Easily the best version of the best 2d Mario game. The graphics are nice, the SFX are improved from the SNES version, and it comes with Mario Bros which is also pretty fun. There are also the e-reader levels but I never played those. If you have a GBA then I strongly suggest picking this up.
The score primarily reflects World-e and the e-Reader levels.
The main game is just fine; the screen crunch generally actually doesn't affect the game much, since SMB3 was never a particularly vertical game to begin with except for a few levels.
Some quality of life changes might benefit players, like being able to return to previous worlds after beating the game, and how getting a Fire Flower as small Mario instantly makes him Fire Mario. It's largely take-it-or-leave-it features, though, so if you prefer the NES or SNES versions, there's no real reason to play this.
Especially because World-e sucks. If you're playing this version, you're probably playing for the e-Reader levels:
Don't.
There's absolutely zero point to doing so. There's no reward for getting all the e-Coins nor the Advance Coins, nor completing all the levels as both Mario and Luigi. It's probably because the e-Reader was discontinued before all the planned SMA4 cards could be released, even in Japan - there undoubtedly were plans to release more levels, which might have had included rewards for 100% completion?
But that wouldn't matter if the levels were fun, which... they're more miss than hit.
A key problem with World-e in general is that Luigi behaves completely differently to how he does in the main game; he's a lot floatier, more slippery and slightly slower, like an exaggerated version of how he should feel.
This surprisingly does not work well with the level design as a whole; there are levels where Luigi's movement feels just unaccounted for, like It's a Shoe-In, Caped Escape, No Time to Dawdle and Castle Dash. Controlling Luigi in general does not feel good or precise enough, and I can't recommend playing as him at all.
Another big issue is something inherited from the base Super Mario Bros. 3, actually: there are no checkpoints in any level whatsoever.
This gets extremely tricky and tedious, since World-e levels are generally far longer and sometimes more difficult than the base game levels, especially if you're going for the Advance Coins. Dying with 4/5, even all 5 Advance Coins collected in a stage and having to retry it to get them all again without dying again is agonizing, especially in auto-scrolling levels; I eventually resorted to save states, which I hope the Wii U version includes as well.
It's just such a weird decision when World-e imports various other features from the other Super Mario Advance games. Would adding the checkpoints from Super Mario World really have been too much?
The level design feels... inconsistent, almost like Mario Maker levels of quality. There's some really interesting ideas explored sometimes... then there's some that are too easily undermined, or some that's simply not balanced for completion with zero checkpoints. Maybe it's worth a look if you're looking for different takes on Mario level mechanics, but... expect inconsistent quality.
I wish this could have been done with Super Mario Advance 2 instead, honestly. Mario's movement is much more precise in SMW in general, and introducing SMB3's plethora of power-ups in that game might have been more interesting than just throwing in the Cape Feather into this game. Checkpoints would be a much welcome addition, and since you collect Dragon Coins in the main levels anyway, it wouldn't have been as much of a change of pace to collect Advance Coins in these levels, compared to the contrast in pacing between the SMB3 and World-e portions of Super Mario Advance 4.
Oh, and less autoscrolling airships. That would have been nice.
Sadly, Nintendo does not like making good business decisions.
The main game is just fine; the screen crunch generally actually doesn't affect the game much, since SMB3 was never a particularly vertical game to begin with except for a few levels.
Some quality of life changes might benefit players, like being able to return to previous worlds after beating the game, and how getting a Fire Flower as small Mario instantly makes him Fire Mario. It's largely take-it-or-leave-it features, though, so if you prefer the NES or SNES versions, there's no real reason to play this.
Especially because World-e sucks. If you're playing this version, you're probably playing for the e-Reader levels:
Don't.
There's absolutely zero point to doing so. There's no reward for getting all the e-Coins nor the Advance Coins, nor completing all the levels as both Mario and Luigi. It's probably because the e-Reader was discontinued before all the planned SMA4 cards could be released, even in Japan - there undoubtedly were plans to release more levels, which might have had included rewards for 100% completion?
But that wouldn't matter if the levels were fun, which... they're more miss than hit.
A key problem with World-e in general is that Luigi behaves completely differently to how he does in the main game; he's a lot floatier, more slippery and slightly slower, like an exaggerated version of how he should feel.
This surprisingly does not work well with the level design as a whole; there are levels where Luigi's movement feels just unaccounted for, like It's a Shoe-In, Caped Escape, No Time to Dawdle and Castle Dash. Controlling Luigi in general does not feel good or precise enough, and I can't recommend playing as him at all.
Another big issue is something inherited from the base Super Mario Bros. 3, actually: there are no checkpoints in any level whatsoever.
This gets extremely tricky and tedious, since World-e levels are generally far longer and sometimes more difficult than the base game levels, especially if you're going for the Advance Coins. Dying with 4/5, even all 5 Advance Coins collected in a stage and having to retry it to get them all again without dying again is agonizing, especially in auto-scrolling levels; I eventually resorted to save states, which I hope the Wii U version includes as well.
It's just such a weird decision when World-e imports various other features from the other Super Mario Advance games. Would adding the checkpoints from Super Mario World really have been too much?
The level design feels... inconsistent, almost like Mario Maker levels of quality. There's some really interesting ideas explored sometimes... then there's some that are too easily undermined, or some that's simply not balanced for completion with zero checkpoints. Maybe it's worth a look if you're looking for different takes on Mario level mechanics, but... expect inconsistent quality.
I wish this could have been done with Super Mario Advance 2 instead, honestly. Mario's movement is much more precise in SMW in general, and introducing SMB3's plethora of power-ups in that game might have been more interesting than just throwing in the Cape Feather into this game. Checkpoints would be a much welcome addition, and since you collect Dragon Coins in the main levels anyway, it wouldn't have been as much of a change of pace to collect Advance Coins in these levels, compared to the contrast in pacing between the SMB3 and World-e portions of Super Mario Advance 4.
Oh, and less autoscrolling airships. That would have been nice.
Sadly, Nintendo does not like making good business decisions.
The e-reader levels are so insanely good that it's completely ridiculous that Nintendo locked them behind cards no one could even easily get for a peripheral no one bought
Its Mario 3
"Is Super Mario Bros. 3 the greatest Mario game of all time?"
To many people, the answer is a resounding yes. Everyone will forever sing its praises and accomplishments until the angry sun blows up. Am I of the same opinion as various others? Yes... and no. While I'm in the boat that agrees that SMB3 is tied as the best 2D Mario game ever made, it... isn't the best Mario game. At least, not for me. To join the choir for a moment, I can very much see why many people have the opinion they do. Where do I even begin with this game? Godlike powerups, item preservation, dynamic level design, an open map structure, and a significantly larger game than any of its predecessors makes this a remarkable title in a sea of remarkable titles. The game somehow even gets better with the Wii U version of Super Mario Advance 4, bringing in all the e-reader levels to make a complete package. That automatically makes this the definitive SMB3 experience. However, nothing's perfect and this game does have one crack within its undeniably beautiful marble. World 7 is the point where I realized that this isn't a perfect game. The level design and the difficulty curve of the world I felt was too detached from what made the other worlds so great and it hampered my experience by the slightest margin. Is Super Mario Bros. 3 the greatest Mario game of all time? No. Is it a fantastic game and one of the best 2D Mario games to come out? Absolutely.
To many people, the answer is a resounding yes. Everyone will forever sing its praises and accomplishments until the angry sun blows up. Am I of the same opinion as various others? Yes... and no. While I'm in the boat that agrees that SMB3 is tied as the best 2D Mario game ever made, it... isn't the best Mario game. At least, not for me. To join the choir for a moment, I can very much see why many people have the opinion they do. Where do I even begin with this game? Godlike powerups, item preservation, dynamic level design, an open map structure, and a significantly larger game than any of its predecessors makes this a remarkable title in a sea of remarkable titles. The game somehow even gets better with the Wii U version of Super Mario Advance 4, bringing in all the e-reader levels to make a complete package. That automatically makes this the definitive SMB3 experience. However, nothing's perfect and this game does have one crack within its undeniably beautiful marble. World 7 is the point where I realized that this isn't a perfect game. The level design and the difficulty curve of the world I felt was too detached from what made the other worlds so great and it hampered my experience by the slightest margin. Is Super Mario Bros. 3 the greatest Mario game of all time? No. Is it a fantastic game and one of the best 2D Mario games to come out? Absolutely.
Happy Mario Day.
Sorry Mario World fans, this will always be the BEST classic 2D mario game, and Advance 4 is an excellent port.
But man FUCK that title. Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3. Bro that is like two steps away from a Kingdom Hearts title.
Played on NSO GBA
Sorry Mario World fans, this will always be the BEST classic 2D mario game, and Advance 4 is an excellent port.
But man FUCK that title. Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3. Bro that is like two steps away from a Kingdom Hearts title.
Played on NSO GBA
An enhanced version of the SMB3 SNES All-Stars version considered by many as the 'definitive' SMB3 game over the original.
Definitely one of the most enjoyable classic Mario side-scrolling games and (at the time) a huge improvement over the first two games in terms of level design, powerups and overall content. The improved graphics and additional content are welcome additions to this GBA version of the game.
Stages are on the shorter side but well-designed with perhaps the exception of World 8 where the game becomes frustratingly difficult.
Definitely one of the most enjoyable classic Mario side-scrolling games and (at the time) a huge improvement over the first two games in terms of level design, powerups and overall content. The improved graphics and additional content are welcome additions to this GBA version of the game.
Stages are on the shorter side but well-designed with perhaps the exception of World 8 where the game becomes frustratingly difficult.
Um dos poucos jogos da franquia que me interessou, e que tem algo de especial.
Realmente uma ótima experiência, o jogo foi muito divertido de zerar, não é tão fácil, mas ainda é longe de algo fora da realidade, traz novas mecânicas como o menu de power-ups, inimigos especiais andando pelo mapa que permitem o uso de um power-up para abrir partes inacessíveis do mapa, o mapa em si, as ajudas que o Toad dá, com jogos da memória e baús que te dão poderes que muitas vezes são raros, e em geral, muitos acréscimos e novidades para a franquia...
Além disso, o jogo tem um belo design, o trabalho em pixel aqui, é de se admirar, cores vivas e até sistemas de luz e sombra que deixam a arte do jogo única e também confortante, os mapas são vivos e muitas vezes geram uma impressão de movimento, a trilha sonora é ótima já que é feita pelo mesmo compositor das músicas incríveis de Zelda, muitos sons e partes de músicas do jogo lembram outras da franquia Zelda, apenas tenho uma crítica em relação à trilha sonora já que o jogo possui uma trilha sonora pra fases de água, uma pro subterrâneo, uma pra fases de boss, uma pra castelo e uma pra mapas normais, o problema aqui, é que essas músicas não variam pelos mundos, mas não deixam de ser boas, e a falta de mais músicas em fases não abaixa a nota do jogo, é apenas um detalhe que se fosse acrescentado melhoraria a experiência, mas como isso se dá apenas em fases (já que no mapa do jogo as músicas variam pelo mundo), não vejo problema nessa questão, prefiro poucas músicas boas do que muitas irrelevantes.
O jogo tem apenas um boss nos castelos, sempre o mesmo, poderia ter mais criatividade por parte dos desenvolvedores nesse aspecto, mas faz o jogador se acostumar com o padrão do boss, já que sempre o castelo varia sua forma e mecânica, então o boss ser o mesmo não é algo realmente ruim...
O jogo tem ótimos mundos, cada um com algo especial em si, com destaque pro mundo 4 e 7, que respectivamente são, um mundo aonde tudo é gigante, e um mundo de canos, aonde possui muitas pegadinhas e uma exigência lógica por parte do jogador.
Os power-ups do jogo são uns dos melhores da franquia e são muito balanceados, o de sapo é ruim em fases terrestres mas é quase obrigatório em fases aquáticas, pois aumenta a velocidade e a fluidez dos movimentos nas fases do tipo, a tanooki é uma versão melhorada da raccoon suit, já que na raccoon é possível voar por alguns segundos caso esteja correndo ao nível máximo, além de planar e dar rabadas nos inimigos, resumindo, a raccoon suit é muito boa mas tem suas limitações, existe também outra versão da raccoon suit só que sem uma limitação de voo, e a tanooki suit permite as mesmas coisas que a raccoon padrão só que com um acréscimo, pois permite o personagem virar uma estátua imune à ataques por alguns segundos, e também a hammer suit que permite o lançamento de martelos para frente, sob trajetórias diferentes, mas voltando ao início, o jogo tem power-ups únicos e amplos, além de balanceados.
Acredito não ter mais nada o que falar, então agora, sobre o jogo em geral, muito bom, merece o reconhecimento que tem e até bem mais que jogos ruins muito hypados como o super mario bros, já que mudou totalmente o aspecto da franquia e deu uma aula para a realização de um jogo inovador, um jogo muito importante em tudo oque fez e marcou gerações com uma ótima e execução em tudo, a luta final é animadora e o jogo dá uma grande emoção e cada mais vontade de jogá-lo... Em geral, o jogo é ótimo e mesmo o foco do jogo sendo a diversão dos fãs, consegue ser muito bom em quesitos técnicos também, incrível jogo.
Realmente uma ótima experiência, o jogo foi muito divertido de zerar, não é tão fácil, mas ainda é longe de algo fora da realidade, traz novas mecânicas como o menu de power-ups, inimigos especiais andando pelo mapa que permitem o uso de um power-up para abrir partes inacessíveis do mapa, o mapa em si, as ajudas que o Toad dá, com jogos da memória e baús que te dão poderes que muitas vezes são raros, e em geral, muitos acréscimos e novidades para a franquia...
Além disso, o jogo tem um belo design, o trabalho em pixel aqui, é de se admirar, cores vivas e até sistemas de luz e sombra que deixam a arte do jogo única e também confortante, os mapas são vivos e muitas vezes geram uma impressão de movimento, a trilha sonora é ótima já que é feita pelo mesmo compositor das músicas incríveis de Zelda, muitos sons e partes de músicas do jogo lembram outras da franquia Zelda, apenas tenho uma crítica em relação à trilha sonora já que o jogo possui uma trilha sonora pra fases de água, uma pro subterrâneo, uma pra fases de boss, uma pra castelo e uma pra mapas normais, o problema aqui, é que essas músicas não variam pelos mundos, mas não deixam de ser boas, e a falta de mais músicas em fases não abaixa a nota do jogo, é apenas um detalhe que se fosse acrescentado melhoraria a experiência, mas como isso se dá apenas em fases (já que no mapa do jogo as músicas variam pelo mundo), não vejo problema nessa questão, prefiro poucas músicas boas do que muitas irrelevantes.
O jogo tem apenas um boss nos castelos, sempre o mesmo, poderia ter mais criatividade por parte dos desenvolvedores nesse aspecto, mas faz o jogador se acostumar com o padrão do boss, já que sempre o castelo varia sua forma e mecânica, então o boss ser o mesmo não é algo realmente ruim...
O jogo tem ótimos mundos, cada um com algo especial em si, com destaque pro mundo 4 e 7, que respectivamente são, um mundo aonde tudo é gigante, e um mundo de canos, aonde possui muitas pegadinhas e uma exigência lógica por parte do jogador.
Os power-ups do jogo são uns dos melhores da franquia e são muito balanceados, o de sapo é ruim em fases terrestres mas é quase obrigatório em fases aquáticas, pois aumenta a velocidade e a fluidez dos movimentos nas fases do tipo, a tanooki é uma versão melhorada da raccoon suit, já que na raccoon é possível voar por alguns segundos caso esteja correndo ao nível máximo, além de planar e dar rabadas nos inimigos, resumindo, a raccoon suit é muito boa mas tem suas limitações, existe também outra versão da raccoon suit só que sem uma limitação de voo, e a tanooki suit permite as mesmas coisas que a raccoon padrão só que com um acréscimo, pois permite o personagem virar uma estátua imune à ataques por alguns segundos, e também a hammer suit que permite o lançamento de martelos para frente, sob trajetórias diferentes, mas voltando ao início, o jogo tem power-ups únicos e amplos, além de balanceados.
Acredito não ter mais nada o que falar, então agora, sobre o jogo em geral, muito bom, merece o reconhecimento que tem e até bem mais que jogos ruins muito hypados como o super mario bros, já que mudou totalmente o aspecto da franquia e deu uma aula para a realização de um jogo inovador, um jogo muito importante em tudo oque fez e marcou gerações com uma ótima e execução em tudo, a luta final é animadora e o jogo dá uma grande emoção e cada mais vontade de jogá-lo... Em geral, o jogo é ótimo e mesmo o foco do jogo sendo a diversão dos fãs, consegue ser muito bom em quesitos técnicos também, incrível jogo.
Downgrade over the original now with the bonus of levels you don't really care about.
I fucking love this game's title
Played this on the GBA as a kid. I don't think I ever beat it.
Heck yeah, Nostalgia and good old mario. I mean, it is the classic Jump&Run Mario experience, on todays standard it is not really all that special, but doesnt really do anything wrong either. One of the first games i ever played tho
if you could play as Luigi outside of the e-reader levels than perhaps it would be better
Minus screen crunch, probably the best way to play this game (especially cause of the e reader levels if you play on Wii U or switch)
Definitely a fun way to play Super Mario Bros. 3. The musical quality and save feature does pale in comparison to the SNES version, but the portability factor is super nice. If I had to choose between this and All-Stars, I'm going to pick All-Stars. However, if this is all you have, then this isn't a bad way to play.
Honestly pretty good port of Super Mario Bros 3, and was fun to revisit with all it's GBA-ness: the constant voice samples, the crunchy audio, Mario Bros is there, it's fun to see this on an official modern Nintendo service. I came here to check out the notorious e-reader levels, but ended up just playing through the game because Super Mario Bros 3 is neat. But I ended up coming out of it a lot more mixed on SMB3. I remembered this game being harder than 2 (USA) or World, but I didn't remember levels feeling so...sloppy. Some of them are weirdly short, or have obstacles and enemies just placed on top of a mostly flat level, there are way too many maze levels, levels can be weirdly cruel in a way that feels off. The power-ups, while a lot of them cool in design and concept, often either only exist to skip entire levels or feel like they're not utilized in levels enough to make them that exciting. It's stuff like the Hammer Bros suit not being able to break bricks, or Kuribo's Shoe being in only one short level. It feels like the team was solely focused on making a Bigger game with More Stuff, but ended up losing sight of making levels that feel as well crafted as 1 or 2.
At the same time, I forgot how much multiplayer in this game rules. Many games have borrowed SMB3's world map, but very few actually realize that it's modeled after a board game for a reason. Players 1 and 2 take turns capturing levels, while also having the ability to challenge a player's space at any time. They can race to bonus games and power-ups and use items found from roaming enemies to get ahead of the other player on the map. SMB3 not having a save feature in its original release probably makes getting through a whole game like this a lot more challenging, but later versions adding a save file allows it to be the most exciting of the side-scrollers to go through with a friend, even rivaling the New Super Mario Bros series despite not having simultaneous play.
But what about the e-reader levels? Well, I didn't like them! They lean in even more into SMB3's difficulty and have even more mazes, and while even with my frustrations I was still able to finish the main game, I couldn't get more than 20 levels into this mode. Some levels manage to have fun gimmicks, and there's somewhat of a thrill seeing an official Mario game break away from the level design formula Nintendo has insisted on for decades now, but these levels weren't fun to me. Nowadays, with save-states, the NES SMB3 is probably still my favorite of any version, as the All-Stars/Advance version removes everything unique about that game's use of color and art-style, so this version kind of has no use to me, but I appreciate Nintendo seeing that this is still worth bringing over, and I hope they do so for the rest of the Super Mario Advance series. They have their idiosyncrasies, they get weird in a lot of places, the original version will always be there so why not? This is the end of the review now, I can't think of an ending sentence, goodbye.
At the same time, I forgot how much multiplayer in this game rules. Many games have borrowed SMB3's world map, but very few actually realize that it's modeled after a board game for a reason. Players 1 and 2 take turns capturing levels, while also having the ability to challenge a player's space at any time. They can race to bonus games and power-ups and use items found from roaming enemies to get ahead of the other player on the map. SMB3 not having a save feature in its original release probably makes getting through a whole game like this a lot more challenging, but later versions adding a save file allows it to be the most exciting of the side-scrollers to go through with a friend, even rivaling the New Super Mario Bros series despite not having simultaneous play.
But what about the e-reader levels? Well, I didn't like them! They lean in even more into SMB3's difficulty and have even more mazes, and while even with my frustrations I was still able to finish the main game, I couldn't get more than 20 levels into this mode. Some levels manage to have fun gimmicks, and there's somewhat of a thrill seeing an official Mario game break away from the level design formula Nintendo has insisted on for decades now, but these levels weren't fun to me. Nowadays, with save-states, the NES SMB3 is probably still my favorite of any version, as the All-Stars/Advance version removes everything unique about that game's use of color and art-style, so this version kind of has no use to me, but I appreciate Nintendo seeing that this is still worth bringing over, and I hope they do so for the rest of the Super Mario Advance series. They have their idiosyncrasies, they get weird in a lot of places, the original version will always be there so why not? This is the end of the review now, I can't think of an ending sentence, goodbye.
Unless you're actively looking to bulk up a GBA library, there's no chance you're going to start caring about Super Mario Advance 4. I'd just like to talk about some of the reasons I do.
This was Nintendo's last big swing on a GBA Mario platformer, and unlike Super Mario World or Yoshi's Island, the idea of Mario 3 running on it didn't seem like a massive technical achievement. This was the last mainline Mario game that was allowed to be a bit weird and lumpy, before the release of New Super Mario Bros brought in The Great Unification, and the character design style guide became gospel. Changes to Super Mario Bros 3 itself are fairly low-level and easy to overlook. It's the set of original e-Reader levels that get all the attention today. Some of the tweaks are welcome though.
Super Mario Advance 4 opens with a new animated introduction sequence that helps establish the scenario. Importantly, it clarifies something that many players misinterpreted about the original game - It's not a game about Princess Peach being kidnapped. Peach is actually your commanding officer in this game, sending Mario and Luigi off to help seven kings who have been transformed by the Koopalings. It isn't until World 8 that the old trope comes back in. A last minute twist that elevates the sense of peril. It's a significant distinction that Peach critics willfully ignore. She isn't a helpless damsel in this game, but a leader who actively fights Bowser's injustices. It just went tits up at the end, while she was so busy packing power-ups in handwritten letters.
This is also the sharpest Super Mario Bros 3 has looked. There's all sorts of smoke and mirrors to get this running on the NES, with the game performing arcane rituals on the right-hand of the screen to render each new tile in time. All-Stars always looked a bit misty and indistinct (though there's a chance this is associated with memories of lossy video signals, and I'm misjudging this). Advance 4 really pops with vivid colours and confident presentation. It's an ideal 3:2 sort-of-widescreen version of Mario 3.
The new Switch Online version also brings over one of the game's more obscure features. SMA4 was designed to utilise the Game Boy Player, and was one of a short list of titles to support rumble on GameCube controllers. This hasn't been overlooked by the new emulator's developers, and a Rumble toggle can be accessed via the main options screen. The game makes sparing use of it, generally only rumbling when Mario takes a hit, but if a Koopa Troopa is about to emerge from a shell you're holding, you'll get a wee jolt on the controller. It's a really welcome adjustment, particularly for those who haven't learned Mario 3's rhythms and timings by heart over years of familiarity.
Then we're back to the e-Reader levels. I think a lot of people give the wrong impression when discussing them. They're not a "secret new Mario game". They're largely a collection of novelties and experiments, but they're also an ideal curtain call for those who followed the Super Mario Advance series, incorporating features, enemies and power-ups from the previous three games. Some of them are bit more like proper Mario levels than what you'd find in an official Mario Maker campaign, but not always. They dedicate the first five spots on the list to remakes of SMB1 levels. The overriding mechanical distinction from the core campaign's levels are the e-Coins scattered throughout. A bit like the Yoshi eggs from Mario Advance 1, the Dragon Coins from Advance 2, or the red coins from the NSMB games. An additional level of challenge. There's no grand reward for collecting them all. It's just an extra tease for those who can't stop playing Mario. There's also original Toad Houses that unlock when you collect enough of them, presenting new mini-games to gain power-ups in. They're not brilliant, but a neat extra that they didn't have to go to the effort of designing, nonetheless.
Nobody's going to sell their copy of SMB3 for Advance 4, but it remains a worthwhile release for the most dedicated Mario fans, and a great choice for GBA owners. I'm very jealous of the generation who got to play fucking Mario 3 in the back of the car instead of Super Mario Land. You don't need any outside encouragement to determine whether or not you're going to play this. You already know.
This was Nintendo's last big swing on a GBA Mario platformer, and unlike Super Mario World or Yoshi's Island, the idea of Mario 3 running on it didn't seem like a massive technical achievement. This was the last mainline Mario game that was allowed to be a bit weird and lumpy, before the release of New Super Mario Bros brought in The Great Unification, and the character design style guide became gospel. Changes to Super Mario Bros 3 itself are fairly low-level and easy to overlook. It's the set of original e-Reader levels that get all the attention today. Some of the tweaks are welcome though.
Super Mario Advance 4 opens with a new animated introduction sequence that helps establish the scenario. Importantly, it clarifies something that many players misinterpreted about the original game - It's not a game about Princess Peach being kidnapped. Peach is actually your commanding officer in this game, sending Mario and Luigi off to help seven kings who have been transformed by the Koopalings. It isn't until World 8 that the old trope comes back in. A last minute twist that elevates the sense of peril. It's a significant distinction that Peach critics willfully ignore. She isn't a helpless damsel in this game, but a leader who actively fights Bowser's injustices. It just went tits up at the end, while she was so busy packing power-ups in handwritten letters.
This is also the sharpest Super Mario Bros 3 has looked. There's all sorts of smoke and mirrors to get this running on the NES, with the game performing arcane rituals on the right-hand of the screen to render each new tile in time. All-Stars always looked a bit misty and indistinct (though there's a chance this is associated with memories of lossy video signals, and I'm misjudging this). Advance 4 really pops with vivid colours and confident presentation. It's an ideal 3:2 sort-of-widescreen version of Mario 3.
The new Switch Online version also brings over one of the game's more obscure features. SMA4 was designed to utilise the Game Boy Player, and was one of a short list of titles to support rumble on GameCube controllers. This hasn't been overlooked by the new emulator's developers, and a Rumble toggle can be accessed via the main options screen. The game makes sparing use of it, generally only rumbling when Mario takes a hit, but if a Koopa Troopa is about to emerge from a shell you're holding, you'll get a wee jolt on the controller. It's a really welcome adjustment, particularly for those who haven't learned Mario 3's rhythms and timings by heart over years of familiarity.
Then we're back to the e-Reader levels. I think a lot of people give the wrong impression when discussing them. They're not a "secret new Mario game". They're largely a collection of novelties and experiments, but they're also an ideal curtain call for those who followed the Super Mario Advance series, incorporating features, enemies and power-ups from the previous three games. Some of them are bit more like proper Mario levels than what you'd find in an official Mario Maker campaign, but not always. They dedicate the first five spots on the list to remakes of SMB1 levels. The overriding mechanical distinction from the core campaign's levels are the e-Coins scattered throughout. A bit like the Yoshi eggs from Mario Advance 1, the Dragon Coins from Advance 2, or the red coins from the NSMB games. An additional level of challenge. There's no grand reward for collecting them all. It's just an extra tease for those who can't stop playing Mario. There's also original Toad Houses that unlock when you collect enough of them, presenting new mini-games to gain power-ups in. They're not brilliant, but a neat extra that they didn't have to go to the effort of designing, nonetheless.
Nobody's going to sell their copy of SMB3 for Advance 4, but it remains a worthwhile release for the most dedicated Mario fans, and a great choice for GBA owners. I'm very jealous of the generation who got to play fucking Mario 3 in the back of the car instead of Super Mario Land. You don't need any outside encouragement to determine whether or not you're going to play this. You already know.
This was a fun novelty at the time to be able to play the All-Stars version of SMB3 on a portable, but unfortunately the lower screen resolution and horrendous sound design set it back a ton even back in the day. There's some sounds in the bonus games that feel like they could've came off an Atari 2600 and the music ranges from slightly crap to downright atrocious in comparison to their original SNES counterparts.
And to top it all off the unnecessary voicelines that have plagued these series of games are still alive and well, this time with Mario constantly going "Woohoo! Just what I needed!" every ten seconds.
I guess there's the e-reader levels, but who cares my ears are still bleeding from the fortress theme.
And to top it all off the unnecessary voicelines that have plagued these series of games are still alive and well, this time with Mario constantly going "Woohoo! Just what I needed!" every ten seconds.
I guess there's the e-reader levels, but who cares my ears are still bleeding from the fortress theme.
Better version of Mario 3 by far, having the best Artstyle for the franchise in my opinion.
The addition of saving, playable Luigi and some level design alters make this game already better than the original not to mention the fantastic new E-Reader Levels with some fun and old new gimmicks.
Overall ditch the NES Version and play this one.
The addition of saving, playable Luigi and some level design alters make this game already better than the original not to mention the fantastic new E-Reader Levels with some fun and old new gimmicks.
Overall ditch the NES Version and play this one.
This was obviously great. I prefer the original NES graphics but these were nice. The voices weren't as annoying as in Super Mario Advance so that's a plus. The big new things are the ability to play as Luigi with that SMB2 jump physics and the 32 new levels you can access from the start menu. They are basically remixed levels with special items to collect. They include powerups and enemies from all the previous 2D mario games and really its worth checking it out though they can get pretty tough.
I'm keeping the GBA Marios in my collection, even though there are the original NES classics still available, even though there's also All-Stars, even though the SNES originals are far better as well, even though they sound much worse and the screen crunch is not great, for the simple reason that the goofy Charles Martinet voices are in these. That's it. It's the end of 2023 and I have officially reversed my stance on Charles Martinet Mario voice. Gimme more wahoo! and letsa go! please. Oh, you want a patch for Super Mario Advance 4 that gets rid of the Charles Martinet voices? That already exists, dumdum, it's called Super Mario Bros. 3.
Weird how I never knew what I had all along until it's finally gone. On an unrelated note, I do tend to get into classic bands just as their members start passing away. My first major Beatles phase started not long before George Harrison died. Ramones? High school, well after Joey left this earth but right when Dee Dee got it. The Clash? Around the same time, RIP Joe Strummer. The Cramps? Oh, you better believe it was around 2009 when I was starting grad school and Lux Interior passed away. The moral of this story is if you want to live, you better not let me like what you do. Hideo Kojima is going to be immortal, I guess
Weird how I never knew what I had all along until it's finally gone. On an unrelated note, I do tend to get into classic bands just as their members start passing away. My first major Beatles phase started not long before George Harrison died. Ramones? High school, well after Joey left this earth but right when Dee Dee got it. The Clash? Around the same time, RIP Joe Strummer. The Cramps? Oh, you better believe it was around 2009 when I was starting grad school and Lux Interior passed away. The moral of this story is if you want to live, you better not let me like what you do. Hideo Kojima is going to be immortal, I guess
Easily the best way to play Mario Bros 3. I will die on this hill.
Esse é de longe o meu Mario 2D favorito, o remake tranfomou a versão do nintendinho que se mantém charmoso até hoje numa obra prima!
Os gráficos foram refeitos e o jogo ganhou as cores que sempre mereceu, as fases e os mapas estão LINDOS!
Falando nas fases, elas são curtinhas e perfeitas para uma jogatina portátil, mas não se engane, esse jogo é covar...desafiador e vai fazer você repetir os mesmos seguimentos dezenas de vezes até pegar o jeito haha
E pra ajudar você a superer esses desafios temos os Power Ups, aqui o Mário tem acesso a uma quantidade grande de roupinhas com poderes especiais pra você poder explorar as fases de formas variadas, a minha preferida é a do Tanooki! 🥹
Se tiver tiver a oportunidade faça uma visita a esse clássico, vale a pena demais!
Os gráficos foram refeitos e o jogo ganhou as cores que sempre mereceu, as fases e os mapas estão LINDOS!
Falando nas fases, elas são curtinhas e perfeitas para uma jogatina portátil, mas não se engane, esse jogo é covar...desafiador e vai fazer você repetir os mesmos seguimentos dezenas de vezes até pegar o jeito haha
E pra ajudar você a superer esses desafios temos os Power Ups, aqui o Mário tem acesso a uma quantidade grande de roupinhas com poderes especiais pra você poder explorar as fases de formas variadas, a minha preferida é a do Tanooki! 🥹
Se tiver tiver a oportunidade faça uma visita a esse clássico, vale a pena demais!
I never would have thought about adding voices to the NES Super Mario Bros games, but hearing Mario and Luigi speak when picking up a power-up or getting hurt definitely adds a lot and makes it feel more modern and alive. The added story elements with the cutscenes are also something I would have thought was unnecessary as the NES was perfectly fine without them, but seeing them was actually pretty cool and didn't feel shoehorned in. I do however wish they kept Peach's joke about the princess being in another castle instead of swapping it out for something more serious.
Overall, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros 3 is probably the definitive way to play Super Mario Bros 3 even if it's not my favourite, as it adds changes which improves the NES and All-Stars versions of the games, even if I think it's got very awkward controls due to the Game Boy Advance's 2 buttons being different placement to the NES controller.
Overall, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros 3 is probably the definitive way to play Super Mario Bros 3 even if it's not my favourite, as it adds changes which improves the NES and All-Stars versions of the games, even if I think it's got very awkward controls due to the Game Boy Advance's 2 buttons being different placement to the NES controller.
The first game I have any memory of playing, I think? I liked the music, the frog suit and the Mario Bros arcade remake
Kinda repetitive otherwise tho
Kinda repetitive otherwise tho
JUST WHAT I NEEDED
I don't need to say much about this since super mario bros 3 is already a masterpiece, but this version has a save feature which makes it automatically superior
cmon kid lets go save super mario advance 4 super mario bros 3
Quality game, I just suck at platformers.
mario and luigi are so cute and skrunkly and silly and they say "gotcha!" when they get a powerup they already have or "just what i needed!" when they get a new powerup or "bravo mario!" when they get a lot of 1-Ups and AAUGHGHGHGH