The all time greatest Mario game was finally ported to the GBA as the fourth installment in the
Super Mario Advance series. It's so good that, back in the day, for many of us it was the main reason to get a
NES. Think of the original
Super Mario Bros., but on steroids. As usual, it's all about saving Princess Peach from her obsessive kidnapper Bowser, King of the Koopas, but this third installment has more extensive levels, worlds, moves, and now you can fly. With a P-leaf (power leaf) you get a Tanooki Suit and become Raccoon Mario, allowing limited flight above the platforms and into the clouds for more hidden goodies and challenges.
The first Mario game for the GBA under the moniker
Super Mario Advance is actually a port of the second title in the
Super Mario Bros. NES series. Not only is this an amazingly fun platform adventure, but it's better on the GBA than it was on the
console. Bowser has taken a break from kidnapping Princess Peach, so for the first time she is one of the four playable characters. In addition to being able to bop the baddies into submission, you can pick them up and throw 'em into their oncoming cohorts. On an unusual note, in Japan this isn't actually a Mario game, it's called
Doki Doki Panic about the Arabian Yume Kôjô family. The Yume Kôjô family was part of a special cross promotion with Fuji TV so the characters were unknown in North America. When it was released stateside they replaced the family with the Mario Bros. characters, and the rest is history.
This second in the
Super Mario Advance series is not only a port of the first Mario game for the
Super Nintendo, but is also the first appearance of Yoshi the dinosaur. Per usual, everyone's favorite stalker, Bowser, has kidnapped Princess Peach, so it's up to the brothers, along with help from Yoshi, to rescue her. Featuring a mix of the gameplay styles from the first two
Super Mario Bros. games, but you can switch between Mario and Luigi, both of whom have their own unique moves. When you come across a Yoshi Egg the little dinosaur will hatch and you can ride on his back. Yoshi eats the baddies and either spit them out as fireballs, or swallow them so he can launch eggs at more oncoming baddies.
Although Mario isn't the star of this multitude of mini-games, he is a playable character.
WarioWare: Twisted! is pretty much the most innovative handheld game in history. A precursor to the upcoming
Wii console,
Twisted not only has a built in rumble pack, but also a fully functional motion sensor. Instead of using the thumb pad you just turn your GBA in the direction you want to move. The best of these manic, mini-challenges is the
Classic NES levels with a tribute to the original
Super Mario Bros.. The Mario mini-games are so good that you'll wish Nintendo would make an entire Super Mario Bros. title in the same style. This also marks the end of the long standing feud between Mario and Wario in the "make up" mini-game where the goal is to have the former rivals high-five each other.
The best kart racing game makes a seamless transition to the GBA. It's so good that even those who loath racing games can't help but love it. You pick your driver from among the Mario gang and race against the rest, all vying for the
Mushroom Cup. What makes this the all time best in handheld racing is the mix of smooth controls, wacky power-ups, and the most outrageous courses in gaming history. This title is so popular that it has spawned numerous rip-offs attempting to match its look, feel and success.
Mario Kart: Super Circuit also made it to the number five slot in the
Top 10 Summer Games for the Game Boy Advance.
A direct port of the 1985 NES classic that took Mario and Luigi from its single screen beginnings, into level after level of
platforming, block breaking, mushroom snatching, flower zapping, princess rescuing, goodness. This is also the first appearance of Princess Peach and her serial stalker Bowser.
SMB was so popular that Nintendo bundled it with the original NES systems knowing that folks would buy the whole kin-and-caboodle just to play the game. Although Mario had already starred in three popular arcade games,
SMB kick started the Mario mania on console systems that has made him one of the most popular character in gaming history. Unfortunately, unlike the original NES version, this does not come with Duck Hunt, but then again, how would you attach the gun controller.
The
Super Mario Advance series has brought the Bros. best classic games to the GBA, yet the third installment in the series isn't technically a SMB game but a port of the classic Super Nintendo title
Yoshi's Island. Here you actually play several Yoshies on a quest to reunite Baby Mario with his twin brother Baby Luigi. In a kidnapping attempt gone wrong, the two youngsters are separated when the stork delivering them was attacked by a MagiKoopa named Kamek. He successfully snatches Luigi, but Mario drops onto Yoshi Island. In each level you play a different Yoshi carrying Baby Mario safely through each level, and then pass him off to the next Yoshi who continues the journey to rescue Luigi.
