Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3

Super Mario Advance 4
Developer	Nintendo R&D 2
Publisher	Nintendo
System	Game Boy Advance, Wii U Virtual Console
Release Date	Game Boy Advance JP July 11, 2003 US October 17, 2003 EU October 21, 2003 Wii U Virtual Console JP December 29, 2015 US January 21, 2016 PAL March 10, 2016
Gallery	GH Gallery
Rating	ESRB: E

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 is the final installment of the Super Mario Advance series of remakes of classic Mario games for the Game Boy Advance. As its name suggests, it acts as a port of Super Mario Bros. 3.

Information

Super Mario Advance 4 featured several changes from the original Super Mario Bros. 3, such as adding voice acting for the Mario Bros., a saving feature and graphical updates.

The main addition to the game came with e-Reader compatibility. There were three types of cards that could be scanned to receive power-ups, unlock new levels in the e-World or view gameplay movies of special tricks. The power-ups included ones from other games such as the Cape Feather from Super Mario World and vegetables from Super Mario Bros. 2. The e-World also contained whole new levels.

However, due to the unpopularity of the e-Reader in America and its discontinuation not long afterwards, only about one-third of the total amount of cards in Japan were released in America. Additionally, Europe did not have the feature at all due to the e-Reader never having been released there to begin with.

Like the previous Super Mario Advance games, it contained the improved Mario Bros. Classic minigame with both single player and multi-player modes.

Legacy

Ports/Remakes

• In late 2016 (late 2015 in Japan), it was released for download for the Wii U as part of the Wii U Virtual Console. This release included all of the e-Reader levels, including the ones that were only released in Japan.
• In February 2023, this game was among the first wave of Game Boy Advance games made available on the Nintendo Switch for subscribers of the Nintendo Switch Online's Expansion Pack program. Like the Wii U release, this version included all of the e-Reader levels.

Sequels

Although it is the last official release of the Super Mario Advance series, Super Mario 64 DS could be considered the Nintendo DS successor to the Super Mario Advance games, as it goes forward chronologically in remaking and updating past Mario adventures.