Japan got Mario 3 in 1988 but here in the states we had to wait two more years. On February 12, 1990 saw it’s American release and that is why we are celebrating the 20th anniversary now. You may think I’m a few days late, but I was a few years late in getting to play SMB3 myself. I didn’t get am NES till Christmas 1994 at the age of six. It was my very first game system and SMB3 was my first game. Love at first sight you might say.
There is a great article on Games Radar about the anniversary. If you need a reminder of why I’m doing this then you need to read it. GamesRadar.com - Super Mario Bros 3: 20 Years Later
