Few things in gaming spark as much debate as remakes. While some believe they’re important for attracting new players, others disagree. But 25 years ago, Nintendo released a remake that went beyond simply being ‘necessary’ – it was exceptional.
Super Mario Advance launched in Japan on March 21, 2001, at the same time as the Game Boy Advance, and came to the U.S. on June 11, 2001. It’s a reimagining of the classic game Super Mario Bros. 2, with so many updates and changes that it feels like a completely new experience.
Super Mario Advance Represents a Complete Overhaul
Super Mario Advance is a remake of the classic Super Mario Bros. 2, specifically based on the version found in Super Mario All-Stars for the SNES. Essentially, both games tell the same story and have the same basic gameplay.
According to the tale, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Toad all have the same dream: a strange land called Subcon is being threatened by a villainous frog named Wart. Together, they journey through Subcon, battling Wart’s creatures, including the unique Birdo – a mix of bird and dinosaur – and other enemies like Mouser, Fryguy, Clawgrip, and Triclyde.
Okay, so when I first started playing Super Mario Advance, it honestly felt pretty similar to the original Super Mario Bros. 2. But then I realized something different – you can’t actually jump on enemies to defeat them! Instead of jumping, you have to pick up things like vegetables or other objects and throw them at your opponents. It’s a really unique twist!
A key difference between Super Mario Advance and Super Mario Bros. 2 is the ability to lift and throw heavier objects. This allows players to knock out multiple enemies at once, earning more health and extra lives.
It’s great that Super Mario Advance is easy to pick up and play. It’s actually simpler than Super Mario Bros. 2, offering more opportunities to gain health and extra lives. But the game isn’t just more convenient; it also has a lot of other strong qualities.
So, this game doesn’t just make you beat levels, it gives you extra stuff to do! When I first started playing, I was all about grabbing every red coin I could find. But once I finished the game, it unlocked a whole new challenge – finding Yoshi eggs! It’s cool because it gives me a reason to replay levels and really explore everything.
Super Mario Advanced changes the original game so much that it feels like a completely new title, rather than just a remake of Super Mario Bros. 2. This demonstrates that a successful remake doesn’t need to perfectly replicate every detail of the original.
More Mario Remakes Followed
While Super Mario Advance wasn’t Nintendo’s first attempt at revisiting a classic Mario game – they’d previously remastered titles like Super Mario All-Stars on the SNES – it built upon a history of similar updates.
Super Mario Bros. Deluxe offered players two games in one: the original Super Mario Bros. and the challenging Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. It also added new ways to play, including a challenge mode where you collect items in each level. Plus, you could compete head-to-head with another player or race against a ghostly Boo!
Seeing how well Super Mario Bros. Deluxe and the first Super Mario Advance did, Nintendo kept making updated versions of classic Mario games for the next 25 years. Super Mario Advance actually became a whole series, bringing back Super Mario World, Yoshi’s Island, and Super Mario Bros. 3. And they haven’t stopped! More recently, they’ve remade games like Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, which is awesome.
While several games have tried to improve upon the original, none quite reached the level of detail and changes seen in Super Mario Advance. Super Mario 64 DS came the closest, offering the same basic gameplay as the original Mario 64 but with extra levels and challenges. It also added a lot more variety by letting players choose between Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Yoshi.
While Super Mario 64 DS is a good remake, it doesn’t quite compare to Super Mario Advance, which many still consider the best remake ever made. Nintendo needs to improve its approach to future remakes.
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2026-04-02 06:43