3 is a book about a game - nonfiction and educational.

Yet, these personal anecdotes didn’t always smoothly integrate into the book. The raccoon is a reference to a suit Mario can put on in the game, but the actual image is not included. SMB3 allowed Knorr to take on multiple identities in her childhood in a way that helped her explore herself, and this perspective was new and interesting to me. Yet, Knorr could also relate to Mario, the guy chasing after the princess. Bringing in similes, Knorr analyzes her relationship to the giant lizard bad guy, Bowser, and how she felt like a monster, too, because she likes girls. Knorr lovingly writes about her days watching her father play SMB3 and then growing to be the one who played while her little brother watched. Reading was like travelling down memory lane, though it would have been much better to have images! Likely, the copyright would be too costly for a small press like Boss Fight Books, though. For example, I remembered the little guy on the cloud that would throw spiney things, but Knorr describes and them names the character– Lakitu. The right reader will be thankful for reminders because they probably haven’t played the game since it came out in the early 90s. If you haven’t played, you won’t be able to picture the maps, characters, and special features of SMB3. You must have played the game to understand Knorr’s book, but you likely wouldn’t be a hard-core fan who sought out all the extras and history of SMB3.

The audience for this book isn’t hard to pinpoint. Knorr expounds on her own history with the game, why it was so popular, and how the creator controlled even the smallest details of the game’s look, feel, and playability. Alyse Knorr tackles one of my favorite videogames of all time, Super Mario Bros. Some Boss Fight Books previously reviewed at TNBBC include Shadow of the Colossus and Earthbound.

Each book they publish is a nonfiction work about a videogame, but the authors approach their topics differently.

The publisher Boss Fight Books fills a specific niche, one that thrills the hearts of old-school gaming nerds everywhere.

Super mario bros 3 old game shelf