Many would agree that the height of the 8 bit era gaming rests squarely on the shoulders of Mario 3. In fact, we thought so ourselves. It did what any truly good sequel does by building on what came before but taking it to the next level. Super Mario World for the SNES used the same strategy and is still fondly remembered today.

Recently, I stumbled across a plethora of official art related to the game that I hadn’t known about depicting each of the different worlds (plus the Sunken Ghost Ship, Star World and Special World).  It’s similar in tone and style to Mario 3’s strategy guide art but it’s a little more cartoony this time around. It further blurs the line between American cartoons and Japanese Manga art that would go on to be the staple of the series.

All images and characters depicted are copyright of their respective owners. Please click on the “About Us” tab for our takedown policy.