GENRE
	Nintendo
	DEVELOPER
	Nintendo
	PUBLISHER
	1-4
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	unknown
	CONNECTIVITY
	unknown
	BUY NOW AT

It might sound disappointing to ring in a new 32-bit handheld with a remake of Super Mario Bros. 2, but I could not resist having Super Mario Advance as my first Game Boy Advance cartridge. It is Mario’s job to cut the ribbon for any new Nintendo system, even if he appears a little less inspired than usual.

People who have yet to experience SMB2 should be eager to jump into an unexplored chapter of Mario’s past, but veteran radish-tossers are likely wondering if Nintendo added enough new elements and flash to make the Game Boy Advance version worth their cash. Wonder no more...the review is here.

visuals

Super Mario Advance is beautiful, though it might take some time to notice. At first, the visuals appear to be lifted directly from the Super NES version of Super Mario Bros. 2, perhaps with a bit more color and sharpness. This is not entirely bad, since porting the 16-bit version brings the first detailed, multiple-scrolling backgrounds to the Game Boy world. After a little playing time, one begins to notice how scaling and rotation have been added to accentuate everything from tossing enemies to racking up points. Also, by doubling the enemies in some locations and adding gigantic baddies to others, Super Mario Advance shows of the GBA’s ability to manage a large number of sprites without any slowdown. Finally, hop into a jar or use one of the crazy new items and watch a grand display of sprite manipulation take shape.

Granted, if Super Mario Advance were supposed to represent the visual limits of Game Boy Advance, I would be crushed. Nothing here is going to blow your panties off, but it is a beautiful and fresh departure from the 8-bit graphics we have been squinting at for well over a decade.

audio

The bops are bleeps that accompany flung radishes and bested baddies are about on par with the sound effects that one would hear from an early Super NES or Genesis game. Each major character has a voice, including bosses and mini-bosses. I have read several articles that describe the voices as annoying, especially in the case of the main characters speaking after every action, but I think it is hilarious. Toad sounds like an intoxicated muppet, and listening to his voice slowly fade out when he falls off the screen is one of the game’s high points. The boss voices are truly priceless, with Birdo spurting classic villain cliches before each encounter.

There are only three major songs on the game: the whistle-friendly overworld theme, the Egyptian-style cavern and castle theme, and the standard semi-creepy boss theme. Each song is of a decent quality. Aside from being a bit watered down to accommodate the slightly weaker GBA sound system, the music sounds almost identical to the Super NES version of SMB2.

gameplay

For those of you who are entirely new to SMB2, I will provide a quick gameplay summary: Mario, Toad, Luigi, and Peach have stumbled upon the door to a troubled (and trippy) dimension, and they have been asked to save the day. Depending upon the player’s preferences and the challenges in each particular level, one of the four characters must be selected for action. The characters vary in speed, jump, and strength. For example, Peach is rather slow and terribly weak, but she has the ability to hover. On the other hand, Toad can run like the wind and is very strong, but his jumping is pathetic. When does strength come into play, you ask? Well, to defeat the enemies, mini-bosses, and bosses that occupy the psychedelic landscapes of SMB2, enemies must be tossed and items must be plucked from the ground. The speed with which enemies and items are lifted is directly related to the chosen characters’ strength. Adding a strange twist to the already zany gameplay is a potion that creates a door. The door leads to a dark and uninhabited shadow of the screen in which it was created. If players plan correctly and move objects in the real world before creating the door, they may find a power-up in the shadow world.

Now, on to the new stuff. First of all, the game is harder than before. Just as Ken Lobb said, the enemies have been ripped out and replaced, sometimes in a more strategic fashion, sometimes in greater numbers, sometimes simply larger than before. Combine all this with the fact that the controllable characters have lost some traction, and you have a delightful disaster for any veteran who thinks he or she will be able to run through this game. To help you out, the new enemy placement was also designed with special combos in mind. If you take your time and plan out how to use a vegetable, you might take out several baddies at once and earn a heart (to fill your life meter) or a 1-up.

Also, the replay value has been enhanced. Five red coins have been placed in out-of-the-way locations on each level, with the red coin percentage taunting you until you manage to grab them all. Once the single player game is completed, warp zones or no, the special Yoshi Challenge is unlocked. Two Yoshi eggs are placed in the shadow side of each level. The eggs must be sniffed out and the level must be completed. Die, and you lose your eggs. As of typing this review, I have yet to complete either of the added challenges, so I do not know if there are any special rewards.

The coolest new additions come in the form of some crazy new items. I would hate to ruin the surprise of using them for the first time, so I will only write about one: The Big Crazy POW Switch (yes, I made up that name...what?). You can see this sucker in the screenshots above. When thrown, it takes on a life of its own and goes on a rampage. Fun stuff!

A few random tidbits that do not seem to fit into any paragraph, but they must be written: A sweet new boss battle has been added, and a few locations have been entirely redone, including the introductory skydive and the inside of the jars.

Egad, I almost entirely forgot about the original Mario Bros.! Yes, the age-old classic was included on this cartridge to round out the package and provide some multiplayer action. On a single player level, Mario Bros. can be a nice break from pulling up vegetables. The goal is to get a high score while progressing through a million or so claustrophobic levels. Each level is completed by stunning the enemies from beneath, then giving them a swift boot.

The multiplayer mode can be experienced by as many as four people with only one cartridge. I do not know anyone else with an import Game Boy Advance, so I have not had the opportunity to test drive the multiplayer features, but a few pictures of the action can be checked out here.

multiplayer

See above.

overall

Super Mario Advance should be labeled as a remake instead of a port. Even for people who have played through Super Mario Bros. 2 in the past, this game is fun, challenging, and packed with replay value.

I am having a blast with Super Mario Advance, and it has no flaws, so I am going to bring out the big gun...perfect score!

Action Platformer/10

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