GBA Preview: Super Mario Bros. 3: SMA4
Review by: AxemRed (axemred@sm128c.com)

Previewed on: August 9, 2003

The most popular Mario game of all time finally makes its way to the Gameboy Advance port. Many consider Super Mario Bros. 3 to be the best title in the Mario series. It is no surprise that Nintendo would want to re-release it onto a new system. Also, as with all of the other Super Mario Advance games, the Mario Bros. arcade game will be part of the wonderful package that should be the best SMA title yet.

The graphics that will be used for the GBA version of the game will not be the same as the original version. As with Super Mario Bros. 2: SMA, the graphics will be borrowed from Super Mario All-Stars, the SNES classic that featured four of the original Mario games. And with slight changes in the color palettes, this should be the best looking SMB3 version yet!

As with all of the other previous classics released in the SMA series, there were minor changes made to SMB3. The majority of these changes made the game a little easier, although it is hard to notice some of them. Some of the changes that were made were as small as just adding a few coins in various sections of the game. However, the status bar was also moved from the bottom of the screen to the top of the screen during normal play. This was most likely done because of the significantly smaller screen dimensions of the GBA to the SNES and NES. The power meter from the original game still remains at the bottom of the screen, though.

Despite the changes, the game is basically the same. It is perhaps the best Mario game ever, as well as the most popular. The music is tolerable, the graphics were ahead of their time, the gameplay is perfect, and the replay value is extraordinary. One could play SMB3 from start to finish 100 times and probably never get bored. The new version will definitely be worth playing, especially for those who haven't tried it in a while or have never played it before.

Those who own a Nintendo e-Reader will also be able to play in new levels that were not in the original version. With the purchase of special e-cards, a player can unlock a new world, as well as new modes of play. It is not a necessity for players to have this, but if one already has an e-Reader, it is probably worth the investment to buy the SMA4 cards for it. It could only add to what is already an awesome game.

Of course, what would a Super Mario Advance title be without the Mario Bros. arcade game? This is going to be the same game as before, where one just kicks enemies after turning them over. Multiplayer action can be linked up between any other version of SMA, or with just one game pack. There is nothing really new about anything concerning this game.

Super Mario Bros. 3 is probably the best title to be re-released onto the GBA port so far. Because of that, this should turn out to be the best Super Mario Advance game yet, as well as one of the best games available on the GBA. It is well worth the investment of any Mario fan or fan of platformers. SMB3 became one of the most popular classics ever for a reason! Don't miss its release onto the GBA.

-- AxemRed (axemred@sm128c.com)

Bottom Line: SMB3 is arguably the greatest Mario game ever, and it is being re-released onto GBA. Need I say more?