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The Wikipedia article for Super Mario World states that the Gameboy Advance version (Super Mario Advance 2) has a 'toned down difficulty' compared to the original game. However, I am curious as to how it is less difficult. Is it just because you can save at any time, or are the levels/gameplay in some way different?

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    If I recall correctly, getting hit while Mario has a powerup will simply reduce you to regular Mario, whereas in the SNES version, getting hit will reduce you all the way down to small Mario. There may be other differences, though.
    – Raven Dreamer
    Commented Feb 29 at 3:58

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The MarioWiki article on Super Mario Advance 2 details all the changes from the original game. In terms of difficulty, here are the main difficulty modifications that make the game easier in my opinion:

  • Luigi is available as an alternate to Mario. He jumps slightly higher at the cost of running slower and with less traction. My experience as a kid playing on the Gameboy Advance is that the higher jumps matter more than the traction, so it is overall easier.
  • The save system allows you to save any time, as opposed to the original game that only let you save after Ghost House, Fortress, or Castle. The life count and powerups are preserved through saves, unlike the original game.
  • When Mario or Luigi are hit in Cape or Fire Flower form, they only revert to super/big form, instead of small form. As the wiki notes, that makes it easier to hold onto the reserved item.
  • Different colored Yoshis can spawn from question mark blocks.
  • Certain levels, such as the difficult Cheese Bridge Area (made much easier by having cape and a yoshi), have a lowered enemy and obstacle count.
  • Certain levels have repositioned or additional Semisolid Platforms in them.
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