Many years later, Super Mario Bros. Deluxe is still an enjoyable journey from beginning to end.
The original Super Mario Bros. set a standard for the platforming genre and is still loved by many. Versions of the title have been released on many platforms, including the Virtual Console and the SNES' Super Mario All-Stars. The most unique specimen out of the bunch, however, is Super Mario Bros. Deluxe for the Game Boy Color. It was Nintendo's first attempt to bring a NES title over to a portable screen. While many things still remain fun, it is beginning to show its age.
What makes Super Mario Bros. Deluxe so special is that Nintendo didn't just port the game to the GBC, but added a lot of extra content. There is, of course, the Original 1985 version available, and here you can save at any time during the game. Famous glitches like the Minusworld are gone and more sound effects are added, so to say that it is the full old school experience is perhaps going a bit too far. There is also a challenge mode, in which you try to meet certain high scores and collect additional Red Coins and Yoshi Eggs. After meeting certain goals, you can unlock a modified version of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. Not all the content of that game is included here and some changes were made to make it work better on the GBC. There are plenty of other tidbits to find, but I won't spoil them all here today.
Though there is a lot to enjoy in Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, there are negative aspects as well. Multiplayer and the Game Boy Printer elements of the title are missing, with no effort to keep them in. It would have been amazing if you could save the printable banners or art on your SD card, but that sadly is not the case. Also, the aspect ratio takes some getting used to in this day and age. It is certainly nice that the game is pixel perfect with the NES version, but the zoomed in view can be troubling sometimes. These issues are worth considering, despite how much fun the whole ordeal is.