In this review, we go for 100 points in the Game Boy Advance game Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3.
This game was released in 2002 and is the third in a series of re-releases for the system.
We previously reviewed Super Mario Advance. That game was passable, but nothing spectacular. From there, we tried Super Mario Advance 2Super Mario Advance 4 – Super Mario Bros 3. That game also earned a great score. So, we thought we’d pull back a bit and try the third game in this mini-series to complete the set.
The game features two games. The first is the classic Mario Brothers. The second game is, of course, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island.
The main meat and potatoes, Yoshi’s Island, is largely the same as the original SNES version. Get 700 points or more in a world and you unlock the bonus stage. Earn a perfect score in all of the levels and you’ll earn the extra bonus stage in that world. Beat the game and you’ll unlock the extra challenging secret level in every world. Otherwise, the level layout is the same for the most part (and even then, this is similar to the SNES version).
One thing to point out is the technological context of when this game was released. This game has been released just a year after the Game Boy Color released it’s last game. So, as far as Nintendo was concerned, this game has been released to help show off what the Game Boy Advance is capable early on in its life span. For the most part, it does so quite successfully. It shows that what players got on the SNES is now available on a mobile device. For the most part, it does this very well.
Graphically, small compromises had to have been made. This seems to largely be because of the smaller screen and slightly more limited hardware capabilities. Still, you’d need either a really good memory or a side-by-side comparison to really notice the difference.
Audio-wise, the music is pretty much the same. There are some small compromises in the sound effects. Some of the more minor sound effects have been removed and replaced by other sound effects already in the game. Otherwise, the differences are so minimal, it’s barely even worth mentioning.
As for the classic Mario Brothers game, it’s basically the same game that is bundled with the other Super Mario Advance games.
Overall, If you missed your chance to play the Super Nintendo version of Yoshi’s Island, this is your next best chance. It is, by and large, the same game. Under the technological context of how well this game plays, it still ends up being a great game. The packing of Mario Brothers is a decent bonus, but it winds up being a side feature more than anything else. So, overall, this is a great game to play.
Overall
Furthest point in game:
Yoshi’s Island: Beat the game. Also beat secret level 6 and the bonus stage in world 6.
Mario Brothers:
Phase 26 (with all continue’s used)
Highest score: 165,740
General gameplay:
Mario Bros: 18/25
Yoshi’s Island: 22/25
Average: 20/25
Replay value:
Mario Bros: 7/10
Yoshi’s Island: 8/10
Average: 8/10
Graphics:
Mario Bros: 8/10
Yoshi’s Island: 9/10
Average: 9/10
Audio:
Mario Bros: 3/5
Yoshi’s Island: 4/5
Average: 4/5
Overall rating: 82%
Drew Wilson on Twitter: @icecube85 and Facebook.
