Below are user reviews of Super Mario Advance and on the right are links to professionally written reviews.
The summary of review scores shows the distribution of scores given by the professional reviewers for Super Mario Advance.
Column height indicates the number of reviews with a score within the range shown at the bottom of the column.
Higher scores (columns further towards the right) are better.
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User Reviews (1 - 11 of 219)
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Super Mario Advance
3
Rating: 3,
Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 29, 2008
Author: Amazon User
Pretty good game, not as good as some of the Mario games. Nice game for kids between 4 and 7. I enjoyed this game 15 years ago and had to buy it for my Nintendo DS.
excellant
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 28, 2008
Author: Amazon User
My nine year old son used his money to purchase this game and had loads of fun.
Too Much From Origonal?? (Rating: 5 out of 10- -2.5 stars)
2
Rating: 2,
Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 05, 2008
Author: Amazon User
Now I myself personally love me some Super Mario. If you checked my reviews, you'll see that I've given Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros 3 & Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance all high ratings. When I purchased those two games, I've noticed that Nintendo made some changes with those games since the last time I've owned them on Super Nintendo. So here I am with Super Mario Advance, which is Super Mario 2 on Game Boy Advance, and I have to say that I've not impressed at all with this one. I understand that video games "evolve" over time and creaters try to make them better, but there is a difference between making the game better than the origonal, and making it complicated than the origonal. Nintendo did the latter with this game.
Changes for the good are nice for me. On this one you can pick you character each time you die (actually you could do that since the Super Mario All-Stars game, and I didn't know you couldn't do that on the origonal NES game until I was playing my cousin's Wii a few days ago). Also it tells you each characters power under them on the select screen. Another helpful change is when you collect the star which makes you become invincible for a few seconds. Back then when you collect a certain amount of cherries, a star would just randomly float from the bottom of the screen. On here you'll hear some kind of tone which warns you the star is comming.
Not so good changes are very visible. First of all, what got me was during the beginning of the game, there is a long drop before you reach the bottom and start. They changed that too, which sucks. Also on the origonal game you started off big (the status you are when you have at least two hearts on the left side of the screen). Here you're small (with one heart on the left side), which really isn't a problem because you can find hearts anywhere to make you grow. Back then if you kill enough enemies, a heart will float from the ground and you gain more life. Here, hearts are inside the plants you pick up from the ground and sitting idle in high places on levels. And what really ticks me off is the red shell that you can pick up from the ground. Back then you threw the red shell at an enemie and it would have hit the wall and dissapeared. Here if you throw a shell, it will bounce off the wall and keep going, and if it hits you, you loose a heart or die (come on now!). And whats the deal with those huge Shy Guys and Turnip Plants? And like every Mario game, the characters speak (Peach doesn't know when to shut up). Hell even Birdo speaks (that purple dinosaur that shoot out eggs), and half the time I don't even knows what she is saying.
There you have it with Super Mario 2 on Game Boy Advance. What I believed happened was that Nintendo received feedback since 1993 when this game was reissued on SNES on how difficult the game was and tried their best to make it easier and more fun for new and younger Nintendo gamers, because I played the origonal on the Wii and it was the exact version on the NES and it was way harder. Older guys like me will definately find this game flawed if you've had it in different formats. Nintendo has made some great reissues with great modifications, but they shot a brick with this one big time. Peace.
P.S.- The Arcade game appears on all Super Mario Advance games.
For nostalgia's sake alone
4
Rating: 4,
Useful: 0 / 0
Date: December 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User
Mario's first appearance on the GBA came with the first Super Mario Advance game, which is an updated port of Super Mario Bros. 2 for the original Nintendo console. For those that don't know, Super Mario Bros. 2 was a departure from the classic, standard setting original game, as Mario now pulled radishes out of the ground to hurl at enemies among other changes (the reason behind these is because the original Super Mario Bros. 2 was deemed too difficult when originally developed, so another in-development game got a Mario facelift and was released as Super Mario 2 here in the states, while the other Mario sequel would see somewhat of a release as Super Mario All-Stars on the Lost Levels segment), but despite it all, the game still offered some solid platforming action and fun. Choosing to play as Mario, Luigi, Toad, or Princess Peach; you hurl radishes and other items at enemies, look for secrets, and more besides. The game is pretty simple to get into, and the graphics and sound have been updated for the GBA, but there are some flaws. The controls aren't as tight as we've seen on Mario games before and after this, and there are moments where the game really doesn't feel like a Mario game (and it's really not, for reasons mentioned above), but despite it's flaws, the first Super Mario Advance is a fun diversion, even though it is the weakest of the four Super Mario Advance games that came out for the GBA over it's lifespan. All in all, if you're still looking to get some quality, triple-A titles for your GBA before it completely bites the dust, here's one to pick up if you haven't already.
A little disappointing...
3
Rating: 3,
Useful: 0 / 0
Date: November 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User
I bought this game without knowing that it was the same as Super Mario 2. This was my least favorite Mario game for the NES. I also think it was kind of pointless to include the original Mario Brothers game. (You remember the one with the POW barrel) That game is not fun, and requires a connector cable and an opponent for any kind of real game play. I recommend Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros 3 for some classic Mario fun.
Mario
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 06, 2007
Author: Amazon User
This game is awesome! I really enjoyed playing it. Unfortunately, it was too short. But there is a bonus round, where you get to collect yoshi eggs by playing all the levels all over again. So far, I've collected all 6 eggs in level one. I'm currently working on level 2...This is an alright game to have in your collection, for Mario fans!!!
It Rocks!
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User
The game is good - I love all the Mario games. The game is fun - I haven't beaten it yet, but then again, I'm a college student, so when do I have time? :) Anyway, I recommend this game!
Great fun for all ages
4
Rating: 4,
Useful: 3 / 3
Date: February 25, 2007
Author: Amazon User
Based off of the classic SMB2, I bought this thinking it was just stupid. After playing it, I couldn't stop. The gameplay is neat and the challenges give you something to really work on and some secrets can get you in on some good stuff. Occasionally, the graphics look recycled from Super Mario World, especially Luigi. In fact, Mario and Luigi look like they are the SMW sprites but Mario's head is weirder. The shrunken versions are the same as the GBA version of Mario Bros. as well. One concept from Mario Bros. is the super jump. You still duck for a period of time, and you still flash. And, of course, you backflip up into the air. The character stats system was excellent. Mario for beginners, Luigi for jumpers, Toad for speed-runners, and Peach for the ladies (And a relief for people tired of rescuing Peach). All fits in well. Overall, it is a good game. A bit reused, but in a good way. Some add-ons and graphic changes give you the feel of the 1993 hit Super Mario-All Stars but with the play of a 2001 GBA game. Recommended for classic gamers and Mario fans.
Downsides:
You can't switch characters after each level.
There's a new theme of carrying things. Stomping is never used.
Extra Life system is somewhat different. I can't put my finger on it, but...
Much better on NES than GBA
3
Rating: 3,
Useful: 6 / 7
Date: February 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User
When I purchased this game, I was expecting something on par with the NES release that I had hours of fun with when I was younger. This game is fun, and is perfectly capable of allowing you to waste many hours searching for the secrets hidden in each level, but it is not the same as the NES release because it was not ported over to GBA very well.
As others have mentioned, the scrolling is a big problem. If an enemy is coming at you from the left (particularly out of the sky), your chances for survival are approximately 0.01%, since you cannot see them coming and therefore have no time to react, unless you constantly use the annoying L button. The "slot machine" extra life game has also been altered - but not for the better, since your chances of winning an extra life (to replace the one you lost when you were done in by that enemy coming from the left) are again 0.01%.
The original Mario Brothers arcade game, however, is true to the original and will be enjoyed by anyone who appreciated it in the arcade or on the NES. The scrolling is not a problem for the original and there are no annoying changes to note.
Great game!
4
Rating: 4,
Useful: 0 / 4
Date: January 18, 2007
Author: Amazon User
My son loves it I don't know any specifics but it is one of his favorite games.
Good price however I don't like Amazon though becuase I put things in my shopping bag in early Decmber and each week they went UP in price as it got closer to Christmas. THe shipping took a while and everything seemed to come in separate boxes. I have had better luck with Ebay or other retailers through Amazon.
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