Reviews

Super Mario Advance

By Corey

Usually a new Nintendo system gets released along side a new Mario title. For the Game Boy Advance we instead get Super Mario Advance, a remake of Super Mario Brothers 2 for the NES.

Graphics: 9

The main characters are very detailed. New animations are present. The backgrounds make good use of the GBA's color palette. Overall the visuals are really good for a first generation GBA title.

Gameplay: 8

This game is fun to play. While it isn't a traditional Mario game, SMB2 was originally called Doki Doki Panic in Japan and was changed to a Mario game for a North American release, throwing vegetables at your enemies is highly rewarding. Collecting cherries that are scattered throughout the stages can make a super star appear that will give your character invincibility for a limited amount of time. Speaking of characters, you can play as Mario, Luigi, Peach, or Toad. Each character has their own advantages and disadvantages. After every stage you are given the option to change your character.

There are some new additions to the game. There are enlarged versions of both vegetables and enemies. In each stage are Ace coins that provide a little extra challenge. After completing the game, a Yoshi Challenge will open up. The object of this mode is to collect two Yoshi Eggs that are hidden in each stage. The original Mario Bros. has also been included. The object is to flip over enemies in order to knock them out of the level. As you advance, the enemies will get tougher and there will be obstacles that need to be avoided. The simple concept is fun but can get repetitive. Playing this mode with others is a lot more interesting.

There are a couple more changes that I am not too fond of. While the game's difficulty does increase as you progress, the ability to collect a total of three extra hearts (which serve as your life meter) for a total of five, up from four in the original, makes the game a lot easier. It is also now fairly easy to replenish lost hearts making the game even easier.

Sound: 5

The music, directly taken from the NES version with few new additions, is pretty good. The characters' voices make me turn the sound all the way down. Each character says something for just about every action they do and it gets annoying very quickly.

Lasting Value: 3

Yes, the main game is fun. It is also short. Collecting the Ace coins isn't very hard either. Hunting for the Yoshi Eggs and playing Mario Bros. game will bring some extra playtime, but it really isn't enough. A challenge mode, like the one found in SMB Deluxe for the GBC, really would have been nice.

Bottom Line

If you've never played Super Mario Brothers 2, this is probably worth a purchase. It is a good game, but not very long. If this game had gotten the SMB Deluxe treatment, it would have been a lot better.

Final Score: 6 out of 10