Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3

"The pinnacle of 2D platforming is back and ready for another round"

Super Mario Bros 3 (SMB3) originally released back on the original NES is still hailed by many as the pinnacle of the Mario Bros franchise. Following the release of the truly unique Super Mario Bros 2, SMB3 returned to the formula laid out by the original Super Mario Bros. The game focused once again on the adventures of Mario and Luigi (no Toad and Princess tagging along this time) on a mission to save the Mushroom Kingdom, complete with classic enemies like goombas, koopa troopas and arch rival Bowser. Unlike its predecessor there is no picking up and throwing vegetables or enemies or collecting hearts in a shadow world, just pure enemy stomping action and turtle shell hopping. More importantly the game has so many great qualities that set it apart from other games of the genre that not only is it a great example of a 2D platformer but maybe the best platformer of all time.

Let me first of all point out that Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros 3 is in all intents and purposes an exact port of SMB3 for the NES, or perhaps more accurately a port of the port of SMB3 in Super Mario All-Stars for the SNES for the Game Boy Advance. The additional e-Reader upgrades feature I am not going to include in the review because I have not had the opportunity to try it. Nor am I going to discuss the classic Mario Bros port that is included since this is exactly the same game that comes with the previous Super Mario Advance GBA ports. Therefore I am simply going to focus on the gameplay itself as included in the original along with the graphical upgrades and additional changes found in the SNES port and subsequently the GBA port. And without further ado...

So what exactly sets SMB3 apart from most platformers? First and foremost the game excels in one of the most crucial areas of importance for not only games of this type but games in general: level design. The level layout in SMB3 not only challenges the player with a multitude of jumps and enemies but also features its fair share of secret paths and hidden areas. There is always a pipe you can dive into or a secret area that you can find if you look high to the sky. The levels as a result encourage exploration rather than dragging you from point A to point B. This is highly desirable considering the tendency of a side scrolling 2D platformer to force the player to simply get to the finish line by going from left to right through the level. Each level in the game also has an original design that fits the theme of the world perfectly and complements its charm and look. For instance one of the worlds is an island full of giants where each level has super morphed enemies blocking your path and Mario literally has to find a way to avoid getting smashed by the oversized baddies.

SMB3 uses the concept of a hub, a central location that branches out to different individual levels, in the form of an overhead map. The world map allows the player to choose what levels to complete first or even skip levels entirely. However SMB3 does feature a world map that is still somewhat linear, limiting the player's freedom in that some of the time you still have to complete certain levels in a certain order and traverse down a one-way path. Adding plenty of gameplay to the mix, SMB3 is comprised of a total of 8 worlds that each offer more than a handful of levels (10-15 each) in which the player has to traverse the worlds sequentially all the way up to the final boss fight. There are ways to skip entire worlds but that is a secret to be uncovered by the player. However the game is so much fun to play most players will want to play through all the levels at least once. In addition to levels on the map there are several mini games, mini-bosses and of course a final world boss scattered across the world maps. Mini games although simple, including a button timing slot machine and a matching memory game, provide a nice way to earn 1-ups and items that give Mario nifty power ups to use in the levels.

Consequently these power ups are perhaps the second most important feature in giving the game its unique feel and making the gameplay highly enjoyable. Power ups can be found in levels, usually hidden in a breakable block, for immediate use or given as rewards in mini games for later use in what is essentially a bin of items you can carry and use in between levels. The many power ups include the ''Mario suits'' that give Mario different abilities to use so as long as he doesn't take damage. The suits are not only fun to use but complement specific levels so well that playing them without one definitely makes it more difficult. Without a doubt trying to avoid damage so you can keep using the suits is part of the challenge. A perfect example is the frog suit that lets Mario swim easier underwater by letting him tread the water faster and with less effort. Ingeniously this is made possible by a simple control tweak that allows ''frog suit'' Mario to move in all 4 directions with a simple press of the control pad, as opposed to constantly having to keep afloat by repeatedly tapping the A button being careful to avoid enemies and obstacles. If you press the A button too much you might bump into an enemy above you or if you don't press the A button enough you could fall into an enemy below you; with the frog suits its a breeze. Another suit that is a blast to use and perhaps the SMB3 staple (shown on the cover) is the raccoon suit. With this power up Mario can fly for a limited time given enough room to build speed. This suit goes hand in hand with the great level design giving Mario the ability to explore parts of the level high up in the air where there is sometimes a hidden pipe, coins, or the always helpful 1-up. Unfortunately probably the most disappointing aspect of SMB3 is that not all of the suits are as useful as the two already mentioned. The Tanooki suit is a prime example since it is virtually the raccoon suit with the added ability to be invisible to enemies, in other words immune to damage. The fast pace of the game and the running back-ground timer (if it gets to 0 you lose a life) always encourage constant movement through the level, essentially rendering the suit somewhat impractical. The Tanooki suit invisible ability really involves just waiting for the enemy to pass. In reality using this actually slows the player down, especially when its usually just faster to jump over the bad guys. The ''boot'' suit, with its limited use in only a couple of levels and special ability to simply let Mario walk over ''spikes'' on the floor without getting hurt isn't nearly as exciting to use as the others.

Vital to the success of a platformer are tight controls and a good challenge. These are two areas SMB3 excels at perhaps more than any other platformer out there. The importance placed in a platformer on timing jumps and dodging enemies demands easy to use and responsive controls. Fortunately SMB3 is perfect in the execution of its control scheme. The staples of the platformer have never been done better. Controlling Mario is a piece of cake; the B button runs and the A button jumps. To play simply jump on an enemy's head to defeat it, break blocks for coins and power ups, and hurdle over small chasms and tiny platforms to get to the next level. Let me note that in the GBA port (not sure about the SNES port) that the control for Luigi is not an exact replica of Mario's, he jumps higher and kind of floats, much like the Luigi from SMB2. A good question probably comes to mind, does this simple gameplay provide even the most experienced gamer with a challenge? The answer is a resounding YES! Despite such basic gameplay mechanics, the enemy and platform placement are so carefully laid out (once again emphasizing how important and great the level design is) that making it through a level unscathed is quite difficult. The game has a great difficulty curve starting off somewhat easy and constantly becoming more challenging with new level mechanics like icy slopes that appear later in the game. And with 8 worlds there is plenty of action to keep the game going. Since Mario can at most take only three consecutive hits before losing a life (without getting a power up in between) it becomes ever so important to carefully work your way through a level, while all while the contending with the pressure of a timer dictating how much time you have left to get to the end. Let me note that the challenge of SMB3 has been reduced quite dramatically since the release of the original NES game. After the classic game over screen (once you lost all your lives) the original SMB3 required that the player restart the entire hub, repeating all the levels of that world. This could be extremely frustrating if you had gotten all the way to the world boss and then had to start over from that world's level 1. Wanting to tone down the difficulty in the ports, continuing allows you to start exactly where you left off, saving not only significant time but a little frustration to boot. Add in the ability to save anywhere and the GBA and the SNES incarnations become a whole lot more user friendly compared to its NES equivalent. No more having to play all day or leave the system running overnight. So despite being easier in this regard the difficulty within the actual gameplay is still the same and all the superficial challenge that comes with constantly repeating finished levels is eliminated.

Now the visual upgrade that naturally comes with a remake or port of a game to a more technically savvy platform. The graphics of SMB3 have never looked better. Scrolling backgrounds have been added to the original, giving the flat 2D world a bit of depth. The higher resolution sprites and bigger color palette gives the game a softer look yet the outlines of the tiles and sprites are still sharp and crisp. The music and sound effects of the game also sound great out of the GBA, despite its small size. The background music is exactly what its supposed to be ''background'' music, the music never feels overbearing as if it is drowning out the sound effects. The musical tunes themselves have aged very well and are still catchy and memorable with their unique instrumental sound that only Super Mario Bros can bring. And the sound effects sound great as well for a platformer and more light hearted game. The smashes and stomps fit right in with the flying turtles and walking mushrooms. Mario sound bytes, ''Woo hoo'' and ''owww oww owwww'', have been added but do not greatly enhance or inhibit the previous audio recording.

Super Mario Bros 3 is a great, if not the best, platformer ever created let alone an amazing game. The game has aged quite well and is still fun to play despite being over a decade old. It can still compete with today's platformer with its tight control, challenging yet simple gameplay, outstanding level design, and just that all to overlooked quality of sheer enjoyment that comes from finishing this difficult game. With 8 worlds full of levels the game won't take a millennium to beat but won't bore you by just being too long. It has a good amount of length for a platformer, about 10-12 hours your first time through without skipping levels. If you have never played SMB3 before, pick this GBA port up or you will be missing out on one of the greatest 2D platformers of all time. If you already have the NES version you might want to give it a look for its portability on the GBA and the fact that the game is much easier to pick up and put down because of the ability to save anywhere and continue right where you left off. However if you have the SNES Super Mario Bros All-Stars game you might not want to fork over more money for the ever so minor visual upgrade.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/21/04, Updated 03/23/04