Author Topic: Super Mario Advance Review Mini  (Read 1286 times)

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Offline Daan

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Super Mario Advance Review Mini
« on: July 22, 2014, 02:40:00 AM »

The real Super Mario Bros. 2 experience is here. Stop laughing!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/38124/super-mario-advance-review-mini

One of the first games I've ever played was Super Mario Bros. 2. I would play it for hours on end with my father, who to this day has an incredible obsession with it. My favorite version of that game was on the Game Boy Advance though!

What makes this version of Super Mario Bros. 2/Super Mario USA so fun are the enhancements. Both versions contain the same great platforming experience, but I found Super Mario Advance way more forgiving. Dying does not mean that you will go to the beginning of the game. Instead, you will start right back at the level you failed. This makes touching the Wii U's save stats unneeded as the game flows a lot better now. The only thing is that kind of irked me was that there are almost too many chances to replenish hearts. The developers have put special heart plants in the ground, which you will encounter randomly. If you can do a right combo by throwing turnips at enemies, a slew of hearts will be at your fingertips as well. Similar to other Mario games, you can also get high scores and five big special coins so that you have something more to shoot for. These five coins are put in some sneaky spots and these encourage exploring environments to the fullest.

The game looks much sharper than the original game. Super Mario Advance has a bright and colorful palette and everything in this weird world has more charming attributes to it that translate well on the Wii U. Interestingly, the leading characters all have digitized voice samples in this version. Personally I found them charming, though I am certain some might not be too fuzzed about it. Later on the game, they are bit much since the characters mostly say the same stuff over and over again. If you are trying a boss for a fifth time, you are kind of like: ''Yeah, I get it okay.''

Despite those smaller missteps, Super Mario Advance is a still a blast and I am happy that it has hit the Wii U Virtual Console. The added Mario Bros. game is a nice touch too, but that is certainly not the reason you would be playing this!


Offline ClexYoshi

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Re: Super Mario Advance Review Mini
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2014, 10:37:19 AM »
I remember getting this and Circle of the Moon on launch day for my GBA, and I already loved Super Mario USA/SMB2.


It's a damned shame people toss flak at the game for Doki Doki panic in their uneducated bliss, as the folks working in Miyamotos' original Nintendo R&D office originally made a prototype of a vertically scrolling Super Mario Bros. game and it's really only Yamauchi's fault for

A) wanting a game to tie in with a partnership with Fuji TV.

and

B) wanting a sequel to Super Mario Bros. to hit market fast and fufil the thirst for challenge that kids in Japan had, since mastery via practice is such an ingrained ideal in their society.

My theory was that the Mario Assets were already in the game. the Starman was still in Doki Doki Panic and has a nearly identical effect as it does in SMB1 even in that game. the idea that they wanted the game to scroll vertically makes tons of sense when you consider the way the Starman zigs and zags at a gradual ascending arc instead of the horizontal zigging and zagging it does in the normal games.


But yes, I like this particular port and haven't played it in years. when it comes to NTSC and english speaking Wii U's, I may end up getting it as the one Super Mario Advance title I don't own in physical copy any more.

Offline LittleIrves

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Re: Super Mario Advance Review Mini
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2014, 10:33:23 AM »
Interesting that this will be hitting the Wii U VC. But you know I'm always down for some more SMB2. Some amazing BOSS FIGHTs in there. (Okay, they're not the best part, but the fact that the original took place inside a BOOK...  pretty neat.) #subliminal
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Offline Mop it up

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Re: Super Mario Advance Review Mini
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2014, 03:48:57 PM »
This is the first GBA game I got, but without the portable aspect of it, I don't feel there's enough here to warrant buying again for anyone who owns a different version of it.