Upon playing Mario 3 for the second time, I defiently had alittle more exploration and understanding gained than I did on my first fresh start. There are certain nuances that you have to pick up to get through levels efficiently. Namely how far Mario skids when he stops running, and the height and bounds that the two different jumps give. This kind of seemless and consistent detail is what gives the game lasting appeal and some color - without that kind of detail and 2D platformer can be dry and boring. With these acquired skills and observations I found myself doing levels that I was forced to do over again, much faster. I had a kind of anticipation for what was coming next. Oddly enough I could not name for you the positioning of enemies and platforms, but if I were to start running through the level, I would be jumping in certain places because in the back of my head - unconsciously - I would know what was coming next. Kind of a tangent, but being a psychology major those are kinds of things I notice when I play games, and they have interesting implications for what skills come with being good at 2D platforms, and how many of them we are not consciously aware of.
So my revisitation of Mario 3 was an interesting one. I got some insights that I never would have gotten at the age I first played it - and of course got some retrospective feedback from comparing it to games that exist now. I think it more or less laid ground work for most gaming, as it started in a time where gaming was becoming much less primitive. And also in that sense I think it is solidified as a great game of the ages - as even coming back to play it after drudging along in games ingulfed in crisp graphics - the enjoyment of seeing that little pixely Italian jump around the screen still exists and is still widely appreciated.
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