New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii) - Review by josh

Introduction

The Mario Bros. series has a legacy unlike any other in gaming history. For now over 20 years, Mario Mario and his brother Luigi Mario have been jumping around our screens, kicking shells and stamping on oddly-shaped creatures mainly all to save the ever-vulnerable Princess Peach. New Super Mario Bros. Wii is the newest platform iteration to the Mario Bros. series. It is a direct translation of the classic Mario games that we saw so many years ago, specifically Super Mario Bros.3 and Super Mario World, put into today's demanding, high-quality standards. Traditionally, Princess Peach would get herself kidnapped and it would be your sole duty to run, jump and slide your way through the Mushroom Kingdom to save her. Now though, that has all changed - you can bring up to 3 friends with you to help (and share the credit!)

Gameplay

New Super Mario Bros. Wii is in the same vein as the classic Mario Games, and as such, feels and acts like one. The story is set up well, with a traditional and well presented cutscene - Princess Peach is about to celebrate her birthday with Mario and the gang, but Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings jump out of the giant novelty cake and ruin their plans by kidnapping her and flying off in an airship, much to any classic Mario series fan's delight. As we saw with New Super Mario Bros. for DS, New Super Mario Bros. Wii operates with a world map, allowing us to go back and forth throughout the levels and re-experience stages that we have already played, perhaps to find secret paths or gather all of the star coins. The world map is interactive, and can throw rewarding challenges and minigames at us as we try and make our way from one side of the world to the other. What's so great about NSMB Wii is not only the way it preserves the same feel and classic 'shiny' look, but how it manages to completely integrate different levels of difficulty that make it easy for both hardcore and casual gamers to play alongside one another, seamlessly. Nintendo have been toying with 'bridge games' that appeal to all types of gamers for years, and NSMB Wii is the first title to really deliver that idea and have players of all types and ages playing together no matter their skill level.

Long-term Mario fans will appreciate all of the familiar elements used in this title; from airships to the Koopalings to the returning spin-jump to warp zones and hidden paths. All of these elements stand alongside other newer ideas and integrations such as the tilt controls when controlling platforms or light sources in dark caves, or the new items such as the ice flower or penguin suit. NSMB Wii is a big step up from it's predecessor on the DS and has a lot to show for it in terms on content - the secrets are well hidden, the new features are both intuitive and interesting and the new items allow for a more varied play. Thankfully, Yoshi makes a return - however it is short lived as a Yoshi can't be carried on from one level to the next, as we saw in Super Mario World.

The biggest and most anticipated feature of NSMB Wii would be the cooperative experience. Luigi, Toad, and another Toad join Mario on this adventure. Which allows you to play with up to 3 friends seamlessly, in the same world you would play through if you were alone - which is something that a lot of games can't offer. It also offers a drop in/drop out style multiplayer so that while you are on the world map, you can quickly add or drop any players while still carry on from where you left off. In my playthroughs, I had absolutely no problem in working together with friends to get to the end of the level, destroying a few Goomba's along the way. There always seemed to be enough space on the screen for players to be a fair bit behind and not be completely left out of the action, and the way in which the levels are designed make for a fantastic gaming experience for everyone, even if you have 4 players - it just never seems to get too crowded. This makes it a very flexible cooperative gaming experience that, I feel, is on par with most celebrated First Person Shooter type games. The best part of all though, is that the game is still fun to play alone.

NSMB Wii offers hours of gameplay as it is entirely replayable, there are always extra routes, alternative exits and items to find. Every so often, a toad will show up and will want guiding through a level, and thus is your duty to literally pick him up and carry him to the goal for a reward. There is even an extra hidden, more difficult world once you beat the game the first time. Although being quite a long game, even once you count in all the replayable content, NSMB Wii doesn't seem to get boring. Every level is different and each will prove a completely different challenge, which will prove interesting for every type of player.

Controls

The controls in NSMB Wii are as fluid as the Mario Bros. controls have always been, only this time new controls have been added to utilize the Wiimote's accelerometer such as the spin-jump, which is making it's return from Super Mario World and the ability to lean platforms or control light sources. What is interesting, though, is how the playable characters can interact with each other in multiplayer. They can jump on each other to bounce and get greater air, and even pick each other up to carry them through a level or throw them off a cliff (hours of fun.) The interaction between characters can become frustrating if you're playing with a complete bully, however it is never too difficult to take your revenge. When a fellow player dies, after a few seconds downtime, they will reappear in a bubble and it is the duty of any remaining player to revive them by touching them (or choosing not to.) The fallen player can shake the Wiimote to fly closer to their team-mate. Pretty cool.

Graphics

NSMB Wii has managed to capture the same bright feel that any Mario game should have, while still managing to maintain a lot of stylistic effects that are completely new to the series i.e. dark-lit caves and caverns or hidden areas such as paths behind walls that allow you to only see a certain radius. The game looks great, and shouldn't be judged by any count as a child's game, it's bubbly look will fool you - it is a seriously challenging game if you want it to be and should be treated as such. The stylistic feel to each individual world is different, and you can really tell that Nintendo went the extra mile in terms of visuals, everything looks really great; dark caverns, lush grassy areas, creepy castles and boo houses all have their own distinctive feel.

Sound

Just like the graphics, the sound effects and music tracks have been done in a way that captures perfectly the Mario feel, borrowing and improving aspects of its predecessor, NSMB for the DS. Most of the music will be instantly familiar to any Mario fan, but the remixed versions add a level of dynamics that haven't been seen before in a platform Mario game. What makes NSMB Wii really charming and fun is how the enemies bounce and bob in time to the music and how the game will give you applause when you complete certain tasks. The voice acting is as great as it always has been; you've just got to love Luigi's cries for help when he's waiting to be revived. Each piece has been well coordinated with the environment it's set in, helping to create varied feels for each type of level.

Final comments

New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a fantastic game for all ages that goes a very long way to recapture classic Mario themes and ideas, whilst adding a lot of interesting new content along the way. It is an extremely enjoyable game that will appeal to all ages and all types of gamers and I feel is better than a lot of games out there over multiple platforms. It is a great achievement and a step-forward in terms of gaming standards and Mario will once again lead the way forward in gaming. An essential purchase for any Wii owner, and reason enough to buy a Wii.

Pro: Stunning audio and perfect level design capture the Mario feel perfectly; multiplayer is fantastic and has been very well bridged for all players to enjoy.
Con: Lots of accidental deaths from other players jumping on you, lack of minigames as we saw in DS, too few playable characters.
Final score: 8.6

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