Super Mario Bros 3 (Nintendo NES, 1990)

Often considered the pinnacle of 8-bit achievement, Super Mario Bros. 3 is an epic platformer that combines classic gameplay, excellent level design, stellar graphics, and memorable music to create a truly remarkable gaming experience. The most highly anticipated game of its time, it went on to sell over 18 million copies worldwide to become the best-selling game ever in the U.S. 

Unlike Super Mario Bros. 2, which diverted from the first game in both story and gameplay, Super Mario Bros. 3 returns to more familiar territory, with Princess Toadstool once again being kidnapped by Bowser and the Mario Bros. again coming to her rescue. Although the gameplay builds on the basic running and jumping of the original, a wealth of new features have been added, including a map screen, bonus games, the capability to store multiple power-ups, and, most importantly, the introduction of "suits" for Mario and Luigi to wear. These suits function much like the mushroom and fire flower power-ups in the original, endowing the character with additional powers such as flight, swimming prowess, and the ability to throw hammers. 

The game's huge world consists of eight distinctly themed lands, ranging from Grass Land to Ice Land to Pipe Land. The map screen allows players to complete certain levels out of order or skip them altogether, giving the game a nonlinear feel. In a two-player game, Mario and Luigi work together by alternating turns whenever a player finishes a level or loses a life, but they can also compete in a special version of Mario Bros., accessible by selecting an already completed level on the map screen. 

The only questionable aspect of the game's structure is that there is no password or save feature, meaning players have to finish the entire adventure in one sitting. This really can't be considered a flaw, but it does greatly add to the challenge of completing Super Mario Bros. 3's long quest.