New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Platforms: Wii
Players: 1-4
Original Release Date(s): Nov 15 2009(US), Nov 20 2009(EU), Nov 11 2009(AU), Dec 3 2009(JP)
This is the first Mario platform game that is a sequel to a handheld original which is certainly a first for the series, and also with the DS original takes the series back to it's side scrolling roots in more ways than one, not only dos it feature classic Mario gameplay but also so fiendishly difficult later levels that will test just how good you are.
Of course what is a new Mario game with out a new twist on things, this is he first Mario game to feature co-op play with not just two characters but up four, and things can certainly get very hectic thanks to the amount of onscreen mayhem.
Presentation
New Super Mario Bros. Wii takes the series right back to the roots and is a mixture of all the classic games in how it is laid out, from the onscreen display being very reminiscent of both Super Mario Bros and Super Mario World, to the map screen being a being a mixture of Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World and Super Mario Land 2 it really does have that old but new feel to it all, not that it is a bad thing far from it.
The overall presentation is nice and simple making it all very easy to navigate and get stuck in right from the start with out having to go through countless menus.
Graphics
You can argue that this game is nothing more than New Super Mario Bros. on the DS just at a higher resolution with more detail, and well you would be right, but that is in no way a bad thing as the game is fully functional in every way and looks solid through out.
The whole game is a blend of the best bits from Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3 on the NES, Super Mario World on the SNES and in certain places Super Mario Land 2 on the Gameboy. All blended in nicely with a 2.5D look about them giving them a much more modern look as you would expect. If you have played any of those games mentioned you will know exactly what to expect from this game as far as it looks as it has many familiar faces a places to visit in a much more modern surrounding.
Sound
Much like the overall look of the game the sound is also very familiar much like it has been with many recent Mario games, but once again adds enough difference to make it stand out a bit from the others.
All the usual sound effects are there and you will feel right at home as you do in any Mario game with all the familiar sounds of enemies and everything else in each level, once again just because it is familiar though doesn't make it bad in any way as through out the whole game it is of the highest quality and much like any Mario game of the past the tunes will get stuck in your head for year to come.
Gameplay
If you have ever played a classic side scrolling Mario platform game you will know exactly what to expect here, run, jump, collect coins and power ups and defeat enemies as you progress to the ends of each level. Now all that would be fine and probably still make New Super Mario Bros. Wii a game worth playing but it adds a few things that make the game a bit different to other Mario games of the past, such as using motion control to till platforms and to use power ups, sure these things could be done with button presses but making them motion controlled gives the game it's own identity.
The game is played in a very traditional style with an over world map screen being your main navigation, and borrows elements from previous games in the series, but while it does feel very familiar it does feature many power-up that are new to the game such as Ice Mario who made his debut in Super Mario Galaxy, Mini Mario who debuted in New Super Mario Bros. and new power ups Propeller Mario and Penguin Mario as well as the return of Fire Mario and the Super Star as well as Yoshi making a return. All making the game have multiple options to get through each level.
All that would be fine and make this a great game too play but the added ability to play up to four players at once adds a whole new element of team work to the game that wasn't there in previous games and means finding new ways to access hard to reach areas can become very much about working together, but also very competitive if also a little distracting and off putting but add a whole new element to Mario games.
Lasting Appeal
If there is one thing that this game does well it is that it offers a challenge, and and old school challenge at that levels start off easy enough but quickly start to become tougher and will test your platorming skills to the max, but it's not all about just getting to the end of each each level to say you have beaten it, no much like Mario games of the past there are always things to collect in each level and this time they are in the form of three large gold coins on each level just like on New Super Mario Bros. on the DS, some are even tricky to find and get to but collecting them all can feel like a very good reward to your self indeed.
The difficulty though out the game does not feel cheap either but perfectly balanced so you will keep coming back to try and beat each level as it becomes a challenge to your self each time to do better.
While there is not as much to see or do as one of the fully three dimensional Mario games though there is defiantly the challenge factor and old school appeal that will get you coming back time and time again to play your favourite levels over and over again, or keep you trying to get that last gold coin.
Overall
While Super Mario Galaxy had a few throw backs to older games, mainly Super Mario Bros. 3, New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a complete throw back since it borrows many of the best from all of the best old school Mario games and rolls them all into one and then adds it's own uniqueness to the mix.
Whether you are playing alone and want a challenge or playing as part of a team for some fun the game has loads to offer and is everything you should expect from an old school Mario game, the game really does lack pretty much all originality as it's all been seen and done before but it is done in such a way that it still feels fresh and new and offers one of the best platforming experiences that has graced any console in the last decade , this is a must for any Mario fans who prefer the classic Mario games over the 3D counterparts.
Scores
Players: 1-4
Original Release Date(s): Nov 15 2009(US), Nov 20 2009(EU), Nov 11 2009(AU), Dec 3 2009(JP)
This is the first Mario platform game that is a sequel to a handheld original which is certainly a first for the series, and also with the DS original takes the series back to it's side scrolling roots in more ways than one, not only dos it feature classic Mario gameplay but also so fiendishly difficult later levels that will test just how good you are.
Of course what is a new Mario game with out a new twist on things, this is he first Mario game to feature co-op play with not just two characters but up four, and things can certainly get very hectic thanks to the amount of onscreen mayhem.
Presentation
New Super Mario Bros. Wii takes the series right back to the roots and is a mixture of all the classic games in how it is laid out, from the onscreen display being very reminiscent of both Super Mario Bros and Super Mario World, to the map screen being a being a mixture of Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World and Super Mario Land 2 it really does have that old but new feel to it all, not that it is a bad thing far from it.
The overall presentation is nice and simple making it all very easy to navigate and get stuck in right from the start with out having to go through countless menus.
Graphics
You can argue that this game is nothing more than New Super Mario Bros. on the DS just at a higher resolution with more detail, and well you would be right, but that is in no way a bad thing as the game is fully functional in every way and looks solid through out.
The whole game is a blend of the best bits from Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3 on the NES, Super Mario World on the SNES and in certain places Super Mario Land 2 on the Gameboy. All blended in nicely with a 2.5D look about them giving them a much more modern look as you would expect. If you have played any of those games mentioned you will know exactly what to expect from this game as far as it looks as it has many familiar faces a places to visit in a much more modern surrounding.
Sound
Much like the overall look of the game the sound is also very familiar much like it has been with many recent Mario games, but once again adds enough difference to make it stand out a bit from the others.
All the usual sound effects are there and you will feel right at home as you do in any Mario game with all the familiar sounds of enemies and everything else in each level, once again just because it is familiar though doesn't make it bad in any way as through out the whole game it is of the highest quality and much like any Mario game of the past the tunes will get stuck in your head for year to come.
Gameplay
If you have ever played a classic side scrolling Mario platform game you will know exactly what to expect here, run, jump, collect coins and power ups and defeat enemies as you progress to the ends of each level. Now all that would be fine and probably still make New Super Mario Bros. Wii a game worth playing but it adds a few things that make the game a bit different to other Mario games of the past, such as using motion control to till platforms and to use power ups, sure these things could be done with button presses but making them motion controlled gives the game it's own identity.
The game is played in a very traditional style with an over world map screen being your main navigation, and borrows elements from previous games in the series, but while it does feel very familiar it does feature many power-up that are new to the game such as Ice Mario who made his debut in Super Mario Galaxy, Mini Mario who debuted in New Super Mario Bros. and new power ups Propeller Mario and Penguin Mario as well as the return of Fire Mario and the Super Star as well as Yoshi making a return. All making the game have multiple options to get through each level.
All that would be fine and make this a great game too play but the added ability to play up to four players at once adds a whole new element of team work to the game that wasn't there in previous games and means finding new ways to access hard to reach areas can become very much about working together, but also very competitive if also a little distracting and off putting but add a whole new element to Mario games.
Lasting Appeal
If there is one thing that this game does well it is that it offers a challenge, and and old school challenge at that levels start off easy enough but quickly start to become tougher and will test your platorming skills to the max, but it's not all about just getting to the end of each each level to say you have beaten it, no much like Mario games of the past there are always things to collect in each level and this time they are in the form of three large gold coins on each level just like on New Super Mario Bros. on the DS, some are even tricky to find and get to but collecting them all can feel like a very good reward to your self indeed.
The difficulty though out the game does not feel cheap either but perfectly balanced so you will keep coming back to try and beat each level as it becomes a challenge to your self each time to do better.
While there is not as much to see or do as one of the fully three dimensional Mario games though there is defiantly the challenge factor and old school appeal that will get you coming back time and time again to play your favourite levels over and over again, or keep you trying to get that last gold coin.
Overall
While Super Mario Galaxy had a few throw backs to older games, mainly Super Mario Bros. 3, New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a complete throw back since it borrows many of the best from all of the best old school Mario games and rolls them all into one and then adds it's own uniqueness to the mix.
Whether you are playing alone and want a challenge or playing as part of a team for some fun the game has loads to offer and is everything you should expect from an old school Mario game, the game really does lack pretty much all originality as it's all been seen and done before but it is done in such a way that it still feels fresh and new and offers one of the best platforming experiences that has graced any console in the last decade , this is a must for any Mario fans who prefer the classic Mario games over the 3D counterparts.
Scores
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