While most view Super Mario Bros. 3 as a perfect game, Miyamoto bashed the beloved Mario title.
He reflected on his body of work during a Q&A for Time Magazine‘s Techland, and in doing so, he had some less-than-flattering things to say about the beloved NES game. While Miyamoto did appear to have some fondness for the original Mario trilogy, he actually felt some embarrassment after revisiting these older titles. Naturally, he could have called out Super Mario Bros. 1 or 2, but he chose 3 as an example of something he felt was no longer “good enough.”
Though Miyamoto might have been underwhelmed by Super Mario Bros. 3 in hindsight, he did acknowledge that “the balance in that game is what it needed to be at that time.” From there, he expressed that he wouldn’t change a thing, even if it wasn’t his proudest achievement.
Mario’s creator may feel that Super Mario Bros. 3 is dated, but that doesn’t mean fans share his opinion. The game has stood the test of time and continues to be a fan favorite.
