Maybe the best 2D Mario ever made? A great remake of the SNES classic, and it works great as a handheld game. Controls are super tight despite its age and it's worth coming back to if you enjoy platformers at all.
Christmas 2003, dad got me this game and I opened it pretty early during the gift opening. It did blow my mind, but I was distraught toward the end, as I didn't have a console to play the game, and doubted that dad got such an expensive game AND a game console to boot. "Oh look, what have we here, looks like there's one last present..." he said, and handed me my brand new GBA SP at the very end. Top ten memories contender. I played this game every available minute I had. It got confiscated a number of times because I kept playing it too heavily, and I always had to leave it with my mom before going to bed. One time I just turned the console on and off to see the intro and keep myself entertained without a game.
I had a hard time with it, of course, as one's first Mario game should be, and several sessions were spent exclusively trying to beat Bowser without really nailing the "kick shell upward" mechanic. That is, I didn't know how I did it, I just sort of flicked my fingers a certain way and sometimes that did the trick. Didn't know English enough to understand tutorials, and brute-forcing game mechanics don't always reveal everything.
My favorite thing about this game was... swimming... and sliding... for some reason those were so inherently satisfying. Also flying, when I eventually got that down. My least favorite thing were those continuously scrolling levels.
I had a hard time with it, of course, as one's first Mario game should be, and several sessions were spent exclusively trying to beat Bowser without really nailing the "kick shell upward" mechanic. That is, I didn't know how I did it, I just sort of flicked my fingers a certain way and sometimes that did the trick. Didn't know English enough to understand tutorials, and brute-forcing game mechanics don't always reveal everything.
My favorite thing about this game was... swimming... and sliding... for some reason those were so inherently satisfying. Also flying, when I eventually got that down. My least favorite thing were those continuously scrolling levels.
The main additions to this compared to the SNES original are playable Luigi with similar physics to SMB2 with his trademark slippery run and higher jump.
As well as track-able collectables, now you can see what Yoshi Coins you have collected throughout each level, while Secret Exits had a tell in the original they’re also denoted on this screen.
There are cute little animated sequences when you hit each goal.
I think it’s a fine way to experience Super Mario World and many probably prefer it, sound and visuals have some compromise. Thinner sound and with some scrolling vertically due to the GBA aspect ratio.
There’s a fan hack of the original that adds in these systems to the SNES original.
The detail I never picked up on is the costumed bullet bills look like Kirby’s owl shaped friend or something. Very cute.
As well as track-able collectables, now you can see what Yoshi Coins you have collected throughout each level, while Secret Exits had a tell in the original they’re also denoted on this screen.
There are cute little animated sequences when you hit each goal.
I think it’s a fine way to experience Super Mario World and many probably prefer it, sound and visuals have some compromise. Thinner sound and with some scrolling vertically due to the GBA aspect ratio.
There’s a fan hack of the original that adds in these systems to the SNES original.
The detail I never picked up on is the costumed bullet bills look like Kirby’s owl shaped friend or something. Very cute.