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GBA

North America

Super Mario Advance

by David Trammell - April 25, 2001, 12:27 am EDT

Now that I've played the Mario Bros. Classic part of Mario Advance to death, lets take a closer look at the new and improved Mario Bros.

Over the past few weeks I've spent quite a bit of time playing Mario Bros. Classic (included with Super Mario Advance). The game that inspired this half of the SMA package was simply called Mario Bros. It was an arcade game in 1983 (and later an NES port). This game enhanced Mario's jumping ability, it introduced Luigi and turtles (which later became Koopa Troopas and their King, Bowser in SMB) and it defined Mario as a plumber (he was actually a carpenter in Donkey Kong). The gameplay was simple; Each phase(ancient word that means "stage" or "level") has the same layout. The bottom floor is made of solid brick with a pipe on the left and right side. Then there are two middle layers made of some spongy metal that flexes when you jump up and hit it. The top layer also has two pipes. These pipes pour out enemies (and coins when you kill an enemy). To kill enemies, first you must flip them by punching the spongy metal beneath their feet. Then go up to that platform and kick (touch) the flipped enemy into the sewage! Weee fun!

Flip'em and kick'em!

The game had a few flaws though (especially as a console port). You only had two lives and a third one could be obtained at 20,000 points. Getting the third life is very easy, but after this, you're on your own. In the arcades, this was surely a scheme to get as many quarters as possible. Unfortunately, this wasn't changed for the NES version. Another little problem was that once Mario jumped, his momentum carried him through the jump. This made getting around difficult, but back in '83 I don't think anyone complained. Finally, the game lacked variety. It did have some redeeming qualities though. For one, it introduced Luigi! This wasn't just a gimmick either. Mario and Luigi could work together, or they could harrass each other. For example, if Mario jumps on Luigi's head, then Luigi gets squished like the spring boards in Super Mario Bros. Meanwhile, Mario bounces back into the air (and possibly to safety) while the momentarily paralyzed Luigi gets bitten by a turtle. If Mario and Luigi run into each other, they will bounce back, stunned. Finally, if you try to "flip" your companion, they will simply bounce in the air a little. This can be devastating when they are moving though, as it very often sends them flying into some wretched creature or each another. As you may have guessed, playing this game by yourself was a bit boring, and playing it with a friend was pure madness (unless you were working together trying to reach the fabled 100th phase, a nearly impossible task with only three lives at your disposal).

Now, nearly twenty years later, Nintendo has resurrected this old school game from its graveyard of good games. Nearly everything has changed in someway, yet the core of the game remains the same. Most importantly, they fixed nearly every problem the original had.

Mario Bros. Classic!

The most immediately noticeable change (aside from the graphics) is the controls. Mario controls exactly like he does in the Super Mario Bros. 2 part. You can even pick up the POW blocks with "B", and you can duck to charge up jumps. The most welcome difference this brings to the gameplay is that you can change direction in mid-air. From now on, when you die there can be no doubt; it's your fault. The only difference that might be viewed as a setback is that the entire playing field isn't visible on the screen at once. However, most of it is visible, and I haven't found this to be a problem.

Now, onto the enemies. The turtles have been replaced with spinies. In the original game jumping on a turtle killed you; this way no one gets confused. Next, the crabs are back from the original game. These guys take two hits to flip, and one hit makes them angry (faster). If you flip an enemy and leave him alone for a while, he'll get back up, become green and get a little faster. Do it again, and he'll become extremely fast. When there is only one enemy left, he automatically becomes the third and fastest color. Angry, fast crabs have been the cause of many deaths in this game. The final basic enemy is the fly. The difference here is that flies don't walk forward, they make short leaps, and you can only hit them when they are on the ground. Flies move slowly though; it's the crabs who will be your worst foe. In addition, the randomly appearing fireballs are back, along with brand new falling icicles. These things don't start appearing until the later phases. The final annoyance is ice buckets; at least they look like buckets to me. These things don't have to be destroyed, but if you leave them alone, they will cover platforms with ice making them difficult to walk on.

With all these changes implemented, playing this game alone has gone from tedious to serious fun. Mario's new manuevering abilities allow you to really get into the game. This time around, extra lives are given at the first 20,000 points and at the end of a succesfully completed bonus round. This extends the duration of a game and allows a player who advances far, a means to continue indefinitely. However, indefinitely is a strong word when you consider that each phase is harder than the last. There are more enemies, and when you knock them down they get up faster. Soon, enemies start emerging from the left and right pipes at the same time, making quick kills difficult. Fireballs appear at the worst possible times and icicles fall on your head when you least expect it. Personally, I managed to get to phase 84. I'm not sure if it was possible to get past phase 99 in the original, but I'd be willing to bet that phase 100 exists now. Is phase 100 the last phase or is it just the beginning of the next 100? Perhaps I'll find out soon.

As fun as this game is alone, I can't wait to play it with another person (I'm not sure if classic supports more than two people). The GBA isn't exactly a common thing in America yet, so I'll have to wait until I meet up with the PGC staff at E3. Now, in addition to this old, but brilliant little game, there also exists a battle mode. This mysterious (to me) mode allows up to four players to battle it out in a Mario Bros-like arena. Hopefully, we can get enough link cables and GBAs together at E3 to get four people in on this one, but two will suffice. If you've seen screens of Bowser in Mario Bros. that is the battle mode, and unless Bowser awaits me at phase 100, he isn't in the classic mode. I could probably dig up the details of this version of the game, but I'd rather wait to experience it first hand.

As you can see, there is a serious gameplay experience waiting to be had on the other side of the Super Mario Advance cart. Even if you've played SMB2 more than enough, this cart may be worth your money for the classic and battle modes alone. Make sure you give it a shot this June!

David Trammell, Staff Writer

_____________________________________________

Most Nintendo systems ship with a new Mario title, but the GBA has shipped with an update to an old classic. Does SMB2 stand the test of time?

Written: 04/12/2001

When I fired up Mario Advance, my first GBA game, I wasn't sure what to expect. After all, I've technically beaten this game before, even if it was ten years ago and not half as pretty.

Well, any worries I had were sorely misplaced. The game is just as fun now as it used to be! For those who haven't played the classic, I'll describe the gameplay. You can choose from Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad. They all have different attributes that you can see on the select screen. Mario is average, Luigi jumps insanely high, Toad is very quick and the Princess can float for a few seconds when she jumps.

The game is broken up into a series of levels much like the original Super Mario Bros. and you progress straight through them (unless you find a warp zone). In this game, jumping on enemies does not squish them as usual. You can pick them up and throw them though. Although Bowser and his minions are nowhere to be found, it's still a refreshing and solid platformer with a Mario exterior. Can you really ask for anything more?

While the game has remained basically the same, Nintendo has added some interesting new effects using the GBA's hardware. There are big enemies for example. These huge versions of smaller creatures can take out more than one baddie at a time if thrown properly. When you jump into a "jar", you'll get to see plenty of sprites rotating and such instead of a boring static back ground. The increase in color depth has done the game very well, even improving slightly over the SNES version. Even though a TV has more resolution than the GBA screen, the rescaled sprites come out looking crisp and just as good as their SNES counterparts.

In addition to the extensive one player game, Nintendo has packed in an updated version of the classic Mario Bros. I don't know anyone else with a GBA, so I've been limited to playing this by myself. The resemblance to Mario Bros. is mostly superficial; the game mechanics have been brought into the 21st century. Mario and co. actually respond when you try to move now and there is music to listen to during the stages where there was once silence. Bowser even makes an appearance from time to time, though I haven't encountered him yet. I won't get to play this with four people until I meet up with the PGC staff at E3. Yet another thing to look forward to in May!

Although a new game would have been nice, Mario Advance is an excellent take on a classic and a solid launch title that is sure to sell in droves. If you haven't played Super Mario Bros. 2, this game is a must have. If you have played it, you're a better judge than I, but I think this game has aged really well.

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Genre Adventure
Developer Nintendo
Players1 - 2

Worldwide Releases

na: Super Mario Advance
Release Jun 10, 2001
PublisherNintendo
RatingEveryone
jpn: Super Mario Advance
Release Mar 21, 2001
PublisherNintendo
aus: Super Mario Advance
Release Jun 22, 2001
PublisherNintendo
RatingGeneral

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