PART 1

I'd like to know whether there are any modes apart from the main game, such as mini-games...
There are three modes. The main game itself (which can be played on either single-player or multiplayer modes), Free For All Mode and Coin Battle mode.

If playing with only two players, can you play as Toad?
Player two can play as Toad but Player one will always be Mario. Any other players who join can choose from Luigi or one of the two Toads.

Is there any playable characters other than Mario, Luigi and the two Toads? I was kind of hoping for a wide variety.
No.

Are the power-ups awesome and are there more than those we already know about?
They are indeed awesome (especially the Penguin and Propeller suits), but there aren't any more than the ones we already know about. The Penguin suit's awesome because you can throw ice, you can slide on your belly and, if you fall into water while wearing it, you can control the direction you swim in with the D-Pad just like the Frog Suit in Super Mario Bros 3.

There seems to be a lot of hubbub about the game being multiplayer for four people, but is it worth buying it to play on my own?
Absolutely. The first thing I did before playing it in multiplayer was play through the whole game on my own, and it was extremely challenging. Although the levels are the same regardless of how many you play with, it really does feel like two different games when playing in single and multiplayer.

Are there any multiplayer battle modes? If so, what is the objective of it? Is it like the DS VS. mode?
There's Free For All mode and Coin Battle mode. Free For All mode lets you choose any of the levels you've already completed in the main game and you can play with 2-4 players. The player with the highest score at the end is the winner. Coin Battle mode is similar, except you're competing to collect the most coins. Star Coins count as 10. There are a few levels unique to Coin Battle, one of which is reminiscent of the original Mario Bros. and World 1-2 in Super Mario Bros.

Did you find the game difficult? If so, did you end up using the Super Guide and how often did you use it?
I never had to use the Super Guide, but bear in mind that I've been playing Mario games since I was three and have played the original Super Mario Bros. at least once a week for the past 23 years. I can blitz through Super Mario World with no problems nowadays, yet I still found this very tough at times, so that should give you an indication.

Does it have any form of Wi-Fi?
No.

What are the themes of each world?
I can't spoil too many, but World 1 is the normal grassy overworld, World 2 is a desert world, World 3 is a snow world. You will have seen beach and forest levels too in recent screens but I don't want to reveal too many details or I'll lose my job. And it's a nice job!

Would you say it's easier or harder than past Mario Bros. games?
I'd say it's easier than the end of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Lost Levels, and much harder than Super Mario Bros. and New Super Mario. Bros. on DS. I'd put it on a par with Super Mario World.

Also how long do think it will take before you would start to get bored of it?
I can't guess because I'm not bored of it yet.

Are the visuals anything to shout about?
Absolutely. People have already commented on my review, wondering why I said it "looks and sounds fantastic". You really have to see this game in action (and I'm not just talking internet videos) before you can appreciate all the tiny details like facial expressions and flowers wafting as Mario runs by them. There are loads of really subtle things that make it clear how much work has gone into the game. When Mario stands on a platform that rotates, instead of him rotating with it he stays upright and his knees bend more as the slope gets steeper, as if he's trying to keep his footing. Little things like that look great in motion.

How many hours will it take to finish for a person who is fairly decent at platformers?
It took me around six hours to complete, but that was blitzing through it and not collecting the Star Coins. That will easily add another seven or eight hours to the proceedings, because you'll obviously have to play through most of the levels again and some of the coins are in really awkward positions this time.

What did you think to seeing Bowser Jr and the Koopa Kids together in the same game? Did you think Bowser Jr's new mini Koopa Clown car makes him cooler? I think he looks epic in it!
I can't really talk about that much because it's near the end of the game and I don't want to give away any spoilers but seeing as you know about it, I can say that it's certainly one of the more memorable boss battles because it features a different control mechanic.

Are there 80 levels? Do the levels vary?
I counted 74 stages. The levels do vary but they're themed by world like in Super Mario Bros. 3.

Can you continue to ride Yoshi after you've completed a level?
Frustratingly, no you can't. When you finish a level with Yoshi, Mario jumps off and Yoshi waves at him as he runs away. This means you can only play as Yoshi on the handful of Yoshi levels in the game, which is a shame.

What's the soundtrack like?
I love it. It's a mixture of remixed New Super Mario Bros DS tracks, some old-school SMB and SMB3 tracks and some new stuff. The new track for the first underwater stage is one of the best tracks I've heard in a modern Mario game. It's right up there with some of the Galaxy stuff. Loved it.

Does riding on Yoshi add the cool drums in the background like in Super Mario World?
Yes!

Will multiplayer feature computer-controller characters?
Nope. Humans only I'm afraid.

My personal favourite part of the DS version was the mushroom platform levels. Do they return?
I'm not sure which you mean. If you mean the ones where the platforms are flat and they're on tall mushroom-shaped bases, then yes.

I would really like to see the original Super Mario Bros. tunes return to this game, as I love them and would love to hum along to the tunes like I used to! Please tell me there are because that was one of the biggest let-downs (for me) of the DS version.
There's some old stuff in there. The main Super Mario Bros. theme plays in the Mushroom Houses dotted throughout the maps, and there are a few Super Mario Bros. 3 themes in there too.

Is there any sort of storyline at all?
Yup, but it's fairly basic as is usually the case in Mario games. It's Peach's birthday, and everyone's having a party at Peach's Castle. Suddenly a huge cake turns up and Bowser Jr and the Koopa Kids burst out and kidnap her, chucking her into an airship. So Mario and his mates give chase.

Do any of the first items like the Mega Mushroom and stuff return? I hope so!
The Mega Mushroom isn't in it, but the Mini Mushroom's back. It only gets used in one or two stages though.

What is your favourite power up?
I like the propeller suit, because being able to just do huge spin jumps whenever you want is awesome!

GamesMaster said that multiplayer can be annoying when you wreck each other's attempts. Is this true?
It's all down to personal taste really. It certainly does feel like a different game in multiplayer because you all have to work together to get through the level. A simple jump along platforms would take seconds in single player but it's surprising how much you have to work together to manage it with four players. It sounds frustrating but it's actually a fun challenge and feels really rewarding when you manage it.

Does the "shake the Remote for a spin jump" thing work well?
It does actually. It's fairly sensitive so you don't need to shake it really hard to trigger it.

Are the bosses more challenging?
The initial ones are fairly simple but there are some real nightmares near the end of the game.

Does it have that map screen to choose what level you want to play?
Yup. A few of them are more interesting than those in New Super Mario Bros. DS too. Whereas they were mostly flat maps, the ones in New Super Mario Bros. Wii go left, right, up, down... some have you climbing mountains for example. It's almost a mix of Super Mario Bros. 3 (a different map for each world) and Super Mario World (maps that see you climbing, swimming etc).

Is the game longer than the DS version?
Slightly, yes. It's much harder though, so it will take you longer to play through.

Are either Petey Piranha or Dry Bowser bosses in the game?
No and no.

Does it ever feel like you're being duped into buying a slightly shinier DS game, or does it manage to pull off Four Swords' trick of creating an entirely new gaming experience?
There's no trick here. While the engine may be similar to that of the DS game, there's no doubt this is a completely new game. It's the equivalent of The Lost Levels to the original Super Mario Bros., albeit with much better graphics.


PART 2

Can the Classic Controller be used to play this game?
No.

Is there a feature where you can take snapshots?
No.

Is the DS version compatible with it in a way that it might unlock a new feature, level or item?
No.

Is the game Nunchuk compatible? I hate the D-pad.
No.

What's the Super Guide like?
It's decent. Fail eight times and a green block appears at the start of a level. Hit the block and you'll be asked if you want to use the Super Guide. If you choose "Okay" Luigi will appear and play the level for you, without collecting any Star Coins or anything like that. You can then jump in and take over whenever you want. There's no need to get annoyed about the Super Guide as if you're good enough to get by without it you don't need to use it. It's only really for people who need help.

Are there any other new power-ups other than the Helicopter and Penguin suit?
Nope, other than the Ice Flower.

Any Mini games?
There are three different kinds of Mushroom houses. The red ones let you play a 'match two cards' game similar to the one in Super Mario Bros. 3. Yellow ones have Toad giving you a Starman from a treasure chest. Finally, the green ones have you trying to win 1-ups by jumping in a cannon and firing it to hit as many balloons as possible. In terms of there being mini-games similar to the ones you played Super Mario 64 DS though, there's nothing like that.

Are there any features/secrets/surprises that we don't know about?
Absolutely. One in particular is fantastic but I can't spoil it. Experts will appreciate it though.

Are there new world themes such as a space world? A Galaxy level!?
Nothing in space, nope.

Are there any duck-like enemies?
If you mean the Cataquacks in Super Mario Sunshine that toss you up into the air, nope.

You know at the end of levels in the DS version, sometimes you get fireworks because you finished with a certain time and then mushroom house things showed up? Will this be included in the Wii one?
There are certainly fireworks, though I'm not entirely sure how to trigger them this time around.

In the DS version they had changeable backgrounds that you could buy with the Star Coins. Will this be included?
No. Two reasons for this: firstly, those backgrounds were for the bottom screen and obviously a TV doesn't have a bottom screen; and secondly because the Star Coins are used for something far more important this time.

Are the worlds and levels similar/identical to the DS version?
No. These are completely new levels. There isn't a single one of these 74 levels that you've played before.

Can you play as Luigi in single-player mode?
No.

How many blocks does the save file use?
I don't know. I was playing the final review version on a debug Wii that I couldn't use to see how many blocks a save was. I'd guess only one or two blocks though since it's literally just what world you're at and how many lives/Star Coins you have.

Can you confirm that the game runs in 480p/16:9 widescreen?
Absolutely.

Is King Boo a boss?
No.

In the new trailer, you see Mario in a new suit which allows him to freeze enemies. Is this ability still available for the penguin suit, or has it been replaced?
It's still in the penguin suit. It's odd; I'm not really sure why the Ice Flower's in there when the Penguin Suit already does the job. I suppose the angle they throw their ice balls is slightly different, but even so, the difference is negligible.

Is the multiplayer function available throughout the storyline? It would be so cool for you and your best mate to be side-by-side when defeating Bowser
Yes, the main game is fully playable for up to four players and players can drop in and drop out at any time throughout.

Some bloggers said it's as hard as Contra (With just one player). Is this statement true? And what "hard" game would you compare it to?
It's wrong to compare it to Contra because they're both completely different types of game. Contra is designed to let you die multiple times in a level before you have to start the level over again, so it's made ridiculously difficult because it expects you to at least take a couple of hits. Mario games aren't like that: it's not like a Mario game has ever fired hundreds of Bullet Bills at you from many different directions in one go. I'd say it was easier than Contra, for the simple fact that if it was as hard as Contra then it wouldn't be fun for 95% of the gaming population. Only the hardest of the hardcore who thrive on near-impossible challenges would enjoy it. That's not really what Mario is about. As a Mario game though, compared to the rest of the series, I'd say only Lost Levels and World 8 of Mario 3 are harder.

How long will it take to beat the game with one person playing and are there any worthwhile unlockables to go replay the levels again? I personally didn't find the reward of collecting all of the Star Coins to be worth it.
Well, trust me, it'll be worth it this time.

Are 1-Ups as plentiful as they were in New Super Mario Bros.? It was SO easy to get extra lives and it felt like there was no penalty for dying.
At first there are a lot of 1-ups. However, when the game starts getting trickier, the number of 1-Ups available start to decrease. It gets to the point that you're genuinely happy to see a green Mushroom House because there's a good chance of you getting up to 5 extra lives, which you're likely to lose fairly quickly in the later worlds.

How does the variety of enemies compare to New Super Mario Bros. DS?
It's similar but there are a lot more new and returning faces. Spike is back from Super Mario Bros. 3 (the tiny green lad who chucks spiked balls at you), and features in quite a lot of levels. Lakitu's obviously back too, and I was happy that when you jump into his cloud it goes MUCH faster than it did before and it's no longer a chore trying to get around in it.

Is the pause when character dies gone?
No, the pause is still there. However, it's nowhere near as bad as people are making it out to be in my opinion. It's understandable that when watching the videos it seems like it would be annoying, but when playing it's actually useful. It only takes one or two occurrences of it to get used to the timing, and from that point on it becomes handy for two reasons: it lets you know what's going on elsewhere on the screen without you having to take your eyes off your own action, and it gives you a split second to plan your next move. Once you get the timing right, it doesn't throw you off your stride, as many are assuming it will. Say you were running and about to jump when someone takes a hit: if this happens it's perfectly easy to still do the jump as the action resumes since the timing is very easy to learn. The knee-jerk reaction from the internet is that it's a bad, even game-breaking feature, but it's actually the opposite.

How is the World progression in this game? Is it like New Super Mario Bros., where it's got split-paths at two point in the game? Or is it like Super Mario Bros. 3, where you just play all eight worlds without skipping any if you don't use warp zones?
It's like Mario 3. There's no more Mini Mushroom nonsense like there was in New Super Mario Bros. on DS, where many people never got to see two of the game's worlds. It simply goes 1, 2, 3, 4 etc, unless you find a warp cannon of course.

Are the Koopalings referred to in-game as Bowser's children or are they mere henchmen?
They're never really referred to because it's a Mario game. Nobody really gives long speeches in a non-RPG Mario game, so they just turn up and go "hey" or "graaagh", then you fight them and they jump away again. Which, to be fair, is what I'd hope for in a Mario game. The one thing that annoyed me about Super Paper Mario was the dialogue. While it was really funny, it was also immensely annoying due to its length. I'm glad this sticks to the Mario platformer tradition of short intros and tiny cut-scenes after each world.

How varied are the boss battles, not including the last ones?
The general idea is the same (jump on a Koopa Kid's head three times), but there's still a good variety in the boss battles.

Are there boss battles that become harder while in multiplayer mode? I've seen that, while in multiplayer, some things become easier while others become harder, and the boss battles I've seen so far have become easier. Thus the curiosity.
It really comes down to the level itself. Some of the earlier ones are easier with more players because they're more or less on one long, flat platform. As the game progresses and the bosses (and, more importantly, their environments) get more difficult to deal with, those players that were a help in the earlier boss battles can now get in the way and you'll have to work together to stay alive, especially in battles where there are only a few small platforms you can stand on without falling to your doom.

Is the soundtrack varied and of good quality? We did hear some different tracks, but most of them had that "waah waaaah" sound in the mix, which could be annoying to some.
I didn't like the "waah waah" in the DS game but it's grown on me this time. It's odd, I wasn't a huge fan of the DS music in general but when I hear it again in this (the main theme is used in some overworld levels and a remixed, banjo version of it plays during harder overworld levels) I find myself whistling away to it. There's also new music (like the aforementioned awesome underwater music) and some old Mario themes too. Overall it's a great soundtrack and there are only a couple of tracks I didn't like (the desert stuff, for example).


PART 3

About the soundtrack once again, are there many remixes of older tracks, such as the P block music or the Koopaling battles shown in the most recent trailers? Are they nice and well-made?
The Koopaling music is remixed, as is the "dum dum dum dummmm" song that plays in Super Mario Bros. 3 when you encounter an enemy on the map. There's also a great old theme later on in the game.

Are there any level-exclusive power-ups, such as the Goomba's Shoe? No need to name them.
No. Unless you want to count the Mini Mushroom, which I'm fairly sure only appears once in the whole game.

Is there anything you saw that you made you smile because you recognised it from an earlier Mario game?
There are loads of nice nods to the old games. One World has a red switch (not a Palace, mind, just a switch) that turns silhouetted blocks into solid ones as in Super Mario World, and it's also nice to see the return of POW blocks, which are actually really handy this time. Not only do they make enemies die as before, but the shockwave also causes any coins on-screen to suddenly drop onto the floor. This makes it perfect for grabbing otherwise impossible-to-reach Star Coins, because if there's a POW block nearby you can just throw it and knock the coin onto the ground.

Is there anything that didn't please you in the game?
I wasn't keen on the fact that you can't continue to ride Yoshi after finishing a level with him. He's limited to only the levels he appears in, which isn't actually that many. People buying the game just for Yoshi may be disappointed.

Is Boom Boom present in the fortresses, or did they replace him with someone else?
Boom Boom go bye-bye. Here's how the boss structure works. There are 20 boss fights in total. Each world has a Koopa Kid allocated to it. You fight the Koopa Kid in the mid-map fortress first, and then when you beat them they jump away and run off to the castle at the end of the map. When you get to the castle and encounter them again, Kamek appears and flies over, dropping magic dust over the room. This then makes something weird happen: either the platforms will start moving or half of them will go missing or something like that. As well as this, most of the Koopa Kids will change their fighting style the second time around so the same tactics won't work. Some of you using your maths skills will realise that eight worlds with two boss fights in each doesn't come to 20, but that's because there are a few extra ones that I'm not revealing.

Will the player be missing out on a lot of stuff in the game if they don't have more than one person playing?
No. As I said before, you're not punished for playing on your own, there isn't a single Star Coin you can't reach without another player. Granted, it may be harder getting them on your own, but it can definitely be done. The only thing you'll be "missing out" on is the co-op atmosphere, which can be hilarious if you all have a similar skill level.

Are there any secrets or unlockables that can only be found during multiplayer mode?
No.

Also, would you compare the game more to Super Mario Bros. 3, or Super Mario World?
It's a mix of both.

Do the Koopa Kids use any of their old tricks from the other games they were in or do they have all new moves and locations?
The vast majority have all-new moves. The first couple will be similar but that's just because they have to be easy since they're at the start of the game. As the game gets harder, the boss fights become completely different to the ones in previous games.

Can you use the GameCube controller?
Nope.

Do different coloured Yoshis actually have different powers, like in Mario World?
No.

Does it have the dumb saving system as the DS one, where you can only save whenever you spend Star Coins? I hated having to play two more levels before I could save the game.
That's changed. You can now do a quick save that lets you save where you are on the map (regardless of where it is), and the next time you play the game you can take over from there. Once you load that save once, though, it disappears and rolls back to a save from the last checkpoint you were at. This is stop you re-loading the quick save every time you die.

About how long would it take to play through the whole game with four players, assuming that there was a minimal amount of getting stuck? (I know this one will vary but any kind of idea would help since I'm planning on having a marathon play through of the game with three other people).
This is a tricky one. It took me six or seven hours to play through the whole game in single-player, without getting all the Star Coins. It took me the same amount of time to do the first four worlds with four players. So it roughly takes just over twice as long to finish with multiple players because you'll find yourselves stopping at tricky bits and discussing how to handle it. Then there's the matter of going back and getting the rest of the Star Coins too. As a very rough estimate I'd say, getting all the Star Coins and "doing" all the "secrets", you're talking about 14 or 15 hours with four players.

Is multiplayer supported through the entire game? Or only for certain levels?
Entire game.

Are there any remakes of old worlds from previous Mario games? For example, a redux of world 1-1 from the original Super Mario Bros., or something along those lines?
Nope. One of the Coin Battle levels is similar to Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. but it's not a complete remake.

Is the progression of the difficulty of levels gradual, or is there a sudden increase at some point?
It's gradual, but it's a fairly steep curve round about World 5.

Does each character handle differently (jump, speed, traction, etc)?
No, they're all identical.

Have the graphics been improved considerably since the E3 2009 showing or is really a "freshened up DS game"?
They definitely have been improved since the E3 demo. Not only does 1-1 look much better now than it used to (you can see Peach's castle in the background now, giving the sense that Mario has walked over from there), the level is also laid out differently. It's a little longer and has a lot more blocks in different areas. This means all the impressions you've read about the difficulty of the E3 version are no longer valid because the levels have been made more complicated from as early as World 1-1.

Did you ever consider (even for a split second) using the Super Guide mode because you got stuck or frustrated and not just because you wanted to review all aspects of the game?
Nope. I actually didn't check out Super Guide until I'd finished the game, just so I could see how it worked and I could report on it. And even though I'd finished the game already and was only looking at it to see how it worked, I still felt dirty and useless using it!

Any chance for a return of Kubiro's Shoe?
Nope, sorry.

Does the game contain a medal/grading system?
No.

How is the level design? Does it have a lot of variation?
Absolutely. It's similar to the DS game in that every single stage offers a new and unique gameplay mechanic. Most of the levels on the map actually have those mechanics nearby in the environment so you can identify the level by its surroundings on the map. That screenshot of World 5 that's floating around the net is a good example, since you can clearly see what to expect in each of those levels.

How does the Title Screen look? Is it like the DS Game's title screen or is it more like Super Mario World's Title screen where it shows a demo of a level in the game? By that I mean will it show Mario getting on a Yoshi or just getting out a shell and throwing it or will it show him dying by way of Goomba like in Super Mario Bros. for the NES?
It shows the four characters running from left to right. It's actually fairly basic.

Also, is it still fun to go through levels you've already completed if you play with friends? I remember when I played Zelda: Four Sword Adventures single player I never had as much fun as I could have with friends afterwards since I'd already seen everything.
I completed the whole game on single-player first then played through it with three players. I had a great time each time because, as I've said above, it feels like two different games altogether because even though the levels are the same, the tactics are very different.

Are the world themes the same as in New Super Mario Bros., just in a different order?
No, there are a few different ones. Can't say what though!

How tough is the toughest level in the game? Does it come even near to the difficulty of Lost Levels?
Nothing will ever come near that! But the toughest level in the game is mental. I lost count of how many times I died in it. I was frustrated but in a good way because I was glad to see that it was a challenge.

Is there any sort of achievement system present, such as found in the Metroid Prime 3/Trilogy games? Achievements being fast times, infinite 1ups, original ways of defeating enemies etc.
No, nothing like that.

Do we get the usual three save slots?
Yes.

What is your favourite world/level?
I like World 4 the best.

Can you reserve items (like in the DS version) or did they take it out? Also, if you can, how?
You can no longer reserve an item on the bottom screen (for obvious reasons), but the game instead has the Mario 3 style of item storage. You can bring up a menu while on the map screen and choose from a list of power-ups you've collected. You get more items by playing the Mushroom house "match two" mini-game and by encountering and defeating enemies on the map. Just like Mario 3, in other words.

What was the best moment of this game for you ?
The final boss battle.

Does having to shake the Remote ever get annoying? Does it respond to a very slight shake? Did you ever perform the shake move when you didn't mean to on account of the Remote being too sensitive? Is there a button that the shake command is also mapped to?
The shake command is only mapped to shaking the Remote, nothing else. It's very sensitive so you don't have to shake it too much, but it's not so sensitive that you'll spin jump without meaning it. The only times I did that was when I put down my controller to type up notes, but you're not going to be putting down the controller halfway through a stage anyway so it doesn't matter!

And finally - how would you describe this game in exactly 3 words?
Read my review!

http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/article.php?id=12629

"Are there 80 levels? Do the levels vary?"

That's the question I asked them!

So no minigames? OH WELL.. Though i really wonder what will this game will bring in the multiplayer theme. Since most of platformers are meant as a singleplayer

Sounds good. I'll be picking this up, regardless of other reviews... Mainly because my parents have offered to get it as a birthday present.

Maelstrom shan't be pleased!

Ugh. SMW Difficulty?

*sadness*

It has SMW diffculty? Good so it won't be evil like the last 2 levels in SMB3 and won't be too easy like SMB1

I think it all sounds really good, I still don't understand why there are not more playable characters though. I thought there would at least be an unlockable character or two after you beat it.

Sounds really weird that there are no secret levels, or things to unlock. For example SMW had the secret World, which wasn't obligatory to beat, but had some hard levels there. I would have preferred something like that, or like DKC series, which had secret levels and areas in the levels.

I hope there's more than this.

killeryoshis said: It has SMW diffculty? Good so it won't be evil like the last 2 levels in SMB3 and won't be too easy like SMB1

SMB3 was too easy as well. I was hoping for a really hard game now that it includes the super guide......

Awesome. And even though it really isn't a big deal, it's too bad there aren't more playable characters.