Super Mario Advance

Review

by Shawn Nicholls

What better way to usher in the Game Boy Advance than with Nintendo's most beloved character? In this update to the 8-bit Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Advance offers two great ways to enjoy your favorite characters. The enhanced arcade version, which is a single-screen adventure played in two different modes, is best enjoyed when linked up with other human competitors using a link cable (sold separately). This choice is also appropriate for those looking for a quick fix of Mario instead of being glued to the screen for hours at a time.

Solo players with a few hours to kill will find much entertainment in playing the adapted version of Super Mario Bros. 2. After choosing from the available characters, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, or Toad, players are thrust into the game world, challenged with dangerous villains and harrowing obstacles, all in search of red coins and the end of the stage. Along the way, the character can gain strength, weapons, and other perks by stomping on blocks and picking turnips out of the ground. As opposed to the original Super Mario Bros., enemies in this game can't be removed by being jumped on, but instead must be hurled into holes or destroyed using other objects.

Graphically, the game is superb. Motion and action improvements have been made over the 8-bit version to fit the capabilities of the new console. As the first release for the GBA, it shows considerable promise for what is to come. The objects and characters on the screen are brightly colored and large, something that just wasn't present in the original version. Every aspect of the game is colorful and sharp, not to mention fast-paced and fluid as Mario and company race through the stages.

The controls are basic, except for two added perks. First, pressing the R button on the top of the Game Boy Advance allows the character to run quickly while carrying an object. This wasn't so easy before, because the B button not only made the character run but was also used to throw an object. This is an added bonus, because it allows the player to scale large cliffs or travel quickly, while at the same time carrying a weapon.

Holding the L button and pressing either up or down on the pad gives the player a chance to look up or down, which is a must since characters must move vertically in many stages of the game, instead of the standard horizontal movement. Not looking up can be harmful, as many potent enemies fall from ledges or from the sky, so be careful.

It's hard to say anything bad about Super Mario Advance. The music is a wonderful addition and overall the game is just entertaining. Even the instruction manual is colorful and thorough. As an added bonus, three different users can save their progress to battery, so you don't have to worry about losing your spot if someone else wants to play.

Each level is unique, whether it's on ice, land, sand, or in water. The end-bosses are difficult and challenging, and often require much practice and many lives to conquer. Made it through every level? No problem, the game starts you back over again on a new mission in search of coins. The fun just doesn't stop.

The superior play value of Super Mario Advance is a sign of good things to come. With several more installments of the classic characters on the way, including Super Mario Bros. 3 and Wario Land, Nintendo and the Game Boy Advance are quickly reintroducing players to the great titles that helped make Nintendo what it is today.