Before we talk about that though, let's make one thing clear: NSMBW is absolutely brilliant in single-player. While trailers and on-stage demonstrations focused on the game's new multiplayer element, this is a single-player Mario game in exactly the same vein as its classic predecessors, only with the option to slap three more players on the screen.

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That was our other major relief - NSMBW isn't a walkover. Fair enough, we finished the game with well over 50 lives in the bank. We never saw the game over screen. But that was mainly due to the fact that the earlier levels gently ease new-school gamers into the ways of Mario kung fu, while any seasoned player blasts through it, hoovering up the insane number of extra lives the game throws at you. 


The first couple of worlds are fairly lightweight and the difficulty gradually increases until you're dodging mental Bullet Bill swarms that blast onto the screen like you're playing a Treasure-developed shooter, spinning platforms that give you a split second to land and leap swiftly on, and bastard Cheep Cheeps (the little fish) that swim at you in their dozens. We've never seen so many enemies on screen at once in any previous Mario game. It's awesome.

***

The big question is how well all this plays in multiplayer. The possibly controversial conclusion we came to though, after a few hours with four other fairly experienced players, is that it doesn't work as well as you might expect. Essentially, we prefer the game in single-player. 

With other players on the screen, the game transforms from a fluid experience to one of waiting. You can't just ninja-bounce over intricate platforms at your own pace, you have to wait for everyone to get through, wait for moving platforms to go back and pick up players forced to hang back, or for less-experienced players (there's always one) to stop buggering it up.

Also, players bash into each other, can pick each other up and bounce on each other's heads. It's utter calamity and results in accidental deaths - lots of them. It's great for the whole co-op competitive spin on the game, but when you just want to get through levels together it's frustrating. The 'I'm-not-f***ing-playing-anymore' type of frustration.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=226725

Well the multiplayer stuff is expected, unless you're in perfect sync and of nearly equal skill level, having a four player Mario game will be chaotic, especially when you can fight over stuff and throw each other.

Glad to hear that the singleplayer is so good

I don't agree that the multiplayer stuff is expected. It should be that if someone is lagging behind too far then they go off the screen, then just like in LittleBigPlanet, if they don't get back on screen in time that means "Oh well, you dead now".

That way everyone else can carry on. It is no fun hitting a wall in progression because someone else is too slow. If this game was online it would be a nightmare. All it would take is one person leaving for a bathroom break to frustrate everyone else with stationary gameplay for minutes at a time.

Very bad in my opinion. Could have easily been avoided.

i thought they were focusing on multiplayer but it looks like the single player will be awsome (as usual).

i've wanted a new 2d mario game for such a long time, can't wait to try this! and so excited to try it out in multiplayer too, looks like so much fun!

thanks I lost my doubts of single player

Weaker players can choose to engulf themselves in bubbles to be pulled along by stronger players

It works okay if the weakest player isn't a bit of a jerk... I assume

I would enjoy more to pick them up and toss them off screen while my other 3 buddies are running the other way.

Much better than carrying their useless behind through the stage.

I may sound like a jerk, but if someone can't beat a stage and will need me to carry them the whole way, it is better to just not join my game with me.

  What if its a friend, family, significant other, you're playing with?

My girlfriend gets frustrated at me if I hold up gameplay as well, so it's all fair. I would leave her behind.

...Then.... don't play with them....?

That is true, but my point is that the problem CVG is having could have easily been avoided.

They aren't the first to complain about it being very frustrating.