Super Mario Bros. 3 finally comes to the Virtual Console @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on November 05, 2007

News: One of the greatest games of all-time lands on Nintendo's download service.

Nintendo has revealed today's trio of Virtual Console releases and, as promised by Charles "the Voice of Mario" Martinet, Super Mario Bros. 3 leads the charge. Touted by Nintendo as "the greatest game ever," Super Mario Bros. 3 has been a long time coming for many Wii owners.

Two other games will be added to the service today, and not surprisingly, they are solidly second tier. They are Alien Soldier (from the Genesis) and Power Golf (from the TurboGrafx-16). While these games no doubt have their fans, they are not "the greatest game ever."

For those that need a reminder on what these three games are about, we've got you covered:

Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Remember when no one had ever heard of a Tanooki Suit or knew that Bowser had a clan of Koopalings? The game that made these things common knowledge is also considered by many to be one of the best ever made. Bowser and the Koopalings are causing chaos yet again, but this time they're going beyond the Mushroom Kingdom into the seven worlds that neighbor it. Now Mario and Luigi must battle new enemies, returning favorites and a new Koopaling in each unique and distinctive world on their way to ultimately taking on Bowser himself. Luckily for the brothers, they have more power-ups available than ever before. Fly above the action using the Super Leaf, swim faster by donning the Frog Suit or defeat enemies using the Hammer Bros. Suit. Use the brand-new overworld map to take the chance to play a minigame in hopes of gaining extra lives or to find a Toad's House where you can pick up additional items. All this (and more) combines into one of gaming's most well-known and beloved titlesЧare you ready to experience gaming bliss?

Alien Soldier (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older ЦFantasy Violence, 900 Wii Points): As Epsilon-Eagle, you are an alien soldier who has been genetically engineered to produce maximum intelligence and strength. You were once a member of the criminal organization Scarlet, but when you decided to break from the group, you were forced into a showdown with Scarlet's new leader Xi-Tiger, who kills a hostage in his attempt to destroy you. Now it's up to you to take revenge against the bad guys in this side-scrolling action game! Choose from six different weapons and battle the bosses of Scarlet until you reach the final confrontation with the ultimate secret weapon!

Power Golf (TurboGrafx16, 1-3 players, Rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points): Power Golf sports a perfect combination of simple-yet-realistic controls and beautiful graphics. Swing away on 18 lush holes in one of three different game modes: the single-player STROKE PLAY mode and the multiplayer MATCH PLAY and COMPETITION modes. Enter tournaments as one of three different charactersЧbeginner, intermediate and advanced. Wind strength and the slope of the green add extra challenges to each hole. Compete against other players in the standard NORMAL MATCH or ante up one of your clubs in the unique CLUB MATCH. Up to three players can play in COMPETITION mode, and a handicap feature is included to help novice players pull off breathtaking shots just like their advanced rivals.