New Super Mario Bros Wii

Rating: E

Score: 9.0/10

If there’s one huge video game icon out there, it’s Mario. He’d been the granddaddy of gaming for decades now, but it’s been nearly a decade since the plumber’s last 2-D Mario game for a Nintendo console. To change that, Nintendo has finally released New Super Mario Bros Wii, Mario’s big step into his older shoes. It follows in the footsteps of New Super Mario Bros on the Nintendo DS released three years ago where Mario simply was 2-D in his old-school fashion. Is this title true to its roots? This game is exclusively for the Nintendo Wii.

Same old story, of course, Princess Peach is kidnapped and Mario goes to save her. You really need to feel bad for Mario; he saves the Princess seemingly every day now. She doesn’t even try to fight; she just accepts that Mario will save her. Maybe some type of security system would work or maybe even having the Princess on a leash, because this is getting ridiculous. How many times can you force someone to rescue you before they go insane? But I digress, the Mario series isn’t famous for its story (for good reason, too), it’s famous for its gameplay.

The gameplay is same old too, being the classic platforming, jump-on-enemies-to-kill-them-style. Mario’s not alone in his quest; he has Luigi and two Toads helping. By the way, I’m not talking about toads as in the reptiles, I’m talking about the mushroom men that the Princess has as servants, the Toads. Getting back on track, this is the first game to have Co-Op play since the original Mario Bros way back in 1983. It is just as it was years ago too; you can either be a nice or hateful player.

Nice players help a brother out, while hateful ones kill their brothers by picking them up and tossing them in lava. Nice players revive fallen brothers, while hateful ones leave them be while that person collects all the coins. It all depends on your offline friends because of the lack of online play. Jerks make it unpleasant to play, while good friends can help each other out.

They changed some aspects of the original New Super Mario Bros. Stored items no longer can be used mid-level. Instead the game copies the Super Mario Bros 3 method, letting you choose all your items on one screen before you enter a level. You can save at anytime in New Super Mario Bros Wii, which is a welcome addition. In the original New Super Mario Bros, you needed to either spend 5 of your precious “Star Coins” to purchase a location you didn’t need in order to access the “Save?” text , or you needed to clear the castle (and there were only two in each level). Finally, in the new game, you actually fight Bowser’s (the kidnapper) children instead of random bosses.

Bowser’s children? Don’t ask, mainly because nobody knows the answer. They were introduced in Super Mario World nearly a decade ago and became his loyal servants afterwards. Each child has a different tactic when you fight them and can make for some fun boss battles.

This game also packs a greater challenge than the other Mario games. You have the option of letting the computer complete a level for you if you fail to complete, in other words die, eight times. This was a good idea; if you’re struggling that badly, you clearly need some help. This game can (key word being can, because it’s an option, not necessary) take over and complete the harder obstacles, letting you jump back in at any moment.

Visually, it looks about as good as a 2-D game without cutscenes can look. It’s not very impressive, but still manages to be visually appealing. Audio is the same story, just some typical, upbeat Mario tunes, although nothing beats the original Super Mario Bros overworld music.

New Super Mario Bros Wii is nothing amazing, but it’s sure fun to play. It improves on what made Mario great, while adding challenges for older gamers who need one. It can still be playable by newcomers. This game is as eye-catching in its crimson-red packaging on store shelves as it is fun to play.