Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3

There's a serious debate about which 2D Mario game is the best ever — and Super Mario Bros. 3 from 1988 stands firmly at the top of it. And this exact giant you can slip into your pocket thanks to Super Mario Advance 4.

It's a port that takes the unrivaled level design of the original and dresses it in the improved graphics from the All-Stars version on the SNES. Richer colors, cleaner sprites, added voice acting — everything that made SMB3 timeless remains here, just in a prettier coat. The Tanooki suit, flying with the Super Leaf, brilliantly built worlds: this platformer was genius in 1988 and it's genius today.

The most interesting addition was e-Reader support. By scanning special cards you unlocked entirely new bonus levels, items and variants — a clever, if slightly impractical, experiment in expanding the game with physical collectible cards. Today this content is available via community patches too, so you won't miss out on anything.

The port is faithful and brisk, the controls precise, and the whole game runs like butter on the GBA. For players who never experienced the original on the NES, it's the ideal way to discover one of the most influential titles in the history of the genre. For veterans, meanwhile, it's a convenient, portable version of a classic you can return to endlessly.

At its core, Super Mario Advance 4 is a celebration of a perfect game. It spoils nothing, only adds — and sends the supreme 2D platformer where it belongs: everywhere with you.

Why play it: Perhaps the best 2D Mario of all time in a finely tuned portable form, plus bonus content from the e-Reader — a timeless classic in your pocket.