The current heat wave in many parts of the world definitely has us feeling like the sun is out to get us. (Super Mario All-Stars on SNES, 1993)
Posted on July 1, 2026
If you grew up with Super Mario Bros. 3 on the NES back in 1990, you probably still remember the first time the angry sun came for your life in World 2-3. This wasn’t your regular Goomba stroll—out of nowhere, this furious, glaring sun literally swoops down trying to fry you while you’re dodging quicksand and Koopa shells. No warning. No mercy. It’s one of those moments that burned itself into your brain because it flipped the script—suddenly the sky itself was your enemy. The angry sun showed up again in later re-releases like Super Mario All-Stars (1993) and Super Mario Advance 4 (2003), but nothing hits quite like that first NES panic when you’re hammering the D-pad, praying you make it to the flag before that sun takes you out.