Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3

"Although it's a port, it's still a very fun game!"

@INTRODUCTION@

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 is a port from the original Super Mario Bros. 3 for the NES. It's one of the many Mario games out there, and quite possibly one of the most popular. The game has been brought back to the GBA, so gamers that didn't have the chance to play this game on the NES, can now play it on the GBA. Not only that, but gamers who do own the original can now play it everywhere, because it's portable now.

The game is now introduced, so let's move on to the review, to see why this game is really worth your money.

@STORY@

I won't give this a score, because a story isn't too important in my opinion, at least it won't make a game downright bad if it doesn't really have one. This game doesn't really have a story. Just save Mushroom Kingdom, that's what it's about.

@GAMEPLAY@ 9/10

You'll definitely love the gameplay. It's addictive and it's fun for both the younger and older gamers.

There are 8 worlds in total, all of them with many fun levels. All the world have a special theme. The goal in the levels is making it from start to end without dying. You'll come across enemies you'll have to kill and obstacles that will try to stop you from making it to the end. You will receive power-ups in the levels to make things a bit easier. You'll get points from enemies and more, and it's pretty fun to get a very high score. All this may not sound too exciting, but really, it's fun. There aren't many changes from the original in the game, but one change is the save feature. In the original, you couldn't save, so when you quitted, you had to play the entire game again. But with the ability to save now, that problem is solved and it'll kill a lot of frustration.

There are, of course, a few downsides too. They all aren't really big though. It's just that the game may get frustrating. Dying the whole time might get frustrating, certainly if you are very far in a level and then fall in a bottomless pit. Expect to die quite a few times, but it should not keep you from buying the game. Another little downside is that you can't re-enter levels when you have finished them. This is just a minor flaw though.

The difficulty of the game is perfect. It's not too hard and not too easy. It's suitable for anyone, so that's a big plus.

There is also another game included in this cartridge. It's not a big game though, it's the original Mario Bros. It's fun if you're tired from dying in the main game. The goal here is to get many points and top the High Score. It's not as fun as the main game though, but it does feature multiplayer, and it's still pretty fun to do.

The controls in the game are superb. They respond very fast and they're not complicated at all. You won't have to do any hard combo's, you'll actually use the A button most of the time.

Overall, the gameplay has a few very minor flaws, but it's so addictive that you'll probably won't even care for them.

@GRAPHICS@ 8/10

The game's levels are all side scrolling. It looks very good and colourful, and not flawed. It is, though, not much improved from the original Super Mario Bros. 3. It looks all the same, just sharper. There are, however, backgrounds now. They are colourful and well done, they're a bit faded too make it more realistic, so that's very good. It's pretty detailed, but it could have been much more detailed. Of course it's just a port, but there are just not many changes from the original. It doesn't really affect the game though, and the backgrounds make the game much nicer to look at and more realistic.

@MUSIC@ 8/10

The music is ok. I haven't found any changes from the original game so far, it's probably a bit sharper. It's very cheerful, and they will really cheer you up.

The main flaw of the music is the diversity. There aren't too many songs, and that means they can get repetitive. The songs are pretty bleepy too, not really annoying, but still a bit bleepy. So if you want beautiful songs, you'll probably turn the sound of. If you like cheerful songs, the game's music will not disappoint.

Overall, the game's music is certainly not bad, but it's too bad that it can get repetitive because of low diversity.

@REPLAY VALUE@ 10/10

This is where the game shines! Although you can't re-enter levels, at least not that I know, you'll want to do the entire game over and over again, I'm certain of it! There are just so many levels to complete, and since there aren't any puzzles in the game, you won't find the game too easy a second time through. You can try to get a higher score, or try to get as many lives as possible (which are unlimited though). And with the added Super Mario Bros. plus the multiplayer available in that game, there is an unlimited amount of Replay Value!

@OVERALL@ 9/10

This is a fantastic game with many levels, and I strongly recommend you buy it! The only problem is that it won't bring a lot of new things to gamers that own the original. But the fact that it's portable and you can play it everywhere makes this game as just as recommended for those who already played it. If you really don't like Mario games, than you should rent it first, but for the Mario fans, this game is a must buy! Have fun with it!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/24/04