ReyVGM
Member
Hey all,
We all know there were a lot of SNES games ported to the Game Boy Advance, because, well, the GBA was pretty much a portable SNES (minus the awesome sound chip). However, in the midst of all the straight ports, a select few went above and beyond, featuring a lot of new interesting content that you might not know about!
These are their stories:
NOTE: This is not a comprehensive list of ALL the changes and additions the games have, just some of the most notable or interesting ones.
Super Ghouls'n Ghosts
Judging by the name, you'd think this is just a straight SNES port, but it's not. I mean, it does contain the original game (and does it justice, possibly with even more slowdown), but it also includes an Arrange Mode, which adds branching paths with new levels and bosses. It also features a redesigned and better-looking intro and a battery save option.
Basically, if you finish a level wearing the golden armor, you can choose between a high, middle, or low road. The high and low roads contain the same levels as the SNES version, but the middle road features an original level and three remixed levels from the previous two games in the series. Graphically, the levels from Ghosts 'n Goblins and Ghouls 'n Ghosts look gorgeous with SNES-style graphics. A couple of the levels also have original bosses.
Donkey Kong Country
Yeah yeah, I know the graphics and music took a hit, but I'm here to talk about the new stuff!
The GBA version adds a whole new original intro story showing DK's banana hoard getting stolen (which actually comes from the manual of the SNES version). Other than that, all the overworld maps were redone, there are new modes and minigames, and the ending was completely redone too!
Donkey Kong Country 2
Similar to the first game, there's a new intro showing DK getting kidnapped (which also comes from the manual of the SNES version), and the ending was redone as well. Just like before, all the overworld maps were redone, and there are new modes and minigames.
Donkey Kong Country 3
Unlike the previous two games, it doesn't have a new intro, although does feature some minor opening and ending scene differences. There's also a new world called Pacifica and a new boss. The biggest change, however, is to the soundtrack. David Wise didn't have time to properly port the music from the SNES version, so he composed an entirely new soundtrack!
Here's a thread I made comparing the SNES and GBA soundtracks.
Aero the Acrobat
The most notable change is that the GBA version now show a cool intro depicting the origin story of the main bad guy. Also, the ending features a new art piece.
Breath of Fire
I thought this was a straight port, but seems I was wrong. Pretty much all of the game's cutscenes and character portraits were fully redrawn, there's link cable support to trade items, and there's even new ending art teasing the sequel.
Breath of Fire 2
Again, I thought this was a straight port, but it features the same additions as the first game.
Final Fantasy 4 Advance
I'm only mentioning this game because the sequels are on the list. And it shouldn't even be here because it's actually a remake of FF4 and not a port. Well, technically it's a port... of the WonderSwan version of the game, which is itself a remake of the SNES version.
Anyway, FF4A added a TON of new stuff. Aside from the remade graphics and a new translation, there's a new bonus dungeon with new enemies. You can also face the final boss using any character you want (it's no longer fixed like in all the previous versions). The characters even have different ending dialogue too.
Final Fantasy 5 & 6 Advance
These two games feature fewer additions compared to FF44A, but they're still worth mentioning.
FF5A also had a new translation, redesigned graphics, new enemies, new classes, and a new bonus dungeon. FF6A's graphics were left alone, but new bosses, espers, and a bonus dungeon were added.
Tales of Phantasia
This is not a port of the SNES version, but a port of the Playstation version (which itself is an enhanced port of the SNES one). I haven't played this one, but someone called "Elementary" told me the GBA version features "new scenes, new dungeons, a whole extra character, new spells and abilities, some battle system changes and some rebalancing".
Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX
This is Contra 3, but with a few downgrades (you can only carry one weapon and there are no bombs), but to compensate, Konami removed the two Mode 7 overhead levels and replaced them with levels from the Genesis Contra Hard Corps.
It's so incredibly surreal to play Hard Corps levels with Contra 3 mechanics. There's also a password feature and the end-of-level art was completely redone.
Final Fight One
Like some of the other games on this list, this is not really a port of the SNES game. This was remade completely and this time it includes Guy and the Industrial level, which were left out of the SNES version. It also includes new pre-boss cutscenes and lots of unlockables, most notably, you can unlock the Street Fighter Alpha versions of Guy and Cody.
Super Mario Advance
Again, I'm only mentioning this game because the sequels are on the list. This is not a port of the Super Mario Bros. 2 version found in Mario All Stars, no. This is almost a completely new game with a ton of changes and additions.
But since it's on the list, I might as well show a few of its differences. Most glaringly, world 3 has a new boss called Robobirdo and fsag you can steal birdo's hairbow!
Super Mario Advance 2 Super Mario World
SMW was pretty much left intact, but it does have a new intro showing Mario, Luigi and Peach traveling to Dinosaur Land. Luigi has his floaty jumping physics (which were included in the SMW version found in Super Mario All Stars). The ending also features redesigned art and there's an extra ending if you find all 96 goals.
Super Mario Advance 3 Yoshi Island
YI features redone overworld maps and 6 new bonus levels. If you beat those levels, you get a 2nd ending, one which shows Yoshi coming back to his friends in the forest (the same one shown during the intro).
Super Mario Advance 4 Super Mario Bros. 3
This is a port of the SMB3 verson found in Super Mario All Stars, but it features a lot of premium extra content.
Famously, this game used the ill-fated e-Reader. With it, you could add extra items and levels into the game (similar to what Amiibos do nowadays). You could unlock 30+ new levels accessed via a special world map. Thankfully, you can play the game with all the extra levels already unlocked on the WiiU Virtual Console or the Switch's NSO.
The game also has a new into scene showing one of the koopalings storming the king's castle to steal the wand and Peach receiving a letter from Toad asking for help. Another interesting detail is that after you finish the game, there's a new world map select screen. And if you beat Bowser after using warp whistles (i.e. you didn't face the koopalings), then when you start the second loop and visit a world's castle, you'll see a cutscene showing the respective koopaling stealing the wand and turning the king into a creature. It's a really cool detail that most people probably missed! Here's a video showing all of the cutscenes.
Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past / Four Swords
This release came with an original multiplayer game called Four Swords, but I'll only be talking about A Link to the Past.
There are many new additions to this port, for example, the witch's assistant is now Mapple (from the Oracle games). You can burn bushes and grass with fire and you can cut signs with your sword. There's also returning enemy: the shield-eating LikeLikes.
But most notably, there's a whole new extra dungeon called "The Palace of the Four Sword". To access it, you must first beat both games (ALttP and Four Swords). Once you do, the crystals in your item screen will change to the four swords and you'll be able to enter the new dungeon via a hole in the east side of the Pyramid of Power. Beat the boss in this dungeon to get a 2nd ending!
Additionally, that there's a whole sidequest involving a new character: a third lumberjack. He gives you a basket and tells you a riddle and you're supposed to gather an item that corresponds to the answer of the riddle. If you complete his quest, three wood-carved statues will be sent to your home and you'll also get the tornado spin sword technique, which works exacly like the one from Wind Waker.
So, how many of these additions did you know about? Did you skip playing some of these games thinking they were mere SNES ports?
We all know there were a lot of SNES games ported to the Game Boy Advance, because, well, the GBA was pretty much a portable SNES (minus the awesome sound chip). However, in the midst of all the straight ports, a select few went above and beyond, featuring a lot of new interesting content that you might not know about!
These are their stories:
NOTE: This is not a comprehensive list of ALL the changes and additions the games have, just some of the most notable or interesting ones.
Super Ghouls'n Ghosts
Judging by the name, you'd think this is just a straight SNES port, but it's not. I mean, it does contain the original game (and does it justice, possibly with even more slowdown), but it also includes an Arrange Mode, which adds branching paths with new levels and bosses. It also features a redesigned and better-looking intro and a battery save option.
Basically, if you finish a level wearing the golden armor, you can choose between a high, middle, or low road. The high and low roads contain the same levels as the SNES version, but the middle road features an original level and three remixed levels from the previous two games in the series. Graphically, the levels from Ghosts 'n Goblins and Ghouls 'n Ghosts look gorgeous with SNES-style graphics. A couple of the levels also have original bosses.
Donkey Kong Country
Yeah yeah, I know the graphics and music took a hit, but I'm here to talk about the new stuff!
The GBA version adds a whole new original intro story showing DK's banana hoard getting stolen (which actually comes from the manual of the SNES version). Other than that, all the overworld maps were redone, there are new modes and minigames, and the ending was completely redone too!
Donkey Kong Country 2
Similar to the first game, there's a new intro showing DK getting kidnapped (which also comes from the manual of the SNES version), and the ending was redone as well. Just like before, all the overworld maps were redone, and there are new modes and minigames.
Donkey Kong Country 3
Unlike the previous two games, it doesn't have a new intro, although does feature some minor opening and ending scene differences. There's also a new world called Pacifica and a new boss. The biggest change, however, is to the soundtrack. David Wise didn't have time to properly port the music from the SNES version, so he composed an entirely new soundtrack!
Here's a thread I made comparing the SNES and GBA soundtracks.
Aero the Acrobat
The most notable change is that the GBA version now show a cool intro depicting the origin story of the main bad guy. Also, the ending features a new art piece.
Breath of Fire
I thought this was a straight port, but seems I was wrong. Pretty much all of the game's cutscenes and character portraits were fully redrawn, there's link cable support to trade items, and there's even new ending art teasing the sequel.
Breath of Fire 2
Again, I thought this was a straight port, but it features the same additions as the first game.
Final Fantasy 4 Advance
I'm only mentioning this game because the sequels are on the list. And it shouldn't even be here because it's actually a remake of FF4 and not a port. Well, technically it's a port... of the WonderSwan version of the game, which is itself a remake of the SNES version.
Anyway, FF4A added a TON of new stuff. Aside from the remade graphics and a new translation, there's a new bonus dungeon with new enemies. You can also face the final boss using any character you want (it's no longer fixed like in all the previous versions). The characters even have different ending dialogue too.
Final Fantasy 5 & 6 Advance
These two games feature fewer additions compared to FF44A, but they're still worth mentioning.
FF5A also had a new translation, redesigned graphics, new enemies, new classes, and a new bonus dungeon. FF6A's graphics were left alone, but new bosses, espers, and a bonus dungeon were added.
Tales of Phantasia
This is not a port of the SNES version, but a port of the Playstation version (which itself is an enhanced port of the SNES one). I haven't played this one, but someone called "Elementary" told me the GBA version features "new scenes, new dungeons, a whole extra character, new spells and abilities, some battle system changes and some rebalancing".
Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX
This is Contra 3, but with a few downgrades (you can only carry one weapon and there are no bombs), but to compensate, Konami removed the two Mode 7 overhead levels and replaced them with levels from the Genesis Contra Hard Corps.
It's so incredibly surreal to play Hard Corps levels with Contra 3 mechanics. There's also a password feature and the end-of-level art was completely redone.
Final Fight One
Like some of the other games on this list, this is not really a port of the SNES game. This was remade completely and this time it includes Guy and the Industrial level, which were left out of the SNES version. It also includes new pre-boss cutscenes and lots of unlockables, most notably, you can unlock the Street Fighter Alpha versions of Guy and Cody.
Super Mario Advance
Again, I'm only mentioning this game because the sequels are on the list. This is not a port of the Super Mario Bros. 2 version found in Mario All Stars, no. This is almost a completely new game with a ton of changes and additions.
But since it's on the list, I might as well show a few of its differences. Most glaringly, world 3 has a new boss called Robobirdo and fsag you can steal birdo's hairbow!
Super Mario Advance 2 Super Mario World
SMW was pretty much left intact, but it does have a new intro showing Mario, Luigi and Peach traveling to Dinosaur Land. Luigi has his floaty jumping physics (which were included in the SMW version found in Super Mario All Stars). The ending also features redesigned art and there's an extra ending if you find all 96 goals.
Super Mario Advance 3 Yoshi Island
YI features redone overworld maps and 6 new bonus levels. If you beat those levels, you get a 2nd ending, one which shows Yoshi coming back to his friends in the forest (the same one shown during the intro).
Super Mario Advance 4 Super Mario Bros. 3
This is a port of the SMB3 verson found in Super Mario All Stars, but it features a lot of premium extra content.
Famously, this game used the ill-fated e-Reader. With it, you could add extra items and levels into the game (similar to what Amiibos do nowadays). You could unlock 30+ new levels accessed via a special world map. Thankfully, you can play the game with all the extra levels already unlocked on the WiiU Virtual Console or the Switch's NSO.
The game also has a new into scene showing one of the koopalings storming the king's castle to steal the wand and Peach receiving a letter from Toad asking for help. Another interesting detail is that after you finish the game, there's a new world map select screen. And if you beat Bowser after using warp whistles (i.e. you didn't face the koopalings), then when you start the second loop and visit a world's castle, you'll see a cutscene showing the respective koopaling stealing the wand and turning the king into a creature. It's a really cool detail that most people probably missed! Here's a video showing all of the cutscenes.
Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past / Four Swords
This release came with an original multiplayer game called Four Swords, but I'll only be talking about A Link to the Past.
There are many new additions to this port, for example, the witch's assistant is now Mapple (from the Oracle games). You can burn bushes and grass with fire and you can cut signs with your sword. There's also returning enemy: the shield-eating LikeLikes.
But most notably, there's a whole new extra dungeon called "The Palace of the Four Sword". To access it, you must first beat both games (ALttP and Four Swords). Once you do, the crystals in your item screen will change to the four swords and you'll be able to enter the new dungeon via a hole in the east side of the Pyramid of Power. Beat the boss in this dungeon to get a 2nd ending!
Additionally, that there's a whole sidequest involving a new character: a third lumberjack. He gives you a basket and tells you a riddle and you're supposed to gather an item that corresponds to the answer of the riddle. If you complete his quest, three wood-carved statues will be sent to your home and you'll also get the tornado spin sword technique, which works exacly like the one from Wind Waker.
So, how many of these additions did you know about? Did you skip playing some of these games thinking they were mere SNES ports?
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