My original Review for this game was
probably one of my worst Reviews. Labeling it "This is undoubtedly the
best Gameboy Advance game I've played... except for perhaps Golden Sun"
was one of the biggest mistakes I ever made. First off, it is NOT the "best
Game Boy Advance game I've played". Somehow, when writing that, I completely
forgot about Advance Wars, which IS the best Gameboy Advance game I've
ever played, perhaps the best Gameboy game I've ever played. Second, I
think it's almost definitely better than
Golden Sun. I'm revamping this entire
Review. Forget comparing it to the original Super Mario World in the scores,
they're so alike it's pointless. No, this is a completely new, and more
correct, Review than before.
Just to say it quickly: The story is that Mario, Luigi, and Peach are going on a vacation to Dinosaur Island, but Bowser kidnaps Peach. Mario and Luigi, with the help of Yoshi, must rescue her.
0-5 stars. Need I say more?
Graphics: ****
Okay, the graphics are a little improved over before. However, I've seen better graphics in games like Golden Sun and Advance Wars. Super Mario Advance 3 also probably tops it in this category.
Sound and Music: **** 1/2
Okay, here's something I'm not taking back. I really like the music, especially the outside music. The castle music is also pretty good, and the underground music isn't too bad, either. Of course, it simply cannot match the original Super Mario Bros. music, but still...
Difficulty: Medium
The Special World stages are very...
well... hard, especially Tubular and Outrageous. However, for the most
part the stages are not too hard. Wendy's
Castle and Larry's Castle are frustrating, along with Valley Fortress,
but it still comes out ahead. One thing I like is that you can save at
anytime, anyplace, you don't have to go back to a Ghost House to save.
Controls: **** 1/2
Another small mistake I made. The controls aren't bad, but they also aren't perfect. I did prefer them to Super Mario World, but they still could use some work. Flying IS rather hard, though I can do it pretty well (of course, I had played the original a lot).
Levels: ****
I'll be honest, this game has good levels. Maybe some of them are really hard, but they're still good. There are a variety of ways to get to the end, not just one path like Super Mario Sunshine or Super Mario Bros. 3 (not to criticize Super Mario Bros. 3, of course). The levels are structured well, and are quite interesting.
Concept: *
Wow. Another remake. And with Mario Bros. to boot. How fascinating. I. Must. Stop. Using. Short. Sentences.
ANYWAY, it also has the old Bowser kidnaps Peach. True, that wasn't extremely overused when it was first brought out, but it is now.
Bosses: ****
Wow, Nintendo brings back the Koopalings! Not that that means much, the only reason they brought them back was because they were in the original game. Some of them are basically repeats of the other ones, such as Iggy and Larry, Morton and Roy, and Lemmy and Wendy. Still, the bosses are pretty cool (AND they're the Koopalings), but it would've been nice if Nintendo was more creative with them.
Replayability: ****
Well, you can always come back to previous levels, try to get all the Dragon Coins, beat all the levels, and find all the exits. There is the Mario Bros. game, but they had that in the original so it doesn't count for much. Still, you can enjoy this after playing it.
Secrets: ***
Yes, there are secret levels. Yes, there are secret exits. And yes, there are Dragon Coins hidden all around. But that's not really too much. Couldn't there be more things hidden throughout the game?
Mario Bros.: 1/2
Wow. How creative. The only reason I didn't give this no stars is the fact that it was only the second time Nintendo made this stupid decision. Hello? Could I PLEASE have a different game, or at least an additional bonus game along with this? Come on, a different one wouldn't hurt much, and it would definitely be better for those of us who played the first Super Mario Advance.
Gameplay: ****
Here is where I'm going to compliment this game: It DOES have good gameplay. However, it would be nice if there were more power-ups, like Super Mario Bros. 3. Yoshi is a cool touch, and it does have similar gameplay to Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3. However, this doesn't change the fact it has a few flaws, such as flying, for example. I'm experienced with it, but some people (you know who you are) have some difficulty. No, I'm not criticizing you, just stating a fact.
Fun Factor!: ****
Okay, this game is fun. However, it
is sometimes frustrating. Tubular takes forever to beat, and Outrageous
is so annoying. Plus, it's fun to be
able to play as Mario or Luigi.
There's another statement I would like to retract in my original Review. I said "Don't fool yourself by thinking, 'Well, I already have the original, so why get this remake?' This game is different enough." That is very incorrect. If you have the original, don't get this. This game is NOT different enough. They added Luigi and Mario Bros. and changed the music slightly and also changed the controls. That's it. Is that worth shelling out an additional $30? No, I don't think so.
OVERALL: ****
This game is good, I'll grant you that. However, it IS still a remake and does NOT deserve the perfect score I gave it and is NOT the best Gameboy Advance game ever and is NOT a reason by itself to get a Gameboy Advance. I was just overexcited about this game when I reviewed it, and now I see it as it is. Yes, it is a good game, but it's not good enough to get a perfect score. I'll repeat what I said in my Super Mario Advance 3 review: If you want a Gameboy Advance game, get Advance Wars, a game that DESERVED my perfect score.
This game is pointless to get if you
own (or at least have access to) the original Super Mario World. If you
don't have the original, you can get this, but otherwise, skip it. If this
weren't a remake, it would deserve 4 1/2 stars, possibly even a perfect
score, but I'm afraid this doesn't deserve either.