"Australia, November 9, 2009 - Is there a formula for fun? It certainly appears so; Nintendo has done it again with New Super Mario Bros. Wii – a 'traditional' Super Mario Bros. platformer that's split down the middle for co-operative and counter-operative multiplayer fun. At all times reverent to more than twenty years of Mario platforming, NSMB Wii never feels tired, repetitive or stodgy, which is something of an achievement unto itself. In simple terms, NSMB Wii is refreshing and approachable – something of a trademark for Nintendo's Wii releases.
It's also a blast to play. If you have four Wii remotes, prepare for the best, most entertaining multiplayer experience since Super Smash Bros. Brawl; that's no exaggeration. In all honesty, we were expecting a ho-hum multiplayer experience, given that co-operative platformers like LittleBigPlanet are decent but rarely incredible when played through in that mode. Expectations can be humbling when turned on its head.
However, NSMB Wii absolutely glows with three or four players on screen. Initially, the old truism 'more doesn't necessarily equal better' seems like it might apply to this latest Mario outing – but settling into the game, coming to terms with the new grab and lift mechanic and understanding the need to cooperate from time to time reveals the genius in the details.
While we were initially disappointed that the four player characters were strictly limited to Mario, Luigi and two toads, you'll quickly realise that all four characters have the same abilities and attributes, so your choice is mostly irrelevant. One point to note, however, is that when both toads have power stars (or in fact, all four characters), it becomes nearly impossible to differentiate between them. When you're jumping between pits or dodging Koopas left and right, the last thing you want to contend with is losing track of your character.
Still, for the most part, the experience of four players all pressing forwards towards the flag pole is grand. The very nature of a Mario game – simply moving from point A to point B – means that the goal is immediately clear; anyone can sit down and immediately figure out that structure.
However, the dynamic is drastically altered with four players. For starters, death is impermanent. If you take an unfortunate dive into a fireball or fail to leap a chasm, you simply reappear inside a bubble, ready to play again. Of course, someone needs to 'tag' you back in – so if your friends are kind of jerks, prepare to float around towards them for a while. Shaking the remote guides you as close as possible to them, but there's no accounting for spite, right?
As long as there's one character left playing, the game continues. That in itself means that, even if you're playing with first-time gamers or young kids, the chances of you not making it to the end of the level are drastically reduced. It changes the difficulty and also keeps the pace up.
If you want to (as we certainly do), you can also just ignore the course itself and simply run at each other, trying to grab other players and hurl them over edges and into enemies. It's hard to describe the kind of hilarious thrill of being thrown over an edge, wall-jumping at the last second and rebounding back into the game, just to turn the tables and toss your mate into a well-placed lava pit.
With the Wii remote held sideways, we were immediately reminded of the NES Super Mario Bros. games; with just a D-pad and two face buttons at the core of the gameplay, your finesse is what matters most. However, a couple, critical motion controlled actions have also been implemented. With a very small shake of the remote, Mario (or Luigi or the two toads) will execute a spin-jump. When powered up with the new Ice Flower, Fire Flower or as Penguin Mario, you'll spin out two projectiles in opposite directions.
The other motion control is a simple left/right tilt of the remote, used to swing platforms and tilt cannons in the world. They're easy, intuitive and unobtrusive – the three most critical aspects in any motion-controlled game.
The course design in NSMB Wii abounds with creativity—punishing, hateful creativity. The kind of creativity that will, in later stages, have even the most tempered and calm individuals going red in the face. Some of the best stages in the game play with verticality beautifully; two spiked pillars that slam into each other at the centre of a vertical stage creates an interesting force to be dealt with. The sound of the two columns rushing into place gives you just enough time to find a safe platform to land on – but it's always a close shave.
That's the beauty of Super Mario Bros. as a series; the very best levels are the ones that have you studying the environment, calculating distance in a split-second and taking risks for that huge coin payoff – or simply for the thrill of exploration. NSMB Wii really rewards risk-taking – as did its Nintendo DS heritage.
Side challenges return once again; Red Coins and Star Coins can be collected, toads can be carried to safety at the end of designated levels – and the worlds are all linked once again by cannon short-cuts that can be unlocked with crafty platforming skills.
However, in a concession for casual and non-gamers, this Mario Bros. is the first game in the series that actually plays itself. If you repeatedly die in any stage, a green '!' box will appear, sounding an alarm. Jumping into the box brings up an option to watch Luigi flawlessly conquer whatever part of the stage is hassling you – all the way to the end of the level. The 'Super Guide', as it's called, means that novice players can press on past levels that they're stuck on – potentially freeing up the rest of the game and allowing them to improve their skills and come back to replay the level. In practice, it's a clever system that, if nothing else, makes playguides almost irrelevant. The other major inclusion – videos of tips, tricks and secrets that can be unlocked with star coins – is the nail in the playguide coffin.
For what the game lacks in achievements and unlockable content, NSMB Wii makes up for this in variety within its platforming constraints. With four players accounted for, new modes open up; foot races across open levels that are free from time limits simply breed chaos. Coin Battles pit players against each other and enemies in single-screen environments – the player with the most coins comes out on top of the ladder.
There is one major flaw to these extra modes, however: no records get saved outside of the main game. There are no leaderboards on or offline – and frankly, that's a disappointment. There's no way to save your best score in Coin Battle or no way to prove that you and your friends invested the time to clear these modes. It's a shame – a little more thought should've been given to this end of the game for longevity's sake - and where's the online multiplayer or WiiConnect24 integration? Surely a provision for new levels and challenges could've been made? Again, it feels at times like Nintendo is obstinately avoiding online in all but the most arbitrary or necessary ways - and in key games only.
Perhaps this cautious approach says more about Nintendo's respect for the lineage of the Mario line. Despite the 'New' moniker, the truth is, New Super Mario Bros. Wii is incredibly traditional in many respects. This extends to the presentation, which is a lovely blend of chunky sprites, 3D polygonal characters, layered and scrolling backgrounds and some very occasional flashy effects. Largely the game looks like a blend between Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros. on DS. The game rarely departs from the style guide.
Enemies, however, have seen a few twists in design and core abilities; we won't spoil the surprises, but Piranha Flowers have never been more punishing and creepy. Boss battles still mark the half-way point in each level, taking you through two dungeons before finally kicking the bucket. The same rules still apply – three jumps on the head and the Koopaling goes down for the count. It's not innovative or even particularly challenging, but it's tradition – and sometime that's okay.
Mario has rarely had a better soundtrack, too. Often overlooked by all but the most ardent fans, the themes in New Super Mario Bros. Wii will have you whistling along. Smaller details, such as 1-up sounds and voices now chime through the Wii remote's speaker too, adding a little extra sound depth. Other sound effects are doggedly old-school, to the point where playing through NSMB Wii really made us feel old. That's a strange side-effect, but it's true – this game is so reminiscent of past games in tone and challenge that it elicits all kinds of fond memories.
Closing Comments
Whether or not this is the best Mario game to date is purely a matter of personal tastes; it's certainly the most humble on outward appearances. The red game case – a bold and loud statement of fun – is the first indicator that there's something special under the hood in this one. Still sorting the men from the boys after 20 years, Mario and Luigi's new adventure is not important because it's the continuation of a franchise we know and love – rather, it's because New Super Mario Bros. Wii demonstrates one more time why Nintendo are masters of the all-ages gaming market, relevant and refreshing but at all times reverent and above all, incredible fun."
Nice review, sounds really good. If you still really need to see the score you'll find it here.
http://au.wii.ign.com/articles/104/1043698p2.html
