Super Mario Advance 4 - Super Mario 3 + Mario Brothers (Japan)
Game Boy Advance
🇯🇵
Reviewed in 2003
96
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✪ Reviewed on February 28, 2026
90
Super Mario Advance 4 Super Mario Bros. 3 on GBA, Japanese version. SMB3 in your palm with the 90 NES levels and exclusive bonus levels. An absolute must.
Your verdict
Category
Compilation1 player3+
Description
Japanese version of Super Mario Advance 4 published by Nintendo in Japan in July 2003. Contains Super Mario Bros. 3 - the NES classic with Mario and Luigi exploring eight worlds transformed by the Koopa Kids - and the original arcade Mario Bros. Super Leaf, Tanooki, Frog and Tanooki suit power-ups, fortress levels and themed world maps. Fourth and final episode of the Super Mario Advance series in Japan.
Super Mario Advance 4 - Super Mario 3 + Mario Brothers review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Rousing and mischievous, the repertoire of Super Mario Bros. 3 signed by Koji Kondo varies its themes with the worlds, from the desert to the sea by way of the skies. Each melody, lively and catchy, perfectly matches the rhythm of the jump and the challenge. This timeless chiptune classic keeps all its joyful power.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Donning costumes, sniffing out secret exits and stringing together wildly inventive levels confirms the structural genius of this landmark. The razor-sharp handling responds to perfection, and the generosity of the content feels inexhaustible. It's hard to build a more solid 2D platformer, and the fun stays whole decades on.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
The whole arsenal of Super Mario Bros. 3 gathered on a handheld: the Tanuki suit, spring boots, a teeming overworld map and levels of timeless inventiveness. Every jump breathes precision and every screen hides its surprises. The perfect handling and overflowing variety grip you from the first world to the last. An absolute peak of platforming, to savour anywhere.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Spreading out a world map, slipping into a tanuki suit and stashing an item for the crucial moment opens a richness that grips you from the very first world. Secrets, mini-games and power-ups endlessly reward exploration and revive the urge for the next level. The adventure is dense, sometimes demanding, but this generosity of game design stays a peak of efficiency, ever absorbing.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Long"
Technical info
💾2,3 MB📅24/07/2003
Published by Nintendo
Super Mario Advance 4 - Super Mario 3 + Mario Brothers (GBA) price, value & rarity
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
Original Japanese edition of Super Mario Advance 4 Super Mario 3 + Mario Brothers, distributed by Nintendo in July 2003, a port of Super Mario Bros 3 from the NES set apart by its native integration of the e-Reader card system, supporting additional levels loaded through the e-Reader bridge. That hardware specificity, never reproduced at that scale, makes a JP identified clean complete copy with obi and verified e-Reader compatibility a singular piece of the Super Mario Advance sub franchise.
Is Super Mario Advance 4 - Super Mario 3 + Mario Brothers still worth playing in 2026?
Super Mario Advance 4 brings Super Mario Bros 3 to the GBA, namely one of the most perfect platformers ever crafted, augmented by the e-Reader system that allowed extra stages and bonus items to be scanned in via cards. Today, hacks and late releases include the entire e-Reader catalogue without any extra handling. The port stays smooth and faithful, and the cartridge rounds out the family with the Mario Bros arcade bonus. Probably one of the most priority GBA Mario picks for anyone wanting a flawlessly mastered 2D platformer.
