Early release (Multiple locations): Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 (Plus bonus @ Walmart) Other deals inside

[CZroe]

Locally in Newnan, GA, Electronics Boutique, Target and Walmart are all selling SMA4:SMB3. I'm told that Electornics Boutique will break the release date if local competitors do, and mine has.

The most exciting aspect of the re-release of a game we've already player before is the e-Reader expandability. The game includes two cards in every box:
Super Leaf - Power-Up Card "Item: 03"
Wild Ride in the Sky - Level Card "01"

Walmart is including a special bonus... 7 total e-Reader cards including these extras:
1-Up Mushroom - Power-Up Card "Item: 18"
Super Mushroom - Power-Up Card "Item: 01"
Fire Flower - Power-Up Card "Item: 02"
Airship's Revenge - Level Card "PR"
World 4-6 Unlimited 1-Ups - Demo Card "Game Level"

Notice that the level card is not numbered, and is instead marked "PR" (Private/Promotional Release?). This could be the first special edition / rare promotional card available and no one has broken the news yet GET IT NOW!

Also, if you don't have what you need to take advantage of the game's awesome e-Reader capabilities (Link cable, second GBA, and e-Reader accessory) then Nintendo's Nintendo Power bundle or GBA bundle could be of interest to you:

Nintendo Power may seem a little childish, but Nintendo fans know that NP, understandably, gets and gives more Nintendo exclusives than you can find anywhere else. You are GUARANTEED to get a special "subscriber only" card sooner or later. I just got the Eon Ticket e-Reader card in my latest issue (Exclusive to the mag unless you were an E3 VIP attendee and useless for me since I won't buy Pokemon Ruby / Saphire ). The other freebies have kept me subscribing since 1994.

The Nintendo Power bundle includes:

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 game pak
1 year subscription to Nintendo Power
Official Nintendo Power SMA4:SMB3 Player's Guide
Bonus SMA4:SMB3 e-Reader cards (Possibly the same bundle at Walmart?)
$10 off a Gameboy Advance SP
$10 off an e-Reader
Ships on the 20th

You'll still need to use the coupons and buy the link cable.

This deal is primarily for those with an old GBA who do not yet own SMA4:SMB3 or an e-Reader. If you wanted to upgrade to a GBA SP all along, get it for $10 less and keep the old GBA around for the e-Reader functions. The e-Reader will also be $10 less.

I got my Nintendo Power Super Mario Sunshine bundle the day after the game was released and used the Wavebird coupon for my third one

If you already have a standard GBA and want a GBA SP, the Nintendo Power bundle pak is for you.

If you already have a GBA SP and need a second GBA + e-Reader, look into the new GBA + e-Reader bundle. Includes:

Classic GBA
e-Reader accessory
Donkey Kong NES card pack
Animal Crossing card
Game & Watch Manhole card
Three Pokemon-e cards

You'll still need to buy the game and link cable.

It's on the shelves now.

Enjoy!

 

[CZroe]

We could make this the SMA4:SMB3 deal thread if anyone wants to report some prices

Neither Target, Walmart nor Electronics Boutique posted their prices. My receipt from Walmart says $29.84, which is several cents cheaper than the $29.99 price quoted by the EB rep. Target and Circuit City usually have introductory prices for a GBA game's first week, sometimes $5 less so I'll check back with those prices.

 

[abaez]

What exactly does an e-reader do? and why are these first special edition cards so valuable?

 

[CZroe]

There is no confirmed "special edition" anything yet. IGN assured that there would be: The game was designed with literally limitless expansion. Some level cards will simply contain new levels. Other level cards will contain challenges and characters in the new levels that appear nowhere else in the game, such as a Mario World-style caped Mario capable of parachuting. Some Power-Up cards will give you totally new items like a boomerang, which can only be used by scanning the card. Most Power-Up cards will give you items you've seen before, but you can now scan them whenever you need them.

Keep in mind, I'm only talking about SMB3-e cards. The e-Reader can be used for MUCH more. I've been regularly gathering the crew about three times a week for the card-game "Mario Party-e", which is played without any other GBA game (And can be played without the e-Reader if you wish). Scanning certain cards into the e-Reader will provide a mini-game challenge on the GBA (where the better of two players could steal just what he needs to win the whole card game) or a roulette that dictates an outcome (Such as "Pass all hand cards to the player on your right" DAMN!@$). It's fun, and the entire set is included in the box.

Free promo games (Air Hockey-e). Interactive card games (Mario Party-e, Pokemon-e). Classic emulated NES games. Classic LCD Game & Watch games (Plus rare full-color versions). Unlockable Gamecube and GBA extras (Animal Crossing, Pokemon Ruby / Saphire, SMA4:SMB3). TONS of crazy SMB3 expansion stuff. And there's more to come. ALOT more. You'll see.

 

[skarydrunkguy]

yawn

 

[CZroe]

I made a mistake. There are not two Airship's Revenge cards (Bad copy/paste/edit job). I will edit the post above.

Wild Ride in the Sky - Level Card "01" is the other normal card included with all copies of SMA4:SMB3
Airship's Revenge - Level Card "PR" is the one presumed to be "special." When scanned into the game and stored it is shown in the list as "PR" though other levels are numbered. Additionally, the card is marked "PR"

Originally posted by: skarydrunkguy
yawn

You caught me before the edit. It was gushed because it was rushed.

BTW, I just got finished recording a killer replay of a certain level (You can store two per game save slot, and two more for the saved World-e levels. Cool!)

 

[SpongeBobPalmBay]

Just a 'little' too into the Mario...

Originally posted by: CZroe
There is no confirmed "special edition" anything yet. IGN assured that there would be: The game was designed with literally limitless expansion. Some level cards will simply contain new levels. Other level cards will contain challenges and characters in the new levels that appear nowhere else in the game, such as a Mario World-style caped Mario capable of parachuting. Some Power-Up cards will give you totally new items like a boomerang, which can only be used by scanning the card. Most Power-Up cards will give you items you've seen before, but you can now scan them whenever you need them.

Keep in mind, I'm only talking about SMB3-e cards. The e-Reader can be used for MUCH more. I've been regularly gathering the crew about three times a week for the card-game "Mario Party-e", which is played without any other GBA game (And can be played without the e-Reader if you wish). Scanning certain cards into the e-Reader will provide a mini-game challenge on the GBA (where the better of two players could steal just what he needs to win the whole card game) or a roulette that dictates an outcome (Such as "Pass all hand cards to the player on your right" DAMN!@$). It's fun, and the entire set is included in the box.

Free promo games (Air Hockey-e). Interactive card games (Mario Party-e, Pokemon-e). Classic emulated NES games. Classic LCD Game & Watch games (Plus rare full-color versions). Unlockable Gamecube and GBA extras (Animal Crossing, Pokemon Ruby / Saphire, SMA4:SMB3). TONS of crazy SMB3 expansion stuff. And there's more to come. ALOT more. You'll see.

 

[CZroe]

Just a 'little' too into the Mario...

I’m suddey forced to sell what remains of my collection after an EF-4 tornado. I saw the Walmart variant box alone sell for $300 over 17 years ago, less than a year after starting this thread. While I don’t expect that much these days, my complete copy is listed right now:

Let’s see where this goes. It’s already doing better than my rare “Left Bros” print of the NES original:

I thought it was a big deal was because there was no notice and the promo was fleeting, which meant even savvy collectors would miss out if they didn’t see threads/posts like this from the lucky few who stumbled on it early. Only the first shipment had the bonus and neither Walmart nor Nintendo promoted it. It wasn’t even clear on the box that other copies came with fewer cards or that there was anything retailer-exclusive going on. I was doing my part to spread the word before it was too late for collectors like me.

Not advertising! One of those is ended and I didn’t link anything. Just here to respond to that comment from so many years ago so we can literally see where this goes and who was right.

 

[blckgrffn]

I'd say this subforum is slow enough these days (after spawning slickdeals and who knows what else) that I am cool with seeing the conclusion of this journey

 

[CZroe]

Gah! We messed up the listing by accidentally substituting a normal Series 1 card (5-Up Mushroom) for the Walmart-exclusive 1-Up Mushroom card. Even though it included the correct card it pictured and described the wrong one, which explains why other listings recently sold for over $320 and mine only sold for $251.89 shipped. Oh well.

Surprisingly, I listed my junk mail that I mentioned in the OP ("Bundle Pak" Nintendo Power offer) and it's already bid over $60!

One dude was even begging for me to cancel the listing and sell it out of band last week but I'd have no idea of what the true value is or who else I might be depriving if I did that.

I wish him luck though. Let's see where this goes.