This is the Mario game we’ve all been waiting for.
Mario fans have been clamoring for years for a new sidescroller. After getting teased by four straight remakes on the GBA, we still found ourselves waiting, with no Mario sidescroller featuring Mario as the main character since Super Mario World on the SNES. But that was before what seems to me to be the “new” Nintendo came out with the Nintendo DS. There seems to be a real change in philosophy at Nintendo after the failure of the GameCube to get things right in the next generation, and it starts here with the Nintendo DS, which offers this sidescrolling action Mario game known as “New” Super Mario Bros. Make no mistake, “New” Super Mario Bros. is more like classic Super Mario Bros. In other words, all the fun, exciting, challenging gameplay of the original Mario sidescrollers from the NES and SNES has returned. It’s new, all right, and it’s classic at the same time.
Since it’s been forever since my last Review, I’ll remind you: this Review is rated on a 0-4 star scale. O is very, very poor; 4 is excellent.
Graphics: ***½
I’ve been dreaming of this type of
game: sort of like Super Smash Bros, the characters are in 3D, but everything
scrolls in two dimensions. The result is a very pretty-looking game that
is about on par with something you’d expect from the Nintendo 64, although
it’s a handheld. There really isn’t anything notable to complain about
with the graphics. They’re beautiful, and it’s only the start of something
great.
Sound: ***
The music in this game borrows a bit
from previous Mario games. You’ll find some classic songs in this game
(for example, the snowball mini-game has the Mario 64 snow land music),
while other tunes have close resemblances to classic tunes (the ghost house
tune sounds similar, though it is different). The game also has sound effects
you should remember very well. The brand-new tunes are pretty good as well,
so it’s not like the game is totally borrowing from the past. It’s probably
the best job in music in a Mario game since the Nintendo 64.
Characters: ***½
There were absolutely brilliant choices
for characters in this game. You don’t have all these characters that look
like they belong to some other video game series (I’m talking about you,
Piantas). You have Goombas, Troopas, Buzzy Beetles, Spinies, Lakitus, Chain
Chomps, Boomerang Brothers, Cheep Cheeps, Blooper Nannies, Wigglers, Bullet
Bills… the list goes on and on. In fact, there are new twists on old enemies,
which just makes them even better than before. My only complaint: the replacement
of Boom Boom with Bowser Jr. My least favorite character in the Mario world
serves the same function as Boom Boom, for the most part, so you’ll see
him a lot. No Koopalings, either, but no complaint here… the bosses that
are at the end of each world are great enemies.
Story: no stars
Okay, were you expecting anything much?
This isn’t Final Fantasy here! It’s the weakest Mario story of all time.
The fact that Mario defeats Bowser Jr. and Jr. gets up and leaps away while
Mario watches makes little sense either. This doesn’t matter to me, really.
In fact, I’m betting part of the reason for the weak story is for humor
purposes, though I guess I’m not in on the joke.
Controls: ***½
The controls, for the most part, are
Mario-quality; in other words, brilliant. You get to use the touch screen
to send down your saved item (a la Super Mario World), which is the only
real function touching the touch screen adds to gameplay outside of the
mini-games. Depending on what you find more comfortable, you can change
the control scheme, choosing which buttons you want for jumping and which
ones you want for dashing. SNES fans will like the default control scheme;
a NES fan like me prefers the alternate control scheme. Either way, you’re
going to be happy. One complaint with the controls is with the Shell power-up;
it’s way too confusing figuring out how to use the Shell power-up for anything
good. Anytime I start experimenting with the Shell, it ends in disaster.
Otherwise, there are no big problems with the controls.
Gameplay: ****
It’s hard for me to put into words
how good the gameplay of this game is. Really, it draws comparisons to
the game that sits at video gaming’s pedestal, Super Mario Bros. 3. It’s
really hard for me to imagine how this game could have been improved in
the gameplay department. This is sidescrolling at its finest. It really
doesn’t get much more fun than this. Everything I loved about Super Mario
Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3 returns in this one. From the very start
of this game, I knew this was something special. There are even new power-ups
in this game, which add new dynamics to gameplay. Mario can now pull off
the Mario Party “hip drop”, which is a very helpful move in this game.
Nintendo even brought back secret exits to levels, similar to what was
in Super Mario World, while adding a Star Coin challenge similar to what
they put in Super Mario Advance. All sorts of past features are brought
back. Traveling Hammer Bros? Check. Mushroom Houses? Check. A reason to
beat the level with the clock on a certain time? Check. They took everything
good about their past sidescrollers, added some brand new gameplay features,
and mixed it into one excellent game.
Items: ***½
Besides the classic items that we all
are used to, this game includes some new ones; the Mini Mushroom, which
may have something to do with those secret exits I was talking about; the
Mega Mushroom, which allows Mario to basically destroy part of a level
and gain 1-Ups along the way; and the Shell, which allows Mario to turn
into a Koopa Troopa, although it is pretty difficult to get it to work
correctly. I wish there were some past things such as a flying-type item
(like the Super Leaf) or something like the Frog Suit, but the item selection
is satisfying as it is.
Levels: ****
The level design is absolutely outstanding.
You’ll find types of levels you’ll remember very well: going through the
sky on lifts on rails, scrolling swims through the sea, ghost house mazes,
and more. I’m amazed at how many old features made a return in this game,
making the levels a whole lot of fun to play through.
Difficulty: *½
If you’re a long-time Mario fan, you’ll
probably find this game pretty easy. Nevertheless, it still is not an absolute
cakewalk, and if you want to unlock a couple of worlds, you’ll need to
master the use of Mini Mario, which is no cinch. Collecting the Star Coins
is, of course, a challenge of its own, and certainly if you want to collect
all 240 Star Coins, you know it’s not going to be easy. But beating the
game is not something that ought to take you very long; I beat the game
before even unlocking World 7 (the game has 8 worlds, 2 of which are a
little hard to reach). Overall, I’d have to say the difficulty does come
very close to reaching that hard-to-capture balance between too easy and
too hard, and that’s part of the reason it’s such a fun game to play.
Mini-Games: ***
The mini-games give a nice little diversion,
as they force you to take out the stylus and use the touch screen. Some
of them can be quite a challenge; one puzzle game I haven’t yet figured
out how it’s supposed to be played. Most of them are fun games, and while
they don’t last very long, they’re a nice bonus to an excellent sidescroller.
They’re a whole lot better than Mario Bros. again!
Replayability: ***
While it may not take too long to beat
this game, I seriously doubt there’s anyone who will collect all the Star
Coins the first time they go through each level. That alone is a reason
to play the game again after you’ve beaten it. The fact that there are
secret exits to levels, and levels that must be unlocked through means
other than just climbing the flagpole, gives you even more reason to keep
on playing this game. Plus, let’s face it: a good sidescroller makes you
want to keep playing it, and keep beating it. It’s not incredibly difficult,
where you’re glad you beat it and don’t want to have to go through it again.
It’s also not so easy that you’ll fall asleep while going through the levels
again. I still play the original Super Mario Bros, and I can bet I’ll be
playing this one for quite a while. This game was so addicting that it
caused me to put off trying out my other new Mario DS game, a basketball
game… When a game makes me put off playing a sports game, I know
it’s addicting.
Fun Factor!: ****
Most importantly, New Super Mario Bros.
is a whole lot of fun. It brings back the joy of sidescrolling, which was
always fun but mostly forgotten about by game developers until now. This
game is not just a sidescroller, though, it’s a fun one, and that’s very
important. If this game weren’t any fun to play, then who cares whether
Mario’s sidescrolling again? However, this one is what hooked video gamers
in the 80’s. It’s sidescrolling at its finest.
OVERALL: ****
New Super Mario Bros. is a “killer
game”, meaning it’s worth buying the Nintendo DS just for it. This game
is a system-seller. I have the very good feeling the Nintendo DS has a
whole lot of other good games, but having only played New Super Mario Bros.
so far, I am already glad I bought the system. If you have a DS but not
this game, buy it now. And if you don’t have a DS, get it and this game.
It’s that good. Here’s a compliment I don’t just give out to any old game:
New Super Mario Bros. is second only to Super Mario Bros. 3 when it comes
to Mario action games. It would get way too complicated if I tried to exactly
rank New Super Mario Bros. among Mario Kart 64 and Mario Tennis 64, but
that doesn’t matter. What matters is that Nintendo returned to its roots
and what made the Mario series so successful, and they delivered one of
the greatest one-player games of all time. If this is any sign of how things
are going to go for Mario and Nintendo this generation, the Mario series
may just end up reaching a new height.
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