured and while it would have been nice to have been able to only buy the game once so that it can just be enjoyed on both platforms the price is still worth it when you consider how much you will get out of the game in portable form. Having not played this title since the Wii VC version in addition to having grown up playing the visually superior version contained on the Super Mario All Stars cartridge on the SNES you might assume that it would be harder to appreciate the original NES version, if anything though it has made me enjoy it even more and while it may be true that the GBA remake is even supeior still there is definitely an overwhelming amount of appeal that goes with playing the original version on modern portable hardware.

Graphically the simple palette used is still wonderfully diverse as each different colour is used in exactly the right consistency in order to bring together something special which very much represents a true vision right from the start, further embellishment may have been added in the subsequent re-releases but in those blocks of colour mixed with sparingly used detail lies a beautifully pure videogame that manages to make me smile every time I see those quirky overworld maps and carefully pieced together stages no matter how many times I've played this before. Naturally the soundtrack is still a masterpiece even today with every track perfectly combined with each moment that you experience, thematically flawless, effortlessly flicking between carefree to tension-heightening from one stage to the next; all melded perfectly together with those iconic sound effects, many of which are still unchanged to this day including that iconic coin collection chime, invincibility theme and of course the super mushroom... in a word 'mesmerising'.

I could continue to go on about Super Mario Bros. 3 for an absurdly long time indeed, instead though all I will say is that if you're a genuine Nintendo fan but you've yet to play this title then there really is no excuse anymore - not there was before - not now that it's available on two current platforms for what is still peanuts even in todays uncertain economy. Of course for those of us who have already played this classic then this just serves as another excuse to play through it once again which is always a good thing, plus portability in addition to Miiverse integration should ensure that Super Mario Bros. 3 will remain in the spotlight for a good while to come yet, which is quite right too as without it we would surely not have the classic Mario games of today to which they owe this title almost everything; it acts as further proof that every Mario title in the future should continue to include the Tanooki Suit because
arguably it's still one of the greatest power-ups ever conceived.    

Verdict : Pure portable platforming at its finest.

That's it for another installment of VC Weekly which will return again soon. So until then, enjoy the rest of the week and Game On!