Super Mario Bros. Deluxe is a game that was released in 1999 for the Gameboy Color. It is mainly just a remake of the first Super Mario Bros. that came out in 1985 for the NES. Deluxe does have some other modes thrown in with it as well. Although, I find myself enjoying this game less and less the more I play it. Especially when it comes to these extra modes. Not a whole lot else has changed with this port in terms of graphics or music either. This is mostly a remake of the 1985 game, but it is referred to as a Deluxe game because of the other different games included in this package. However, I just don't find any of this extra stuff to be all that worthwhile and here's why.

Graphics 5/10: Unfortunately, the graphics are not any better than what they were in the original game. There are a few cut scenes here and there, but Super Mario Bros. Deluxe is a very dull looking game. The sprites and backgrounds have very little life to them, and this version looks just as bad as the NES version. I rate the graphics in the GBC remake the same as I did in the NES version of SMB.

Music 7/10: Nothing is different about the soundtrack in Mario Deluxe either. It basically contains the same tracks as the original with one or two new songs thrown in. These songs are pretty nice, but there isn't any variety in this game. Both versions have these problems, and the GBC port is no better or no worse.

Gameplay 3/10: In terms of gameplay and level design everything is the same in SMB Deluxe. The only power-ups are the Mushroom and Fire Flower. There is some exploration to it, but I don't like how everything seems so repetitive. Players have unlimited continues in this version, but it doesn't seem to help any because of the terrible screen crunch and awful controls. Mario feels like he's ice skating the whole time, he's so slippery!! I can't get over just how much I hate playing this port of Super Mario Bros. 1! The continues don't mean anything. I think this version is even harder than the NES game, and that one was pretty hard.

The stages take longer than they need to because they're harder to finish. You can't scroll enemies, like Bullet Bills, off the screen like you could in the NES and SNES version. You'll hear them, and the next thing you know you're taking damage or dying again!! This is not a fun version to play at all! It's way harder and longer than necessary, and I haven't even gotten to the other modes. This is just with the original 1985 game. The other ones are even worse, but they are optional. However, this game isn't SMB Deluxe without these extras.

I don't even feel like talking about these other games. Just like in the original, Hard Mode is unlocked after beating the normal game. You get the same 8 worlds but with different enemies such as: Buzzy Beetles, Bullet Bills, and more stage hazards than before. I hate how these levels just seem to repeat themselves so much. It almost doesn't feel like playing, but if you want 100%, you have to play these levels all over again, but this time, with slippery controls and poor visibility. To make things worse, you have to deal with more enemies and traps than in Normal Mode!

Challenge Mode is unlocked after beating a level in the normal mode of the 1985 classic. You have to collect: 5 red coins, beat the stage with a certain score in order to get the Blue coin, and find the Yoshi egg in each level to get a Green coin in order to get 100% this game. If you die on a level, you just have to go back and start again. I feel like the Red coins and Green coins are possible to collect, but the Blue ones are not even worth it! Challenge Mode just feels like a waste of time unless you are person who doesn't have anything else to do.

Deluxe also includes a dumbed down version of the Lost Levels from Super Mario All-Stars. This game is a little more fun than Challenge Mode, but it suffers from the same problems as the original game. That is the poor controls and awful screen crunch. Once you get up to world 8, you might as well shut it off! Starting out, this version of Lost Levels isn't bad, but after world 6 it just goes downhill! This game only has 8 worlds and no world 9 or worlds A - D. I've only beaten this version two or three times, and it took me almost 2 hours to do it in! This game just trolls you!

The You vs Boo game just plain sucks and isn't even worth it with at all with all the sliding around you do here. Players can choose to play as Luigi in this version, but he's just a palette swap of Mario. I don't think this port of SMB1 or Lost Levels is very fun to play. Enemies kill you very easily because of the way they can't be de-spawned by scrolling them off the screen. This game is almost as bad as Sonic Genesis in terms of screen crunch also!! I don't feel like this game is playable without using save states unless you want to spend hours and hours on it. It doesn't even have that much content, it just takes so long to complete because of how unnecessarily hard it is!! The gameplay it terrible in Super Mario Bros. DX.

Story 7/10: The story for the GBC version of SMB is the same as in the NES version. King Bowser Koopa has taken over the Mushroom Kingdom and turned the people into blocks. He has also kidnapped the ruler, Princess Toadstool, and took her to his castle in world 8. The other 7 castles are guarded by Bowser's henchmen who are disguised as Bowser himself. This is a pretty standard storyline for a video game, and it is nothing different from before.

Content 10/10: Super Mario Bros. Deluxe does have quite a lot of content that will keep you busy for a while (especially with how hard some of these stages can be). Players can play: Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros (Hard Mode), Challenge Mode, The Lost Levels, and You vs. Boo. Be prepared to really rage on The Lost Levels section, and the You vs. Boo game can be pretty frustrating at times too.

Difficulty 10/10: Super Mario Bros. DX is a game that is hard for all the wrong reasons. The screen crunch makes it impossible to scroll enemies off the camera in this game but not in other Mario remakes which makes no sense at all. Mario keeps sliding off ledges due to his slippery controls. Even the original game takes some getting used to. I still have problems with this mode to this day. You almost need to use save states with this version it's so hard. The unlimited continues do nothing to make things easier, and I don't find this to be a very enjoyable experience for anyone who plays this attempt at a remake!

Overall 6.4/10: For me, Super Mario Bros. Deluxe is no better than the original game. I think the NES version was easier because you could at least see where you were going! The graphics and soundtrack are no better in this port, and everything else has been downgraded. I didn't think the first game was all that great either, and I consider the GBC remake to be about the same as the old NES version. I liked the SNES All-Stars version the best when it comes to SMB or the Lost Levels. This isn't a worse version compared to the original, but it really isn't an improvement either.