Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3

So what's so cool about this release that it earns 4 stars and is actually worth the $30-$35? Well, it's portable, you can save anywhere, you can play with a friend with only one game boy because of the alternating nature of the 2-player game, you can save replays of the level's you've beaten, you can now store up to 4 rows of items as opposed to just 1, there's the obligatory 4 player link version of the original mario bros. which only requires one copy of the game. And then there's the amazing e-reader support that, in theory, gives the game an infinite number of new levels. It's really hard to knock this release even though it's a gross example of how the GBA's library is saturated with ports of games we've all played before (and then some).

I've still got a few slight gripes. Other than the e-reader feature, there's really nothing new. It's the same game it was 14 years ago. That's generally a good thing, but if you were like me and played it into floor then, the game's liable to wear out on you somewhat quickly. It would have been interesting if they had provided a few more modes of play to make the game new and challenging*. And I really would have liked the 2-player game to be linkable. But other than that, I 'spose you couldn't ask for much more really.

* I concede, there is a nice all clear mode that let's you pick any world and play any level you've beaten (all 90 of them!) if you beat the game. But...that's about it.


Awesome game!   July 12, 2004
I got this game a few days ago and it is awesome!It's challenging and it's fun!I think it's a great game for all ages!


A great game but not exactly a classic.   June 27, 2004
I admit it Im one of the ones who think that Super Mario Bros 3 is the most overrated game of all time.Sure its fun but the graphics and controls were better in the sequel that is known as Super Mario World.I have to say though out of the 3 Mario games that were available on the original N.E.S. this is the best one with the original coming in a close second.This was also the first sign of Mario's evolution.I mean take the last level for example.The last levels in Mario 1 and 2 were pretty hard but not this hard.There is a fortress in the middle of it that is extremely comples.This is a game of skill and strategy.
Also I think that the graphics here are some of the best available on the Game Boy Advance.They arent as good as Metroid Zero Mission but they are excellent for a 2 dimensional Mario game.Super Mario World is a better showcase but this comes in a mean second.If you have a Game Boy Player hooked up to your Game Cube to play this game it will be like having a Super N.E.S. all over again.


Best SMB3 re-release yet!!   June 24, 2004
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I think this is the best re-release of Super Mario Bros. 3 that I've ever seen. Although the graphics look identical to those from "Super Mario All-Stars" several years ago, the game has a few very nice added features which got me hooked on SMB3 all over again.

Among my favorite features are the ability to save the game at ANY point. The original SMB3 on the NES had no save feature whatsoever... the save feature on "SM All Stars" on the SNES was limited in that it only remembered what world you saved on, and it saved your items. (For example, if you got all the way to World 3-10 when you hit "Save & Quit" you would resume back at the beginning of World 3-1 next time you played.)

The GBA version of SMB 3 saves *everything* -- your score, the number of coins, all your items, and every single board you've cleared. This is very handy considering that you could be playing on an airplane where you may be asked to shut off your electronic devices immediately and you don't have time to keep playing to a "save point" like in some games. I would have also appreciated this feature when I was a kid and mom and dad didn't understand that you really did have to play 3 or 4 more stages before you could save the game and come to the dinner table.

I love being able to resume where I picked up, especially including my score, coins and extra lives.

The other big thing I love is, once you finish the game, you can go back and clear boards that you skipped the first time around. Once you have a "perfect clear" on all 8 worlds, you have free reign on everything in the entire game... play any stage as much as you want, exit out of stages anytime, and go into any mushroom house or bonus game as much as you want. Because of this, you can do things never possible before, like stocking up on later-stage items (like Hammer Bros. suits) and playing through the earlier stages with them. That World 2 Fortress isn't so hard anymore when you can toss hammers at the Thwomps and the Boos!

The fact that this game is still so popular after more than 14 years on the market just goes to show... you don't need to have the latest and greatest 3-D whizbang technology to be successful. Sometimes it's nice to go back to basics, and this is probably one of the best re-releases Nintendo has ever produced on any platform. If you loved (or even just liked) SMB3, you'll be very happy with this version.


Excellent Game!   June 22, 2004
My son this -"This an excellent game. I am 7 years old and have enjoyed it very much! It's easy and fun.It's one of my favorite games, (...)