On vacation in Dinosaur Land, Mario and Luigi get word of Bowser-brewed trouble afoot. With help from Yoshi, the helpful little dinosaur who joins them for the first time, they set out to save Princess Peach from the Koopa King. They'll have their work cut out for them as they travel through nine huge worlds to hunt down Bowser and his evil Koopalings: Wendy O., Iggy, Larry, Ludwig Von, Lemmy, Morton Jr., and Roy. Along the way, Mario and Luigi will ride Yoshi, search for P-Switches, find secret paths, blast fireballs and soar into the skies with the help of the Cape. Their quest won't be easy: Dino Rhino, Chargin' Chuck and a host of unforgettable enemies await in one of the Mario Bros. biggest and most challenging adventures ever. Note: All 96 levels from the original Super NES game are included, from the eerie Forest of Illusion to super-tough Star Road and powered-up Special World! Also includes the classic Mario Bros. arcade game! You can team up and work together or jump into a battle with up to four players! It's also compatible with Super Mario Advance for single or multi-pak four-player action.

Super Mario World for the Super Nintendo sits at or near the top of most "best video games" lists for a reason. At the time of its release, it was a dramatic evolution of the side-scrolling Mario series of action-adventure games, incorporating every gameplay element that worked in the older titles while adding a seemingly endless supply of new tricks. This new feature-complete version of Super Mario World for the Game Boy Advance proves just how timeless designer Shigeru Miyamoto's 1991 classic really is.

In true Miyamoto fashion, the game starts with simple running and jumping and gradually gets more complex. Soon, you're swimming, flying, tossing fireballs, and riding one of several Yoshis--cute little dinosaurs--that appear throughout the game. The overall level design has yet to be exceeded in a 2-D platformer, with each colorful level packed with enough secrets to keep players busy for weeks. A lot of precision jumping is required, but the controls are so tight that directing Mario (or even Luigi, who wasn't playable in the original) becomes as natural as breathing within a few minutes of playing.

As if packing the entire original game onto the tiny cartridge wasn't enough, Nintendo also put two multiplayer versions of the original Mario Brothers in there, which are playable solo or with up to three other people using Game Link cables to connect all your Game Boy Advance systems. Both variants are a blast, but the single-player adventure is what kept us coming back for more. If you missed it 10 years ago when Super Mario World appeared on the Super Nintendo, don't make the same mistake twice. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• The game is very replayable thanks to multiple level exits
• Surgically precise controls
• Outstanding level designs that never get old

Cons:

• Speech effects that were added for Mario and Luigi get old fast

Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 boasts all 96 levels from the original Super NES game, from cheery Yoshi's Island through the sprawling Vanilla Dome to the grueling Star Road. While some levels emphasize pure action, others require you to puzzle your way out of the mazes and illusions. If you find the hidden key in Star World, you'll gain access to the extremely challenging Special World, which has its own hidden secrets.

Mario and Luigi can jump up and down pipes, climb vines, swim, and toss Koopa shells. Yoshi the dinosaur can spit eggs, munch, and climb with his ever-helpful tongue. Cool touches include spinning platforms, forced-scrolling levels, and great attacks such as the spin jump. Mario and Yoshi fly with the aid of a unique feather, shoot fireballs when equipped with a special flower, and can even raise cute baby Yoshis. Each boss poses a unique challenge. Cross-eyed Lemmy Koopa likes to play hide-and-seek in pipes, while Iggy Koopa prefers to battle on a giant Koopa shell floating on a lava lake.