As a game, this one's not quite above the water like the other Mario games we know. It's fun, yes, it's original, but it's not the same. Why? Well, the game throws a completely new concept right at us, instead of stomping on enemies, use vegetables to throw at them. Hm. Sounds a bit "iffy". But no, that's not the problem here at all. In fact, we liked that change a little bit, it's the overall gameplay that's different. Plus the fact that this game is basically a port from the SNES title, which was only released in Japan. (Bar the version that appeared on the familiar "Super Mario All-Stars" cart"). We think Nintendo could have done better with their first Gameboy Advance Mario game, even though we think this title is worthy of existence, as a launch game, especially a Mario launch game, it's just not what we wanted. Let's go over the basics.
The story is, Mario has a dream. In this dream he imagines himself going into a cave and finding some stairs. Atop these stairs is a door, upon entering the door all Mario hears is a call for "Help!". Waking up, he prepares for a picnic the next day with his friend. When they get to where they want to eat, they find a cave. And, as you've probably guessed, inside this cave is a staircase. And atop these stairs? A door. Mario enters the door and... the game begins.
The game starts off with you choosing your character. There are the familiar four of Peach, Mario, Luigi and Toad. Each character has his/her own special abilities, such as, Luigi can jump exceptionally high. Peach can float for a short period of time (Much like in Super Smash Bros. Melee) and toad can winge louader than everyone else. Mario is the general "All-rounder", I've always used him as a general character except on levels where you need Luigi's jump to get to special areas. Although the characters are different, the principal of the game is the same throughout. You work through the many levels (themed on things like desert, forest, ice) bashing away enemies with either items, other enemies or vegetables which you pull from the ground. Using projectiles enables you to take out numerous enemies from a distance, rathar than getting too close for comfort. You'll come up against certain challenges such as legging it quickly from big circular, frowning coin things that chase you when you grab a key, to escape? Make it to the door that requires the key before you get knocked off the screen by your chaser. A favourite puzzle of mine is where you have to dig down in a huge pit of sand, avoid in enemies (because you can't kill them as easily) and collecting items. It's very tricky, and could take a while to sort out, so although the game is old, the old challenges can still have the same effect. It's good to know that even when a game like Mario Advance hasn't made quite the full mark and impressed us as other titles by Shigeru Miyamoto, there are still little secrets in there that are just as enjoyable as anything in the other games he's master-minded over the years.
There's quite a lot to do in the game, it's not all bashing enemies with organic produce. Using special potions can create doors into a special area which allows you to collect life-up mushrooms and coins from the vegetation, you'd better be quick though, because after a few second this area vanishes and you're back in the original area. Also, you'll have other weapons as well as vegeatation to throw at your waddling enemy friends. You'll get to use POW blocks which cause a tremour, knocking all the enemies in the area on their backs! There's also a clock thing which freezes the movement of the enemies on the level. Use this feature quickly, because as with all great things, it only lasts a few seconds and then you're back to normal gameplay again.
In terms of graphics, there's nothing special here, but it's nice to look at. The flowing motion of the grass and the clouds in the sky, it's all set into the game nicely and the animations aren't too intrusive. The enemies act stupidly, so there's not much in the way of AI, even the first few bosses are a hoot to beat. It does get more challenging in the later levels, but the game relies heavily on the puzzles and trickiness of moving about to keep it engaging. I can't complain about the graphics, but I can't over-praise them either. The style in which they're set is definitely not my favourite. Sounds and things are quite good, Toad's screeching won't do much for your sleep, but the music is okay and it's not repetative. It's a good thing Mario Advance 2 has improved on the sounds.
Yes, it's a good game. I've been a little harsh on it, but I think it doesn't deserve any more than the percentage I've given it. Basically because we've seen it all before. It's nothing new and it's certainly not one of the best Mario games ever made. Having said that, there's no other reason you shouldn't buy it. It's fun to play for a good amount of time and it's reminiscent of the SNES game, so the retro factor may actually add to the experience for some people out there. Depends who you are. Even so, It's a nice game. Nice. Not "Super" or "Rubbish". To tell you the truth, it's the most average Mario game around, it's average in every way. So, base your purchasing decision on that. And if you don't buy it, buy the sequel, which is a much better game all round. But remember, Mario will always hold some sort of playability, no matter how small. It's quirky, but that's life. CB
