While the Game Boy has had it's share of killer apps
over the many years of it's existence, the Game Boy Color has been lacking any major
software. Pokemon may keep the kids busy, but hardcore and classic gamers have
been left out in the cold. Enter Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, one of Nintendo's most
beloved classics. It's found a home on the Game Boy Color giving the handhel it's first
must play game. Technically speaking, this is the same game everyone knows and loves from 1985. There are very few differences in the game, and most of these are in the aesthetics. All the warps, negative levels, and characters are present and accounted for. Since the Game Boy doesn't quite have a high enough resolution to support the game in it's original form, it now scrolls horizontally and vertically. This really doesn't detract from the game (except for a few spots) as the solid gameplay still remains flawlessly intact.
This timeless classic has been packed full of special features for it's re-release, and that's the big selling point. If you own a Game Boy Printer, be prepared to print out tons of pictures (or stickers if you prefer) of Mario and the gang. Each of these can feature the text of your choice. Checking your horoscope is only a matter of powering up your Game Boy, by no means a feature that anyone asked for, but hey, it's here.
The addition of a new multi-player mode is the most appreciated. Players take on opponents through random stages in a mad dash to the end. If you're not able to link up, you can challenge Boo to a race. The ability to save your game after every stage is a great touch, and the map screen makes it resemble the more modern Mario's. The developers have also tossed in hidden Yoshi's in random stages, adding an extra dimension to this bona-fide classic.
Graphically, the game looks exactly like it did way back in 1985, albeit a bit smaller. Nothing has been touched, retaining the look of the original gray cart. All of the memorable music themes are present and accounted for as are the sound effects.
This is not a great game simply repackaged, it's an entirely new experience for an entirely new generation. Everything you could ask for in a portable game has been included and then some. The included multi-player mode is enough reason alone to purchase this title, but there's still a great game attached to the it too. Make sure this is your next purchase for the Game Boy Color (if you haven't already picked it up).
