The Super Mario Land series for the original Game Boy might not necessarily be quite as well known as the major entries on consoles, but it was also an introduction to the world of Mario for many Nintendo fans at the time.
Unfortunately, we only got three entries in this series, and from the third game onwards, Wario sort of hijacked the entire series. If you've ever wondered though what the Super Mario Land series might have looked like if it did make it to the GBA generation - with Mario and Luigi at the helm, here you go.
Pixel artist 'huttaburger' is back with another stunning reimagining. This time it's the Super Mario Land series and what it might have looked like if it had made it to Nintendo's 32-bit handheld generation:
The same artist has previously reimagined games like The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker and Super Mario Sunshine as Game Boy Advance-style titles. We must admit we're also getting vibes of 'Super Mario Flashback' - an unofficial fan-made Mario game for PC.
What do you think of the above reimagining? Would you have played something like this on the GBA? Comment below.
Comments 47
Gorgeous!
Obligatory more words.
“I've always wondered why there wasn't a main series Super Mario game on GBA” because the GBA was the harbinger of focusing on ports and remakes over original games.
They’re quality art pieces, but they don’t particularly resemble Super Mario Land. Choosing the submarine or Egyptian stages to recreate in 16-bit would’ve conveyed it a bit better.
@SalvorHardin It got loads of original games looking at the game list. I agree with the artist, a brand new stylized Mario on GBA would sell like hot cakes. Makes me wonder about potential cancelled GBA Mario's.
I love that Kirby one! also the Mario ones remind me of some early 2000s flash games I played as a kid!
@NerdyBoutKirby That’s because the entire point is that it’s a fictional original entry, because the GBA only got ports and remakes. They’ve just used the Super Mario Land subseries name, it’s not supposed to be a remake. Besides, Super Mario Land 1, 2 and 3 are all massively distinct in style so there’s not really much to link the series together other than being on the Game Boy.
I would really love a proper remake of Super Mario Land. heck, do all 3.
@nessisonett So what make a Super Mario Land game? As you said, all three Mario Land are very different in style... so whats the point to imagine a new entry? These ones looks more like a Paper Mario Advance in art Style than anything else.
I'm with @NerdyBoutKirby, it would be more interesting imagining a "remake"
Kirby's Super Star Saga!
Doesn’t really resemble Mario land at all, but still good art nonetheless
He’s talented
That Mario art sure looks like the Mario and Luigi rpgs on gba and ds.
@SalvorHardin The GBA was definitely a disappointment in regards to first party games, but the 3rd and 2nd party support was outstanding, with Castlevania, Mega Man, Sonic Advance, Golden Sun, Advance Wars, Fire Emblem etc...
Always loved the box art of the original Super Mario Land. A game made in that style, that's what I'd love to see.
For real though, how on earth has Nintendo not done a Kirby RPG yet? It's such a perfect fit!
I believe someone already did something like this, Mario GBA inspired. Except it's not art, it's a full fan game. It's called Super Mario Flashback if I remember right.
Too small field of view, but otherwise very nice
I'm glad they are just making fan art and not wasting a lot of time and talent in trying to make an actual game of it
Doesn't look like a GBA game to me, looks more like one of those indie pixel-art platformers you'd get on Switch.
I never realised how much I wanted all of these games (incl. the Persona 3 demake, etc., in the following post) until now.
I wonder if the artist has even played Super Mario Land, because their artwork has nothing to do with the GB original. Nice pixel art for sure, but none of their scenes look even remotely related to Mario's romp through Sarasaland.
They're nice art pieces, and whilst they do look like something that could actually work on GBA hardware, they don't like they games that would've been made by Nintendo for the GBA.
It also serves to remind that Nintendo never made an original Mario game for the GBA. It was all ports of SNES games, or spin-offs by second party developers.
Mario Land 2 the Six Golden Coins has always been one of my favs. It stands out as it has some of the more creative locations and enemies in the series. It's the only Mario game I can think of that has Jason masks with legs as enemies.
A talented artist? Yes. Representative of how a newer Super Mario Land entry may have looked? Eh.... Maybe?
I haven't had much interest in the side scrolling Mario games lately, mainly cause the art style is pretty uninspired. Something like this would be amazing though!
I get why we didn't get a mainline now, this is amazing and accurate, but I don't think it's pretty! 😂
"Mario! And Luigi, too!" How does Bowser know Luigi's name? It would be more accurate if Bowser called him "greenie" or the like. Still, excellent spritework. A original game on GBA would have been nice, but at the same time the Advance series of remakes was a great way to introduce to the classics to a new generation.
Wow. That art is adorable. I really wish this was an actual game, same for the Kirby RPG in the other image. That would be cool. I love the Switch and all but I miss the days of the handheld systems (GBA, DS, etc). I feel like Nintendo was more willing to experiment with new things when they could split focus between a home console and a handheld.
An original new Super Mario Land 4 game for GBA would had been nice at the time. It's a shame Nintendo didn't continue the series and instead put the focus on the Wario Land games instead which originate from Super Mario Land.
@SalvorHardin Obviously the Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga RPG was tend to be the main Super Mario game for the GBA, even the Mario Bros. arcade game was included on that so it's not like Nintendo only rely on ports and remakes. Even the Game Boy Color doesn't had a new main Super Mario Bros. game. Also if you go by the history of what the Super Mario Land games had become, in truth the Land games didn't really go away they just became another series altogether. Remember after Super Mario Land 2, the next game became the third entry of Super Mario Land but was the first entry of the Wario Land series and Wario Land 4 was on the GBA. If you go by the Super Mario Land moniker, Wario Land 4 is essentially Super Mario Land 7.
@chipia Fire Emblem, Advance Wars, and Golden Sun were all first party titles though. Also I don't think it's that disappointing, we got a new Wario Land game and not a port, we got a Zelda port but still got a new game in the end and the Oracle games only had exclusive bonus features if you play it on GBA. All the Fire Emblem and F-Zero games weren't even ports, we got a new Mario RPG that's not a port, we got a Mario Kart that's also not a port, and we got new Pokemon and Metroid games before the remakes.
Interesting, however, in his post (and images), nothing, absolutely no nothing is referring to Super Mario Land, is more as Super Mario 3D Land with Super Mario 2/USA and some of Mario & Luigi games (or, Super Paper Mario, but with Mario & Luigi style) in 2D.
Nice drawings but doesn't look like a mario game to me.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand now I want a Kirby RPG.
@FawfulDX Bowser in the M&L is different from the mainline Mario games. Heck, even Paper Mario Bowser knows who Luigi is.
@NatiaAdamo
Good point. The Mario multiverse is a maddening place with all its timeline splits, pocket dimensions, and reality warping.
Mario Maker has been my favorite recent 2D Mario game. ☺️
It's a shame that Nintendo didn't make a true Mario 2D platformer on the gba. I guess they preferred the easy money of the Mario Advance re-releases.
I’m 100% down for a new Super Mario Land game. Daisy, Tatanga, Sarasaland etc. aren’t used nor expanded upon enough for me! Luigi should star in it this time saving Princess Daisy! Throw in Waluigi as well!
… Wun can only hope.
The pixel art is gorgeous but my main issue is that, well, it's just NOT Super Mario Land.
Like idk if anyone else has mentioned at all but yeah Super Mario Land (the first game specifically, the second game was set in "Mario Land" LMAO) was NOT in the Mushroom Kingdom, it took place in Sarasaland, there was no Bowser or Peach or Luigi or Koopas or Goombas, instead, there was Tatanga and Daisy and those weird bomb turtles and that forgettable af Goomba replacement that was probably also in Super Mario World, smh.
@NeonPizza Holy ***** that would be amazing!!
I know they're just fan mockups and they look nice but man the screen crunch would be horrible if they were real. lol
I love it! Great reimagining.
Great pixel art, but it doesn't depict Super Mario Land at all.
I'll bet SML would be amazing remade on the Switch though.
Do GBDemakes/ 2bitcrook next! He's done a Gameboy version of Super Mario Sunshine and his own imagining of a game where Daisy and Luigi take centre stage and they look DOPE.
Remember when a guy made a remake of Super Mario Land in the NSMB DS style for the SNES? This reminds me of that.
This all looks super gorgeous, the way the colors are saturated just enough so it doesn't get overwhelming and leaves room for the sprites to pop is just peak amazing.
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