Author Topic: The anchor in Super Mario Bros. 3 (Read 17989 times)

warpzone · « **on:** March 23, 2008, 07:09:59 PM »

When you collect a certain amount of coins in each level the mushroom house appears. I don't know what the anchor in the even levels does. I've used it and nothing happened, I came back to the spot later and explored and for the life of me I have no clue what it's good for. I'm guessing that if you get a game over then you can start at where you used the anchor but never tested this theory..if you've getting the mushroom houes you probably wouldn't need that sort of help anyways right? So what does it do?

warpzone · « **Reply #1 on:** March 23, 2008, 07:11:21 PM »

I see that anchor taunting me at the top of eah post :-)

Koopaslaya · « **Reply #2 on:** March 23, 2008, 07:13:26 PM »

The anchor will stop the airships from moving automatically (the auto-scroll). It's probably the most useful in 5-Airship, but even there it's largely unnecessary. I never really use it, waste of an inventory item.

warpzone · « **Reply #3 on:** March 23, 2008, 07:16:25 PM »

Thanks. That is pretty pointless. I'd rather have a frog that'll pobably get you killed jumping on land.

Deezer · « **Reply #4 on:** March 23, 2008, 07:39:18 PM »

The airships will always auto-scroll. The anchor keeps the ships from moving on the map screen if you die in the airship stage.

Bag of Magic Food · « **Reply #5 on:** March 23, 2008, 08:29:10 PM »

Now that that question has been answered, this topic needs a poll.

"Which color anchor do you like better: Silver or brown?"

ShadowBrain · « **Reply #6 on:** March 24, 2008, 07:01:04 AM »

Silver, of course. Who in the world would have a wooden anchor instead of a steel one?

Koopaslaya · « **Reply #7 on:** March 24, 2008, 08:12:41 AM »

And this proves that I have never actually used the anchor. :).

Luigalaxy · « **Reply #8 on:** March 24, 2008, 09:57:04 AM »

Go silver!

BP · « **Reply #9 on:** March 24, 2008, 04:23:49 PM »

Chupperson Weird · « **Reply #10 on:** March 24, 2008, 04:48:35 PM »

ShadowBrain, what if it rusted?

ShadowBrain · « **Reply #11 on:** March 24, 2008, 10:05:53 PM »

Then it would be a reddish anchor.

Suffix · « **Reply #12 on:** March 24, 2008, 10:32:24 PM »

Bird Person: is that the rival from Silver Version or something? And even if it is (or isn't), isn't that a bit of a tangent?

BP · « **Reply #13 on:** March 24, 2008, 10:43:53 PM »

Like you are Red and Blue is Blue, you're Gold and he's Silver. Go Silver!

Bag of Magic Food · « **Reply #14 on:** March 24, 2008, 11:07:34 PM »

Go, Yaffa!

N64 Chick · « **Reply #15 on:** March 25, 2008, 11:30:33 AM »

Darn you, Bird Person. Now you made me want to play Silver. Such good times...

missingno · « **Reply #16 on:** March 29, 2008, 09:27:51 AM »

I deem the anchor useless, since I find it difficult to lose on the airships.

ShadowBrain · « **Reply #17 on:** March 29, 2008, 09:36:10 AM »

Really? ...Wow, what stages don't you find it difficult to lose on?

missingno · « **Reply #18 on:** March 29, 2008, 06:24:45 PM »

Well I've been playing Super Mario Bros. 3 ever since my youth. I've beaten it more times than I could ever count.

goodie · « **Reply #19 on:** March 30, 2008, 02:51:20 PM »

Quote from: missingno on March 29, 2008, 09:27:51 AM

I deem the anchor useless, since I find it difficult to lose on the airships.

And even if you do lose, and the doomship moves somewhere else, you can just follow it.

Chupperson Weird · « **Reply #20 on:** March 30, 2008, 02:54:31 PM »

Yeah, except sometimes you have to play extra levels and stuff to get to it.

missingno · « **Reply #21 on:** March 31, 2008, 10:36:15 PM »

Like it was said in a previous post, World 5 is the only one it's annoying in, and that's only really if you keep losing on it and it goes back up to the sky. That castle can take some time.
I usually try to clear all the levels, makes for more fun, and easier if I mess up on the air ship.

Turtlekid1 · « **Reply #22 on:** April 09, 2008, 12:41:20 PM »

I am a perfectionist to the last, and since downloading SMB3 earlier this year from virtual console I haven't skipped one level... I guess I just feel obliged that way; that, and it is easier to catch up with an airship with the whole map cleared.

penguinwizard · « **Reply #23 on:** April 09, 2008, 01:31:41 PM »

Quote from: missingno on March 31, 2008, 10:36:15 PM

Like it was said in a previous post, World 5 is the only one it's annoying in, and that's only really if you keep losing on it and it goes back up to the sky. That castle can take some time.
I usually try to clear all the levels, makes for more fun, and easier if I mess up on the air ship.

Ah, okay, that explains why you'd use it on World 5. I haven't played SMB3 in years, so I forgot all about the Anchor and what it did. I don't think the Anchor lets you resume from a part midway in the level (I don't think SMB3 had midway points anywhere). So it seems it's merely an item to make sure you don't have to travel across the map whenever you lose on the airship. Which makes it pointless. I believe an airship must be on the world map before you can use the anchor and get it out of your inventory.

I prefer the silver anchor. I don't remember the brown anchor, I don't think there's any difference between them other than a required color palette change.