The Super Mario Bros. 3 Detail That Will Change How You See The Game

The "Super Mario Bros." franchise has grown exponentially since the early days of the NES. And with that growth has come a number of fan theories and myths. Some of these are totally untrue, like the theory that Luigi is dead the whole time in "Luigi's Mansion." But believe it or not, some of these theories hit the nail right on the head. 

One of the most persistent myths among the Mario fandom is that the events of "Super Mario Bros. 3" are just an elaborate show put on by the featured characters. That's right; according to this theory, everything from Princess Peach's kidnapping to Mario leaping across a flying warship is actually all done in the spirit of entertainment, and is not representative of a real showdown between the Koopas and the Mushroom Kingdom. For years, this fan theory seemed to be just that, but a fun video from Nintendo finally revealed the truth behind "Super Mario Bros. 3" — and it'll change the way you look at just about every aspect of the game.

"Super Mario Bros. 3" opens with a curtain rising and revealing the title screen and several characters, and the theatrical aesthetic continues throughout the game. Background elements have shadows behind them, with many structures taking on the appearance of flats or hanging set pieces. The game even ends with a curtain call of sorts, taking players back through a slideshow of the various lands they've visited throughout the story. According to "Super Mario Bros." creator Shigeru Miyamoto, this was all intentional.

In a 2015 video entitled "Mario Myths with Mr. Miyamoto," Nintendo asked the designer/director a series of questions about the long-running franchise and got a nod or a head shake to confirm or deny each one. It was here that Miyamoto settled the question of whether or not "Super Mario Bros. 3" was meant to be a play performed by the hero and his pals. It's unclear why the denizens of the Mushroom Kingdom decided to act out a story in which their monarchs were kidnapped and mutated – or how they got Bowser and his kids to play along – but at least it looks like the actors all had a grand old time.