As part of Nintendo's ongoing efforts to revitalize the 3DS, the Kyoto-based game company has made the GBA remake of Super Mario Bros 3 & Kirby and the Amazing Mirror available free for download.
Last week Nintendo revealed a price cut for their 3DS handheld device and the start of the new 3DS Ambassador program. If you've purchased a 3DS at full price and signed up at the Nintendo eShop before 11:59PM ET on August 11, then you're entitled to 20 free games-- 10 of which are classic NES titles, and 10 are GBA titles.
Nintendo admission that Super Mario Bros. 3 for GBA and Kirby & The Amazing Mirror will be the next two games available for download puts the total confirmed GBA titles number to 7. Both titles should be well-known to GBA fans, but aren't without their idiosyncrasies.
Kirby & the Amazing Mirror is known for being one of the longer and more intensive Kirby games. It's also notable for lacking series antagonist King Dedede. Part of the change of direction in the game can be attributed to the change in developers. HAL Laboratory, who developed most of the series, only played a support role while Flagship studios lead development for the GBA title. Still, the game received pretty good reviews and the story with Meta Knight is a challenging and interesting twist on a series known for simplicity and brevity.
Meanwhile, Super Mario Bros. 3: Super Mario Advance 4 for GBA is cursed with having two names. It's the fourth Mario game on the GBA platform, but carries over much of the gameplay elements and level design from Super Mario Bros. 3 for the NES. The game received nearly universal acclaim and is widely considered one of the best GBA titles ever... despite its strange name. And now you can play it for free.
By our count, Nintendo has now revealed 7 GBA advance titles and 5 NES titles that are free to download as part of its Ambassador program. Stay tuned for more updates as the remaining 13 games are leaked.
Source: Daily News from GamePro.com
Wednesday, August 3, 2011