Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
System: Game Boy Color
Publisher & Developer: Nintendo
Released: 1998
Genre: Action/Adventure 2-D Platformer
Capabilities: GB Printer Compatible, Infrared Data Port Compatible, Game Link Compatible

The Game

In 1985, Super Mario Bros. was released for the original NES, and it was one of the most innovative games of all time the defined the 2-D side scrolling genre. Now it’s back on Game Boy Color, with a host of new additions to make the game even better to play. Will it bring back the good old days of 1985 with even better game play, or prove an unworthy translation? Let’s get onto the review and find out.

Graphics

You gotta take into consideration that the graphics of Mario Bros. 1 in the 3-part Nintendo trilogy were the worst for character animation, all weird and digitized, BUT they are a perfect translation for Game Boy Color, and the background/levels you battle in look surprisingly good for Game Boy Color as well. Still it's all digitized and pixilated, so the score goes down a little, and you can't see as much as you can in front of you during game play like in the NES version, but graphics are still pretty good nonetheless.

Sound

The good, old, classic Mario music is here and it is still used in current Mario games like Super Smash Bros. for N64. I love that background music and I can't get it out of my head, but the dungeon levels music is bland and annoying. Sound effects are alright, and sound appropriate and exactly the way they did from the 1985 hit with the mushroom growth noise, the warp noises when you go down the pipes, and even the fireworks are done exactly the way they were done a long time ago. And I always get a kick out of the music sample you get when you die.

Game play

Remember Super Mario Bros. for NES? Well, it set the standard for 2-D game play by exploring your way through levels, looking for hidden areas, power ups, and killing all the bad guys in various levels like the mushroom kingdom, dungeons, day and nigh time. You'll love it, trying to find all the secrets is loads of fun, and each of the dungeons gets harder hor extra replay value. Nintendo added some extras to make this game even better as well like a two-player vs. mode to see who can run through a level first, and a create-a-calender, that you can print it out using the Game Boy Printer, you can get special pictures to unlock using game boy printer, and a brand new challenge mode where you go through each level trying to meet the required score for the level, plus find all the hidden coins and Yoshi egg for that level as well. Just when you thought that Super Mario Bros. couldn't get any better, it just did.

Replay Value

The 2-player link mode is a blast, and all the extras like create-a-calendar and all will keep you playing as well, this time Nintendo added 3 save files so you can save your progress and continue where you left off, so there’s no need to start from the beginning ever agan! The game also saves your top 10 high scores to and you can trade them to another GB Color via the Infrared Communications Port.

In Brief

+: Perfect translation from the NES to Game Boy Color, lots of great extras to keep you playing, 2-player link mode is unbelievable!

-: Kind of hard to make out what’s in front of you due to the size of the GB Color’s screen, if you got tired of playing the original you’ll most likely get tired of playing this

The Final Ratings Rundown

Graphics: 7.6
Sound: 7.4
Game play: 9.3
Replay Value: 9.4

Overall: 8.4

Rounded to fit GameFAQs Score: 8

Final Analysis

Mario is better than ever on GB Color, if you're a fan of the series, pick up this game, it’s just unimaginable all the extras Nintendo stuffed into this translation. It's a must have for your GB Color collection.