Super Mario Advance 4 Super Mario Bros. 3 on GBA, Western version. SMB3 in your palm with the 90 NES levels and exclusive bonus levels. One of the best Mario ports on handheld.
Your verdict
Category
Platformer1 player3+
Description
American version of Super Mario Advance 4 published by Nintendo in the United States in July 2004. Contains Super Mario Bros. 3 - the NES classic with Mario and Luigi exploring eight worlds transformed by the Koopa Kids against Bowser - and the original arcade Mario Bros. Super Leaf, Tanooki and Frog suits, fortress levels and Koopalings to defeat. Fourth and final episode of the Super Mario Advance series in Europe.
Super Mario Advance 4 - Super Mario Bros. 3 review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
The western release stands out for its adaptation to the console's screen: lightened palettes to compensate for an unlit panel, reinforced contrast between foreground and backdrops, a tighter frame that brings the action closer. The result keeps the exemplary legibility of the original while embracing brighter colours than the source.
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.
European PAL edition of Super Mario Advance 4, GBA port of Super Mario Bros 3 from the NES that natively integrates e-Reader compatibility and additional levels loaded through physical cards now particularly rare. The Switch Online reissue now bakes the original e-Reader levels in, which retrospectively raises the value of PAL Rev 1 cartridge copies with working e-Reader compatibility for fans of the original physical card driven adventure.
Is Super Mario Advance 4 - Super Mario Bros. 3 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.
