Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3

This article is about the Game Boy Advance remake. For the original game, see Super Mario Bros. 3. For other uses, see Super Mario Bros. 3 (disambiguation).

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
American box art For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer	Nintendo EAD
Publisher	Nintendo
Platform(s)	Game Boy Advance Virtual Console (Wii U) Game Boy Advance - Nintendo Switch Online
Release date	Game Boy Advance: July 11, 2003 October 17, 2003[?] October 21, 2003 October 24, 2003 Virtual Console (Wii U): December 29, 2015 January 21, 2016[?] March 10, 2016 March 11, 2016[?] Game Boy Advance - Nintendo Switch Online: February 8, 2023[?] February 9, 2023[?] February 9, 2023[?] February 9, 2023[?] February 9, 2023[?] February 9, 2023[?]
Language(s)	English (United States) French (France) German Spanish (Spain) Italian Japanese
Genre	2D platformer
Rating(s)	ESRB: - Everyone PEGI: - Three years and older CERO: - All ages ACB: - General USK: - All ages
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Format	Wii U: Digital download Nintendo Switch: Digital download Game Boy Advance: Game Pak e-Reader card
Input	Wii U: Wii U GamePad Wii Remote (horizontal) Classic Controller Wii U Pro Controller Nintendo Switch: Joy-Con Joy-Con (horizontal) Nintendo Switch Pro Controller Game Boy Advance: Gamepad
Serial code(s)	AGB-AX4J-JPN (v1.0) AGB-AX4J-JPN-1 (v1.1) AGB-AX4J-JPN-2 (v1.2; VC/NSO) AGB-AX4P-EUR (v1.0) AGB-AX4P-EUR-1 (v1.1; VC/NSO) AGB-AX4U-AUS AGB-AX4E-USA (v1.0) AGB-AX4E-USA-1 (v1.1; VC/NSO)

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 is a 2003 reissue of Super Mario Bros. 3 for the Game Boy Advance and the fourth and final entry in the Super Mario Advance series. It boasts similar graphics and sound to the Super Mario All-Stars version, and it makes use of the e-Reader to support additional content. Additionally, it features a remake of Mario Bros., also included in the Super Mario Advance games prior to it.

The game has rumble support if played on a Game Boy Player or Nintendo Switch (but not on a Wii U). To turn rumble on or off, a settings menu appears when pressing or on the game selection menu. Examples of situations where rumble is used include when Mario takes damage and in the spike section in World 1-Fortress.

The first release of the game was bundled with two e-Reader cards. Two groups of cards, referred to as series, were also sold as separate products. By scanning these special cards into the e-Reader, players are able to unlock additional content to the game including: items, such as the Cape Feather from Super Mario World (as a new addition); demos, in which players can view special short videos; and, most significantly, new levels, which can be played in the new World-e. There are also Switch Cards that the player can activate and deactivate the effects of by scanning them. The e-Reader feature is still present in the European version, but it is disabled and inaccessible, despite being fully translated. This is due to the e-Reader not releasing in Europe, despite being planned to. The e-Reader's functionality can be forcibly accessed in the European version by corrupting a save file.

The game was rereleased on the Wii U's Virtual Console service in Japan on December 29, 2015, and later in North America on January 21, 2016; in Europe on March 10, 2016; and in Australia on March 11, 2016. All releases on the Wii U automatically include all levels that were accessible via e-Reader cards, including levels that had previously been released only in Japan. The ROM size was also increased from 32 megabits to 64. It was also re-released for the Nintendo Switch's Game Boy Advance - Nintendo Switch Online service as one of its launch titles on February 8, 2023, worldwide, which also includes all of the e-Reader levels.

Story

As stated from the instruction booklet:

The Mushroom Kingdom has remained a peaceful place, thanks to the brave deeds of Mario and Luigi. However, the Mushroom Kingdom forms an entrance to the Mushroom World, a place where all is not well. Bowser sent his seven children to make mischief in this normally peaceful land. As their first order of business, they stole the royal magic wands from each country in the Mushroom World and used them to turn the kings into animals. Mario and Luigi must recover the royal magic wands from Bowser's seven kids to return the kings to their true forms. As Mario and Luigi set off on their journey deep into the Mushroom World, Princess Peach and Toad have but one thing to say: “Good-bye, and good luck!”

Control scheme

In a level	On the world map
: Move : Jump / Fly or glide (as Raccoon or Tanooki Mario) / Swim / : Dash / Pick up and throw items / Shoot fireballs (as Fire Mario) / Tail whip (as Raccoon or Tanooki Mario) / Throw hammers (as Hammer Mario) : Pause	: Move Mario around the map : Select level / item : Swap lives (in Mario and Luigi mode) : Open / close the item inventory : Open / close the e-Reader menu : Pause : Open / close the replay menu

List of changes from Super Mario All-Stars

Gameplay

• Like in Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2, after the game boots up, a cutscene telling the story leading up to the game was added.
• The 2-player game has been replaced by a new mode called Mario & Luigi, in which players switch between Mario and Luigi every time they beat a level. Consequently, the 1-player game was renamed to just Mario, and the Battle Game was removed entirely.
  • Unless he is holding an item, Luigi now scuttles when he jumps, however, his jumping physics remain identical to Mario's. His floatier Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2-style physics are only applied within World-e or if the player scans the Luigi Power Up!! e-reader card within the main game.
• The title screen is redesigned, featuring a new separate menu for selecting the game mode and another one for selecting save files. The number of save files was reduced from four to three.
• If the player warps to World 8, Bowser's letter will appear on-screen as if the player completed World 7, likely to provide context for the player entering Bowser's domain.
• Several mechanics have been changed for the remake.
  • Upside-down Spiny Shells can be safely grabbed, stomped, and/or kicked without taking damage; in the previous versions, even an immobile, upside-down Spiny Shell would hurt Mario if he landed on top of it.
  • Big Blocks in normal courses can be hit with a tail swipe as Raccoon or Tanooki Mario (Mega ? Blocks in bonus rooms are still immune to tail whips).
  • Coin Blocks can now give more than ten coins if hit fast enough, and up to 20 if a P-Wing is used.
  • Spade Panels change suits if won, which gives the player the chance to earn more lives. The order is spade, heart (offering up to a 7-UP), club (up to a 10-UP), and diamond (guaranteed win), before looping back.
  • The maximum number of lives is now 999.
  • The player can now do a temporary save of the current level from the pause menu; this option becomes a permanent save after completing the game. The game can also be permanently saved after clearing a fortress (including World 5-Tower), an airship (including World 8-Airship), and the tank and battleship levels in World 8 prior to completion. However, as in the NES version, the game cannot be saved from the Game Over menu.
  • Bowser has increased health against Hammer Mario.
  • Mario and Luigi's power up status, coin count, card amount/type, and score are now saved alongside the lives and item inventory.
  • Tail-swiping a Muncher will not turn it into an Empty Block.
  • All Lakitus are one block (16 pixels) lower than due to the smaller resolution on the GBA.
  • Kicked shells and White Blocks collect coins. Coins collected this way are usually worth double.
  • Jelectros bob up and down in-place rather than being completely still.
  • If a P-Wing is lost underwater, it now depletes the Power Meter near instantly.
  • Magic Balls and Magic Wands now bounce upwards upon being hit with fireballs, hammers, or tail whips.
  • The Hammer Brothers' hammer-throwing frequency is lowered to three per cycle.
  • The Boss Bass takes longer to respawn.
  • Bowser's lower half now inflicts damage.
  • Sideways Thwomps now cause the screen to shake.
  • The Power Meter does not run out while running, and in Raccoon or Tanooki form, the player can replenish it by landing and taking off again.
  • The ability to return to the world map and turn on sleep mode has been added to the pause menu.
  • Mario and Luigi can fall/sink lower offscreen before losing a life.
  • In World 6, the path to the second Toad House was changed so that clearing World 6-5 is not required to access it.
  • When defeated by fireballs or hammers, Bowser no longer inflicts damage.
• Attempting to potentially warp backwards from World 6 back to World 5 via the Magic Whistle is now impossible, with the game blocking it off with a barrier.
• A rumble mode has been added, though it is applied exclusively to the Game Boy Player.
• Attempting to warp to Worlds 5, 6, or 8 from within will no longer result in those worlds' progress being reset upon arrival.
• After Mario/Luigi defeats Bowser, he automatically turns into Super Mario/Luigi regardless of whatever power-up he is using, to fit with the ending cutscene.
• If the player defeats Bowser before defeating all of the Koopalings and enters a skipped world's castle, a cutscene will play that will show the respective Koopaling breaking into the castle, stealing the King's scepter, knocking Toad back, transforming the King, and leaving just as Mario arrives at the castle, similar to the intro.
• When the player first enters the second part of the World 8 map, Princess Peach is shown above the second pipe. She yells, "Mario!" (if the player is Mario) or simply screams (if the player is Luigi) before disappearing. Her clips are recycled from Super Mario Sunshine.
• The ending scene of Mario/Luigi rescuing Peach is omitted after the game is cleared.
• Several gameplay changes to items and enemies match their functions in Super Mario World or Super Mario Advance 2:
  • Invincible Mario's point chain is the same as that of kicking a shell through many enemies or stomping many foes without landing on the ground.
  • Mushrooms are now converted into a coin when at the goal. This was also done to fix a softlock from the All-Stars version caused by the lack of this.
  • The time bonus countdown is shown after the player clears any stage, and like in Super Mario Advance 2, the time bonus is x100, x200, and x500 for beating Boom Boom, the Koopalings, and Bowser, respectively.
  • Obtaining a Fire Flower or Super Leaf as Small Mario in a level will change him to Fire Mario or Raccoon Mario respectively instead of only changing him to Super Mario.
  • The player can now carry items (like shells and White Blocks) through pipes to new areas; this only occurred when the pipe led to a different part of the same area in previous versions.
  • Shelled enemies (like Koopa Troopas and Buzzy Beetles) can be stomped underwater.
  • Holding an item underwater lets Mario swim faster and float to the surface quickly.
  • If more than one power-up or 1-Up Mushroom is on screen, the oldest one no longer disappears.
  • Like Caped Mario, Raccoon or Tanooki Mario can now tail-swipe mushrooms away from him.
  • Levels no longer deliberately reset their status as cleared after getting a Game Over.
• The controls have been slightly altered to accommodate the GBA's button layout:
  • Mario can climb beanstalks faster by holding or . He can also aim his fireballs/hammers by moving left or right while on one.
  • On the map screen, is used to open the inventory window rather than .
    • The item inventory has been redesigned, now showing all four panels at once. In addition, as a result of the current world and live count being removed from the inventory window, it can hold eight more items, increasing the allowed number from 28 to 36.
    • After the player beats the game, can also be used to select a world (as in Super Mario Bros. and Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3), although in Mario & Luigi mode, both brothers must be in different places for it to work.
  • can be used as an additional run/attack button during levels. On the map screen, it brings up the e-Reader menu.
  • On the map screen, opens a new replay menu, which can be used to watch or save a replay of the most recent level playthrough (provided the player did not pause).
• The tanks in World 8's tank levels continue driving forwards when the screen stops scrolling, instead of stopping.

Level design

Main article: Super Mario Bros. 3 § Worlds

Mario on Larry Koopa's Airship.

• Some levels received changes to the placements of items and/or coins, with blocks containing coins, power-ups, and 1-Up Mushrooms added.
• The world map pipes were redesigned to fit completely on the GBA's screen.
• The end of World 2-Pyramid is now at the other side of the pyramid, and a Blue Coin-revealing Switch Block has been added behind the pipe.
• Before facing Boom Boom, the entrance is closed. As such, the fortress boss arenas are slightly shorter.
• Likewise, Bowser's rooms are also shorter.
• Several enemies, obstacles, and pits were changed to be less threatening or removed.
• In World 5, the bricks directly attached to Warp Pipes and Turtle Cannons now contain coins.
• As this is Super Mario Advance 4, the second of the two "3's" made of blue coins in World 5-1 was changed to a "4."
• After beating the game, in levels that unlock White Mushroom Houses, there is a Mushroom Coin at the start that, when hit, shows how many coins Mario needs to unlock the house.

Graphics and user interface

• The sprites have a slightly brighter color, but it is not as noticeable as in the other Super Mario Advance games. The invincibility palettes are even brighter, making Mario/Luigi colored like they were in Super Mario Advance. This can be reverted by using a Warp Pipe, taking damage, powering-up, or exiting/clearing the course.
  • If the game is played on a Game Boy Player, however, the palettes revert to those of the All-Stars version.
• As in Super Mario World and the other games in Super Mario All-Stars, Mario and Luigi now wear their white gloves instead of being bare-handed. The coloring in the NES version was due to NES sprites only allowing for three colors at a time; the All-Stars version did not do this.
• Raccoon Mario's lighter tail stripes are thinner.
• In Toad Houses, Toad has a visible smile and slightly modified cap.
• A new pop-up was added for when the player earns more than ten lives consecutively.
• Luigi's Statue form is now taller than Mario's, it was the only one to remain a palette swap in the All-Stars version aside from part of his power up animation.
• Frog Mario and Luigi are now upright when holding the Magic Wand, rather than in their normal jumping pose.
• Raccoon/Tanooki Mario and Luigi's tails now wag as they glide and fly while crouching or holding an object.
• Princess Peach was entirely redrawn in this version to better resemble her intended design shown in artwork.
• The "Mario Start!" notification uses a redesigned font and is featured on screen for one second longer.
• A new screen depicting a view of the castle was added for when a world is cleared. If all levels in the world are cleared, the on-screen text "CLEAR!" is replaced with "PERFECT CLEAR!"
• Sliding and other action performed on slopes have new animations.
• Pile Driver Micro-Goombas are now duller than regular bricks and do not shine, as in the NES version.
• In World 4, the Sledge Brothers on the world map have new animations, rather than being a recolor like the rest of the Enemy Courses.
• The bonus rooms in Worlds 6-9, 6-10, and 8-1 are made of the bonus room terrain rather than the cave tileset.
• The floating Turtle Cannon in World 8-1 is flipped and now appears attached to the block above it.
• Boom Boom was redrawn to have a rounded head.
• Bricks that contain something do not turn into a "fake" coin after a Switch Block is activated. Bricks and coins also animate while it is active.
• Spade Panels and N-Mark Spade Panels received a redesign, now having a zoomed-out view of the original area, a more detailed background, less detailed sprites of Mario, Luigi, and Toad, and a door which Mario enters to play the minigame.
• During the end credits, the "World #" font was changed to look like it did on the original status bar, but bigger.
• Instead of being a mostly static slideshow, the worlds in the end credits now show a short animation, followed by the screen freezing and the world's name, number, and map sliding onto the screen. Some objects, which animated regardless in the original, no longer do so after the screen freezes.
• Some effects were added to the sprites for extra detail:
  • Coins sparkle when collected.
  • Shooting a fireball at Bowser or Boom Boom causes them to flash for an instant.
  • Using a Magic Whistle causes the screen to blur out, like it does when warping in the remakes of Super Mario Bros. 2.
  • Shooting a fireball at Boom Boom while he is idle before the boss battle begins causes it to bounce off.
  • After a Switch Block is activated, it disappears in a puff of smoke after one game second.
  • When an extra life is earned, the "1UP" sprite stretches before vanishing with sparkles. A similar use of sprite-stretching occurs when a Boss Bass spits out its baby.

The map of the Mushroom World.

• The world maps have been slightly redone or had minor details added, in order to accommodate the lower resolution.
  • The borders on the map screen were removed.
  • Most maps scroll vertically, due to the GBA's resolution.
  • In World 1, more bushes were added.
  • The panels shown after clearing a Toad House and Spade Panel were both recolored.
  • The Toad Houses in Worlds 2 and 3, besides the last one in the latter, were recolored from orange to red. The panels after clearing them were also recolored from white with a red letter to yellow with a beige letter, similar to the NES version.
  • The pyramid near the fortress in World 2 and the lake near World 2-2 were removed.
  • Beaten Spade Panel squares were recolored from white with a red letter to red with a beige letter, similar to the NES version. The panel also changes suits depending on the level.
  • In World 5, the map of the ground seen from the sky is fixed, now matching the actual ground part of the world's map. Also, moving clouds replace the stationary ones.
  • After World 8-Fortress is cleared, the spotlight briefly expands when the lock is removed.
  • In the last part of World 8, the courtyard in Bowser's Castle was given a second row of trees, and the castle itself was recolored from purple to gray. Also, the path-connecting coin icons sparkle, and a "Help!" word balloon was added to the castle before beating the game.
• A new world select screen appears upon beating the game. The castles' word balloons change to "!" if all the stages in the world have not been cleared, "OK" if they have, and "CLEAR!" if the game is fully completed.
• All level backgrounds (except for underground levels, airships, and fortresses) lack horizontal parallax scrolling, despite such scrolling being present in the pre-release trailer shown at E3. Vertical parallax scrolling can still be seen as Mario flies upward.
• In World 3, all block backgrounds are replaced by waterfall backgrounds, except for the ground Hammer Bros. stages.
• As in the All-Stars version of Super Mario Bros., underwater backgrounds have a distorted wave effect.
• In World 3-7's background, which is moved up, the clouds are all in front of the hills.
• The steel background of World 5-1's secret area and the block background of World 5-7's secret area were both changed to a sky background.
• The sky in World 6's athletic background is white, rather than purple.
• The sky in World 8's second tank level is changed to light blue from dark blue.
• Some of the game menus have been changed to compensate for a smaller screen and different button controls.
  • On the world map, the status bar was redesigned: it is only 16 pixels tall, only showing the current world, and the player's lives, coins, score, and cards (with the redundant timer and Power Meter icons removed), and is in front of the map on the map screen. Because of this, the "World" text is taller, and the "M" and "L" symbols are shorter.
  • When on the world map, small blue and icons are added to the top corners.
  • In levels, the status bar is replaced by a new HUD. The world, life count, timer, coin count, and score are placed at the top while the Power Meter and the cards remain at the bottom (though the latter are only shown briefly at the start of each stage, and reappear near the goal).
  • Within levels, the cards are now squared instead of rectangular.
  • A new Game Over screen appears before the Game Over menu.
  • When the game is beaten, the player is required to press to quit instead of a menu appearing like in the All-Stars version, making it more similar to the NES version and Super Mario Advance 2. However, text now prompts the player to do so.
• Both Peach and Bowser's letters were redesigned.
  • Peach's letters are smaller and have cyan backgrounds. Additionally, she does not wink as in the All-Stars version.
  • Bowser's letter is written on different paper with a gray background, instead of looking the same as Peach's letters. It also flashes slower than the All-Stars version, likely to reduce the risk of seizures.

Text and dialogue

• Some of the dialogue was changed.
  • Upon clearing a level, "COURSE CLEAR! YOU GOT A CARD" was changed to "LEVEL CLEARED! YOU GOT A PANEL."
  • A new "LEVEL CLEARED!" prompt also appears after boss fights.
  • In World 1-3's secret Toad House, "faraway" is spelled correctly as one word.
  • In the N-Mark Spade Panel instructions, "Miss twice and your out" from the earlier NES versions and Super Mario All-Stars was corrected to "Miss twice, and you're out!"
  • In the Japanese version, all textboxes have dedicated translations instead of only a few.
  • In European version, textboxes now have dedicated translations for most countries.
  • World 9's welcome message is now "World 9 Warp Zone!" rather than "Welcome to Warp Zone."
  • World 8's name was changed from "Castle of Kuppa" ("Castle of Koopa" in North American and PAL versions of All-Stars) to "Bowser's Castle" (the Japanese version instead renders all world names in hiragana, and are closer to the "Land" set).
  • Peach's speech in the ending has been redone to be similar the one found in the Japanese version, instead of the joke featured in the previous North American and PAL versions.
  • If the player finishes all the levels, staff credits are shown at the end along with the cutscenes and world names.
• The Kings' castles' dialogue was redone.
  • In Toad's initial pleas, "King" is spelled in lowercase.
  • The Kings' message to Frog Mario, "Oh me, oh my! You've been transformed! Shall I change you back with this wand?" is changed to "My, my! You've been changed into that!? Shall I change you back with this rod?"
  • If the player visits the castle after failing in an airship stage, "Little Koopa." in Toad's message is replaced by "the Koopalings!"
  • Kings start their thanks with "Oh, splendid! Splendid!" instead of "Oh, thank heavens!", "I'm" was changed to "I am", and "Princess" is now lowercase.
  • In the Kings' message to Tanooki Mario, a comma was added after "Please."
  • The interrobang (?!) in the Kings' message to Hammer Mario was reversed.
  • If the player defeats a Koopaling after beating Bowser, the King's speech will omit any reference to Peach's letters.
• The letters were also rewritten.
  • Peach's second and third letters are swapped back to their original Famicom positions, though the attachments remained the same. Also, as in the revised NES version, "Kuribo" is changed to "Goomba."
  • In her fourth letter, "Sand Dunes" is now fully lowercase.
  • The space between the first and second sentences of her fifth letter is removed.
  • Her final letter was made more specific, with "goal of the first" added in-between "Third" and "world", and "Third" being made lowercase.
  • In Bowser's letter, "Ha ha ha" is changed to "Gwa ha ha ha", and "Koopa" to "Koopas."

Audio and sound effects

• Voice acting has been added for when Mario and Luigi perform certain actions, performed by Charles Martinet, while Boos also gain their cackling sound effects used since super Mario 64.
• The music quality has been decreased due to the GBA's lack of a sound chip (though not as significantly as in Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 and Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3); most tracks have slightly different instruments from the All-Stars version as a result.
• Luigi's jumps are joined with a new sound effect for scuttling, similar to Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2.
• As in the All-Stars version of Super Mario Bros., Bonus Areas feature new upbeat music, rather than the underground theme.
• As in Super Mario Advance 2, a sliding sound effect was added.
• The "poof" sound Super Leaves make when grabbed is replaced with the typical "power-up" sound. The sound effect is still used for the Frog Suit and Tanooki Suit, however.
• The Hand Traps in World 8 have been given a dedicated sound effect for when they are entered, instead of the standard one used when entering a level.
• The "block hit" sound was removed for hitting bricks or blocks with coins in them.
• In the Spade Panel minigame, a drumroll starts when two-thirds of a picture are lined up, and new victory music plays if a picture is lined up.
• The sound effect that plays when Frog Mario walks has been altered.
• The Power Meter beeps in a lower pitch if the player is not in Raccoon or Tanooki form.
• The short tune heard after defeating Bowser was changed from the same one heard after saving the Kings to a cover of the tune heard after defeating him and his fakes in Super Mario Bros.
• An alternate ending theme, which features the Super Mario Bros. ending theme rearranged, is played when the player finishes all the game's levels. The original ending theme is heard if the player beats Bowser without finishing all the levels.

Revision differences

The Wii U Virtual Console release of the game removed the Rumble setting entirely from the Settings menu.

e-Reader compatibility

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 features e-Reader compatibility, in that it can link up to a second Game Boy Advance with an e-Reader. Upon scanning in one of three types of cards, something will then be triggered in the game. As the e-Reader was never released in Europe, this feature is absent in the European version of the game.

Cards

For a complete listing of the cards themselves, see Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 e-Reader cards.

Level Cards

A Level Card uploads a brand-new level into the game, which can be played in World-e. Only 32 levels can be saved on the game at a time, and up to 73 levels can be listed.

Power-Up Cards

A Power-Up Card uploads an item (or a set of items) into either Mario or Luigi's inventory. There is no limit as to how many times an item card can be used. A variant type of Power-Up Cards are Switch Cards, which will trigger something in the game upon being scanned.

Demo Cards

A Demo Card plays a short video of Mario speedrunning through a level, collecting enough coins in a certain level to trigger a White Mushroom House, or racking up numerous 1-Up Mushrooms via a special trick.

e-Reader exclusive level elements

World-e map

New objects and enemies

• See-saw platforms
• Rock Blocks (can only be destroyed by Hammer Mario or Statue Mario)
• !-Switches
• Checkered blocks that rotate 90°
• Sideways Venus Fire Traps
• Advance Coins
• e-Coins
• Vanishing Blocks
• Gray spike Donut Lifts
• Blue boomerangs

Objects and enemies returning from Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

• Super Mario Bros.-styled Lifts
• Super Mario Bros.-styled Hard Blocks
• Fire-Bars
• Balance Lifts
• Flagpoles
• Fake Bowser
• Axe
• Poison Mushrooms

Objects and enemies returning from Super Mario Bros. 2

• Grass
• Turnips
• Soft sand
• POW Blocks
• Key Doors
• Hoopsters
• Flurries
• Porcupos
• The Scuttle

Objects and enemies returning from Super Mario World

• Cape Feather/Caped Mario
• Stretch Blocks
• Triangular Blocks
• Snake platforms
• Springboards
• Roulette Blocks
• 3-Up Moon
• Keys
• Spike Tops
• Cross-shot Bullet Bills
• Lil Sparkies
• Hotheads
• Bony Beetles
• Thwimps
• Magikoopas
• Amazing Flyin' Hammer Brothers
• Rip Van Fishes
• Jumping Piranha Plants
• Monty Moles
• Wigglers
• Goombas
• Para-Goombas
• Bowser Statues
• Falling spikes
• Big Boos
• Chargin' Chucks
• ? Blocks with Control Coins

Objects and enemies returning from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

• Flippers
• Bumpties

Objects returning from Super Mario Advance

• Giant Vegetables
• Items trapped in bubbles

Staff

Main article: List of Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 staff

Super Mario Advance 4 was developed by Nintendo EAD, with Hiroyuki Kimura as its director and Takashi Tezuka as the producer. The new graphics were designed by Emi Tomita, and the new music tracks were composed by Taiju Suzuki. Very few of the original game's staff were involved in the production of this remake; even Super Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto goes uncredited here, when he had previously produced Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 with Tezuka as his supervisor.

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3.

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  Logo

• 

  Japanese box art

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  Wild Ride in the Sky e-Reader card

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  Super Leaf e-Reader card

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  Prima Games official guide

Media

For a complete list of media for this subject, see List of Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 media.

Title Screen

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Overworld Theme

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Athletic Theme

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Underground Theme

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Underwater Theme

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Starman

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Airship Theme

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Help:Media • Having trouble playing?

Pre-release and unused content

Main article: List of Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 pre-release and unused content

The game's logo looked different than it did in the E3 trailer. Gray switches were also found in the game's data and also includes pressed versions of these switches. Compressed Super Mario World graphics were found in game data, these include an animation frame for the Koopa Clown Car, three frames of a Koopa Troopa walking, and two frames of a Goomba from Super Mario World walking.

Glitches

Main article: List of Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 glitches

• It is possible to get Mario or Luigi to run backwards in the game. To get this to happen the player needs to hold left and right at the same time.
• If the player is on the map and uses a Starman and goes to a pipe, after the Starman is done, the underground music will play very fast.

Reception

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 has received very positive reviews, and has been considered one of the best Game Boy Advance games ever made. It is the third highest-rated GBA game on Metacritic, with an aggregate score of 94 based on 25 reviews, and also that site's fourth highest-rated game in the Super Mario franchise, behind only Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Galaxy 2, and Super Mario Odyssey.

Both Pocket Gamer and Play Magazine gave the game perfect scores. The former called the game "Mario hop-'n'-bop action at its finest", while the latter lauded the challenge in the gameplay, the quick save feature, and the e-Reader functionality. Meanwhile, Electronic Gaming Monthly praised Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 for its controls, stages, and visuals, stating that it looked good for an "old, trippy 2D game", and Yahoo! Games stated that the game surpassed both the original NES/Famicom version and the Super Mario All-Stars release.

Reviews
Release	Reviewer, Publication	Score	Comment
Game Boy Advance	Benjamin Turner, Gamespy	4.5/5	"Given the short list of negatives above, I'd have to say that this is technically the least desirable version of Super Mario Bros. 3. However, the least accomplished version of an awesome game can still be pretty damn great, and such is the case here. Players who missed the first two editions probably won't even notice the shortcomings, and this is the only version of SMB3 that can easily be played on the go. SMB3 is almost as fun today as it was 13 years ago, and is among the top platformers on the GBA. That makes Super Mario Advance 4 an excellent choice for series veterans who want a portable Mario game, and an even better one for fresh-faced newbies who won't notice the port's technical shortcomings."
Game Boy Advance	Joao Diniz Sanches, Pocket Gamer	4/5	"Playing Super Mario Bros. 3 is a dizzying experience. As one of the finest exponents of the genre, the ride it takes you on is as memorable as it is extraordinary, making it a vital acquisition for lovers of platform games."
Aggregators
Compiler		Platform / Score
Metacritic		94
GameRankings		92.25%

Sales

The game was commercially successful in North America, with sales in excess of 2.88 million copies. By the end of 2006, it had sold more copies in that region than any other Game Boy Advance game.

Awards

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 won IGN's 2003 award for best Game Boy Advance platform game, and GameSpot nominated it for best platform game of the year.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	スーパーマリオアドバンス4[?] Sūpā Mario Adobansu 4	Super Mario Advance 4
Chinese (traditional)	超級瑪利歐ADVANCE 4 Chāojí Mǎlì'ōu Advance 4	Super Mario Advance 4

Notes

• This is the first Super Mario release, and first Nintendo-published handheld game in general, to carry Nintendo of America's current-era universal seal, which covers all products and merchandise licensed by the company. Previously, Nintendo had two seals—the Official Nintendo Seal of Quality, which covered hardware, games, and accessories; and a secondary seal saying "Official Nintendo Licensed Product", which only covered licensed merchandise.
  • Despite this, the instruction booklet's copyright information page uses the text box for the former seal, in its last appearance in a Nintendo game manual.
• Many of this game's mechanics (like obtaining an extra life if a Goal Pole's top is reached) became the standard in the series since New Super Mario Bros.
• Despite gaining new sprites in this game, part of Luigi's power-up animation is a palette swap of Mario's. His somersaulting sprites are also recolored versions of Mario's.

External links

• Japanese site
• Nintendo UK site
• North American site