A 7 for NSMBWii? The game is really good then! I had a feeling it would get a 5 or something so this is good.

Despite the DS NSMB getting a 9 from these guys?

Actually it was a 8

http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ds/newsupermariobros

Oh, I thought someone told me earlier in the thread that they gave it a 9. My mistake.

Pros:

Instantly hilarious and choatic multiplayer.  They touch on the 'oops I didn't mean to do that' school of multiplayer thought, as in 'oops I didn't mean to deliberately throw you down a hole on the fourth level of Streets of Rage'.  In fact, most of the review, quite rightly imo, focuses on multiplayer, and the general opinion is that it works extremely well.

Cons:

Music.

Lack of invention in level design (the review cites Galaxy as the shining example throwing new ideas at the player).

In later levels it becomes nigh on impossible to keep four players alive.

They certainly don't put the level design on par with the aforementioned games, which aren't referenced in the review.

It reminds me of their Wii Sports Resort review a little - attempting to describe how it lacks passion and soul, but not quite getting the point across in light of their own favourable reviews for *insert lifeless game X* etc.  Making a point of making a point if you like, with lessening conviction for their own opinion perhaps.  Why should Nintendo games with far more character than another Unreal Engine powered generic FPS be singled out for their lack of soul?

It feels odd for me to say this, but...I for one always hold Nintendo to a higher standard than every other developer.

7 from EGDE is really pretty good

9 is a 10 from most other publications

10 is usually reserved for gen defining games.

I see the logic....it may also sound odd to say that I hope this is what Edge is doing too.  Using an example in film, it's kind of like Gangs of New York.  Not a terrible movie by any means, but given short shrift by the critics in light of Goodfellas/Raging Bull et al because they expected more from the director.  If Uwe Boll had directed it, Roger Ebert may have suggested he'd sold his soul to the devil, and both thumbs would've been pointing skywards.