Super Mario Bros. 3 is no doubt the proper, fully realized sequel that Mario rightfully deserved. All the levels are concise and to the point. The diverging paths and items like the cloud and warp whistle show you a bit of leniency in letting you approach the game in multiple ways. The levels even still deliver on a putting up a moderate challenge despite that. Besides the Super Leaf, the Hammer Suit and Frog Suit were also such unique additions that it’s a shame they’ve never made a return in any subsequent Mario platformers since. It introduces yet even more staple enemies than Super Mario Bros. 2 USA did. The controls feel the closest to modern Mario out of all the classic NES titles.
Super Mario Bros. 3 gave Mario a whole new beginning to jump off of. It is one of the most essential games for the NES for this reason. It’s not one I would call one of my favorite Mario games of all time, but for its era this was as good as it got.

The decision to not give the initial Super Mario Bros. 2 (The Lost Levels) its own unique identity was a neglectful and hasty one. The immense success of the first title caught Nintendo in an aimless frenzy and what we would get was the best they had to work with. While not developed at first with Mario in mind, Super Mario Bros. 2 USA would have such a profound impact on the Mario franchise nonetheless that it's almost difficult not to view it as an authentic Mario game nowadays.
As you sit down and play it, however, all that background you've probably heard time and again ends up failing to make up for the unreal amount of JANK that is there within. Spawning of enemies for example is a huge problem, where an enemy you're expecting to see either doesn't spawn at all or even respawns a mere inch off screen right after you've already killed them. Collision feels particularly unfair and unforgiving, making it a nightmare to maneuver around its more crowded levels. Topped with awkward movement, I often felt like I was fighting the controls rather than the enemies and bosses themselves.
While not as excruciating as The Lost Levels, it serves not as an exceptional title, but only a historically significant one and little else.