Topic: IMPRESSIONS: Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3

[TheYoungerPlumber]

It’s the remake everyone’s been waiting for: Super Mario Bros. 3 on the GBA!  Check out TYP’s impressions from E3.

Honestly, there isn’t that much to say about Mario Advance 4’s presence at E3.  The graphics and sound are ripped straight from the SNES treasure, Mario All-Stars.  This means respectable, crisp graphics with well-arranged versions of Super Mario Bros. 3’s memorable music and an accurate recreation of THE best Mario game ever.    

Super Mario Bros. 3 is displayed on the GameCube Player with a GBA SP controller as well as on a stand-alone SP.  I find the SP inferior to the original as a GameCube controller, so my skills were slightly hindered, but from what I could tell the game’s control is true to the original.  I only noticed a few minor enhancements.  Rainbow-tastic colors now appear when Mario clears a mini-dungeon, a door has been added to enter the N-spade bonus game and the warp whistle now induces a wavy distortion similar to that of “Touch Fuzzy."  From what I heard through the background noise, the audio, like the visuals, closely mimicks that of the SNES version, only now prominently featuring Mario’s voice, of course.    

But what about all the cool enhancements you may have heard about?  Isn’t there a crazy remix with all sorts of new enemies?  Yes, but for some strange reason it isn’t playable.  On the Super Mario Bros. 3 title screen there are three options: “Mario," “Mario & Luigi," and “Communication".  Only the first is accessible on the floor, but the introductory animation sequence (similar to the one found in Mario Advance 2) does feature Luigi with his signature flutter-jump.  It is safe to assume the single player Mario & Luigi mode and unlockable extras will provide a new twist to the game.    

I’m annoyed at Nintendo for holding out on us for this long, knowing full well this has always been the most highly anticipated remake of the bunch. However, at the same time I’m happy they are doing it right.  All gamers, both casual and hardcore, owe it to themselves to play Super Mario Bros. 3 at least once.  Seven million Americans bought SMB3 on the NES thirteen years ago, and a handheld edition is long overdue.  I can already confirm the no-frills remake is a keeper, but for my verdict on the game’s other half you’ll have to wait for my full review upon Mario Advance 4’s release.