Reissue
This article is under construction. Therefore, please excuse its informal appearance while it is being worked on. We hope to have it completed as soon as possible.
A reissue (often informally referred to as a remake) is a newer version of a previously released video game, often on a different console. There are five main categories of reissues: remakes, ports, enhanced ports, re-releases, and retools.
Remakes
A remake is a re-released game often built from scratch usually long after the original game, on a new system, with updated graphics to fit with the new engine capacities, and additions brought to plot and gameplay (all these conditions may not be met in every case). They generally have a slightly different name.
Kaettekita Mario Bros.
Kaettekita Mario Bros. (Disk System, 1988) is a remake of Mario Bros. (Arcade, 1983).
Donkey Kong (Game Boy)
The Start of Donkey Kong (GB, 1994) is a remake of Donkey Kong (Arcade, 1981).
Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
Super Mario Bros. Deluxe (GBC, 1999) is a remake of Super Mario Bros. (NES, 1985) and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (Disk System, 1986).
Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Color)
Donkey Kong Country (GBC, 2000) is a remake of Donkey Kong Country (SNES, 1994).
Super Mario Advance
Super Mario Advance (GBA, 2001) is a compilation of remakes of Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES, 1988) and Mario Bros. (Arcade, 1983).
Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Advance)
Donkey Kong Country (GBA, 2003) is a remake of Donkey Kong Country (SNES, 1994).
Super Mario 64 DS
Super Mario 64 DS (DS, 2004) is a remake of Super Mario 64 (N64, 1996).
Donkey Kong Country 2
Donkey Kong Country 2 (GBA, 2004) is a remake of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES, 1995).
Donkey Kong Country 3
Donkey Kong Country 3 (GBA, 2005) is a remake of Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (SNES, 1996).
Diddy Kong Racing DS
Diddy Kong Racing DS (DS, 2007) is a remake of Diddy Kong Racing (N64, 1997).
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D (3DS, 2013) is a remake of Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii, 2010).
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions (3DS, 2017) is a remake of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (GBA, 2003).
Luigi's Mansion (Nintendo 3DS)
Luigi's Mansion (3DS, 2018) is a remake of the Nintendo GameCube game of the same name released in 2001.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey (3DS, 2019) is a remake of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (DS, 2009).
Super Mario RPG
Super Mario RPG (Switch, 2023) is a remake of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (SNES, 1996).
Ports
A port is a game released on a different platform than the original game, with some minor changes such as new controls or new graphics to fit the new system. Compilations are considered as ports since they are globally compilations of ports. Usually, they are very close to the original game and share the same name. A game released on the NES after its original release on Famicom is not a port, since the two consoles are considered identical.
Mario Bros.
Mario Bros. (Arcade, 1983) has been ported to:
- the Atari 2600, the Atari 5200 and the NES in 1983;
- the Apple II (unreleased), the Commodore 64 (unreleased), the Atari 8-bit computers (unreleased), and the PC-8001 in 1984;
- the Amstrad CPC, the ZX Spectrum, and the Commodore 64 in 1987
- the Atari 7200 and the Atari 8-bit computers in 1988;
- the e-Reader in 2002, as Mario Bros.-e;
- the Game Boy Advance in 2004, as Classic NES Series: Mario Bros.;
- the Nintendo Switch in 2017, as Arcade Archives Mario Bros.
An altered port of the game is included in Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES, 1988) as a two-player minigame, and in Super Mario 3D World (Wii U, 2013) as Luigi Bros. An enhanced version is in the four Super Mario Advance games (GBA, 2001 to 2003), and in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (GBA, 2003).
Wario Land II
Wario Land II (GB, 1998) was ported to the Game Boy Color a while after the release of the Game Boy version.
Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong
Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong (GBC, 2000) is a Japan-exclusive port of Donkey Kong Land III (GB, 1997).
Classic NES Series
The Classic NES Series (known as NES Classics in Europe and Famicom Mini in Japan) is a series of ports of NES games released on the Game Boy Advance. Super Mario franchise games ported include Super Mario Bros., Dr. Mario, Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros. 2, Mario Bros., and Wrecking Crew.
Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition
Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition (Wii, 2010) is a port of Super Mario All-Stars (SNES, 1993).
Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS (3DS, 2016) is a port of Super Mario Maker (Wii U, 2015).
Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World
Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World (3DS, 2017) is a port of Yoshi's Woolly World (Wii U, 2015).
Super Mario 3D All-Stars
Super Mario 3D All-Stars (Switch, 2020) is a compilation port of Super Mario 64 (N64, 1996), Super Mario Sunshine (GCN, 2002), and Super Mario Galaxy (Wii, 2007). Other than reworking some assets to work with the Nintendo Switch and increasing graphical resolution, there are little differences between this compilation and the original games.
Virtual Console
- Main article: Virtual Console
Every Super Mario game (not counting the WiiWare games) released on the Virtual Console is a port of an original game. The complete list of titles can be found here. Nintendo tried to keep the ports close to the original games, but sometimes the games have been edited. The complete list of changes can be found here.
Enhanced ports
An enhanced port is a game released on a later platform than the original game, bringing more changes than a standard port, but is not built from scratch.
VS. Super Mario Bros.
VS. Super Mario Bros. (Arcade, 1986) is an enhanced port of Super Mario Bros. (NES, 1985).
Super Mario All-Stars
Super Mario All-Stars (SNES, 1993) is a compilation of enhanced ports of Super Mario Bros. (NES, 1985) Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (Disk System, 1986), Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES, 1988), and Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES, 1988).
Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2
Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 (GBA, 2001) contains an enhanced port of Super Mario World (SNES, 1990).
Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 (GBA, 2002) contains an enhanced port of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES, 1995).
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 (GBA, 2003) contains an enhanced port of Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES, 1988).
New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis
New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis (Wii, 2009) is an enhanced port of Mario Power Tennis (GCN, 2004).
New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (Wii, 2008) is an enhanced port of Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (GCN, 2004).
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch, 2017) is an enhanced port of Mario Kart 8 (Wii U, 2014).
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (Switch, 2019) is an enhanced port of both New Super Mario Bros. U (Wii U, 2012) and New Super Luigi U (Wii U, 2013).
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Switch and 3DS, 2018) is an enhanced port of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Wii U, 2014), featuring bonus levels inspired by the kingdoms from Super Mario Odyssey, which replace the Super Mario 3D World levels from the Wii U version. The Switch version also later added additional DLC.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Switch, 2018) is an enhanced port of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Wii U, 2014), featuring Funky Kong as an additional playable character.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (Switch, 2021) contains an enhanced port of Super Mario 3D World (Wii U, 2013).
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (Nintendo Switch)
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (Switch, 2024) is a visually enhanced version of Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (Nintendo 3DS, 2013).
Re-releases
A re-release is a game released on the same platform as the original game, with only superficial or inconsequential changes. The name may be different than the original game.
Mario's FUNdamentals
Mario's FUNdamentals (Windows, 1998) is a re-release of Mario's Game Gallery (MS-DOS, 1995). The only differences are the name and the cover.
Retools
A retool, also called a sprite-swapped game, is a game made after applying a graphical overhaul on a previously released game, with or without minor gameplay differences as well. It's generally released on the same platform as the original game.
All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros.
All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros. (Disk System, 1986) is a Japan-only retool of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (Disk System, 1986) that overhauls many of the sprites of the game to resemble Japanese celebrities and logos of Japanese radio stations. Most of the levels are adapted from Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES, 1988) is a retool of Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic (Disk System, 1987) that replaces the Fuji TV mascots featured in the game with Mario, Luigi, Peach and Toad, as well as replacing other sprites and retooling the mechanices to cater to a Western audience.
Tetris Attack
Tetris Attack (SNES, 1996) is a retool of Panel de Pon (Super Famicom, 1995) that replaces the characters, including the main character Lip, with Yoshi characters and enemies for the Western release. Aside from the graphical retool, the game plays almost exactly like its Japanese counterpart.
Others
Mario is Missing!
Mario is Missing! (1992) is an MS-DOS game later ported to the NES and the SNES in 1993. These ports downgrade the game to fit the capabilities of each of the consoles, such as graphical quality and removal and addition of locations and features.
Mario's Time Machine
Mario's Time Machine (1993) is an MS-DOS game later ported to the NES in that same year and the SNES in 1996. These ports downgrade the game to fit the capabilities of each of the consoles, such as graphical quality and removal and addition of locations and features.
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong (1981) is an arcade game later ported to the NES in 1983, the Disk System in 1988, and the Game Boy Advance in 2004. These ports downgrade the game to fit the capabilities of each of the consoles, such as graphical quality and removal of stages.
Dr. Mario
Dr. Mario (1990) is a NES game later ported to the Game Boy in the same year and the Game Boy Advance in 2004. The Game Boy version downgrades the graphical quality of the game, but is otherwise identical to the original. The Game Boy Advance version, however, is closer to the original NES game.
Nintendo PlayChoice-10
Nintendo PlayChoice-10 is an arcade machine consisting of ten NES games, seven of which were from the Super Mario franchise: Dr. Mario, Golf, Mario Bros., Mario Open Golf, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3.
Nintendo Power service
The Nintendo Power service was a service released only in Japan that ran from 1997 to 2007, which allowed players to download specific Super Famicom games to a special cartridge. At a later date, Game Boy games became available. A total of twenty-nine games from the Super Mario franchise were released for the service, some of which included Super Mario World, Super Mario All-Stars, Super Mario Land, and Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl Masterpieces
The Super Smash Bros. Brawl Masterpieces mode is a mode where the player can play restricted demo versions of fourteen Nintendo games, four of which are from the Super Mario franchise: Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong, Super Mario World, and Super Mario Bros. 2.
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Masterpieces
Like the Brawl mode of the same name, the Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Masterpieces mode is a mode where the player can play restricted demo versions of twenty-four Nintendo games, seven of which are from the Super Mario franchise: Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario World, Super Mario Kart, Dr. Mario, and Yoshi.
Dr. Wario
Dr. Wario is a WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! microgame based on Dr. Mario.
Fly Swatter
Fly Swatter is a WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! microgame based on Gnat Attack, a minigame included in Mario Paint.
Sheriff
Sheriff is a WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! microgame based on Sheriff.
Bird & Beans
Bird & Beans is a remake of the WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! microgames Pyoro and Pyoro 2 released on DSiWare.
Yoshi no Cookie: Kuruppon Oven de Cookie
Yoshi no Cookie: Kuruppon Oven de Cookie is a Japan-exclusive reissue of Yoshi Cookie. In this version, an additional mode includes Yoshi navigating the island.
Excitebike: Bun Bun Mario Battle Stadium
Excitebike: Bun Bun Mario Battle Stadium (Satellaview,1997) is a reissue of Excitebike, released in 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, with updated graphics and Mario characters instead of the generic racers found in the original.
Wi-Fi Taiō Yakuman DS
Wi-Fi Taiō Yakuman DS is a re-release of Yakuman DS which features a new online mode.