No, I'm going over what I consider the definitive version of the game. The Gameboy Advance rerelease, Super Mario Brothers Advance 4. For those unaware (yeah, I do get to do something). With the launch of the 4th Generation Nintendo Handheld (Game & Watch, Gameboy, Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance, and DS, being the generations in order), Nintendo decided to continue their rereleasing of the classic Mario games. I say continue because Super Mario Brothers Deluxe actually came out on the Gameboy Color, before the Advance launch. With the success of both the Color game, and the first Advance game (Super Mario Brothers 2), the company decided to continue the series, rereleasing Super Mario World, and it's direct sequel, World 2: Yoshi's Island (and if you can say that rereleases full title without flubbing, you earned yourself a cookie).
Super Mario Brothers Advance 4: Super Mario Brothers 3 was the fifth game in the series (I'm sure someone like the Angry Video Game Nerd could have a fun time with that ones numbering), and is easily my favorite.
For those who haven't played SMB 3, give me your gamer card...you're not worthy of it. SMB 3 is one of the greatest games ever, not just for me, but for all gamer's. Anyways, it's the best platformer ever created (New Super Mario Bros. and it's sequel are a return to form, however, no experience with it's sequel, yet). Just enough power-ups, great level structure throughout, and solid gameplay. The well designed worlds don't hurt, and the fact that it to this day still remains a cult classic makes it flat out amazing. The fact that Super Mario Brothers Advance 4 is the best version of such a game makes it all the better.
Let's see, so what's different between this and the SNES version. Well, it's pretty...very, very pretty. The graphics got a huge boost by the expanded palette of the GBA over the SNES, and the controls were slimmed down back to the original NES set up. Also, the item menu got a huge upgrade from the SNES to the GBA one. You could only hold one bar of saved items in it, but in this version, you could hold four bars, making your choice of items much easier in the long haul.
Then there was the e-Reader cards. For SMBA4, there were extra levels, power ups, and minigames, that could be purchased in packs at gamestores. It was the first time I'd ever seen DLC, and the only time I really saw it on the GBA. It was interesting, to say the least.
I know there wasn't a lot to say in this review, but it's one of my favorites (and the one I'm playing now), so I felt I should. Sorry there wasn't as many pictures this time around...I tried to make a comparison shot of the three games, but the emulation for this one didn't work, and I can't take good pictures off of a GBA.
Let me know which version of the game you like better, why you like it better, and how you feel about the re-release series in it's entirety. Also, coming up, I'm going to do a my first multi-volume series on the Legend of Zelda series. If you have suggestions for what I should talk about it with, or pictures you would like to see in it...send it to my ScrewAttack inbox.
-Sara
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