It's a classic, but with a few tweaks
SMB3 is nothing short of fantastic. In fact, I featured it in a series called "Our Favorite Games" that can be found on my other blog, located at c-pacingthecage.blogspot.com. However, the "Advance" version has its differences from the original, some good and some not-so-good. Instead of the usual way of going about reviewing games, I'm going to just point out some of the differences, since I'd never be able to do this game justice.
The good: In the "Advance" version, you're allowed to save your progress, which is great since I don't have three hours to complete the game in one sitting anymore. The music has stayed the same as has the control. There's also some E-Reader features I never had a chance to try, but it appears to be a secret world or something. The cartridge also features the original Mario Bros. game to play.
The bad: Mario has been updated to look like he did in Super Mario World, which is a bummer because Super Mario World is good in its own right. I also don't remember this game being so easy. And since this was a GBA game, the screen resolution was most likely pinched in to fit the handheld.
But don't let the bad stuff draw you away. This is still a classic even 20 years later, and without the Power Glove or "The Wizard" - thank God.