20 Nintendo Games You Must Play Before You Die

20. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)

After dreaming up the template for the quintessential side-scrolling platformer with the original Super Mario Bros in 1986, Nintendo perfected it when it released Super Mario Bros 3 on the NES several years later.

The company mascot's third adventure was bigger and better than its predecessors in virtually every respect. Its visuals were more colourful with a level of detail that pushed the 8-bit hardware to its limits, and many of the new features it introduced became staples of the series for generations to come.

The overworld map, the Koopalings and power-ups that grant Mario and Luigi flight capabilities made their debuts right here.

Like most core Mario games, this winning sequel hit that sweet spot between accessibility, playability and challenge; qualities which made it impossible to put down.

Super Mario Bros 3 is, in many ways, the definitive side-scrolling platformer, and although there have been countless attempts to replicate its magic over the years, the only ones that have succeeded came from Nintendo itself.