Tech News on G4New Super Mario Bros. WiiDec 18, 2009By Ted Kritsonis - G4 Canada |
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Their 2D side-scrolling adventures became 3D odysseys once the technology made it possible to see these guys from all angles. But when Nintendo brought back the 2D experience to the DS back in 2006, a whole new generation of gamers became enamored with a new take on Mario and Luigi using a tried-and-true formula. Taking the same premise and moving it to the Wii was only natural. New Super Mario Bros. Wii isn’t a port of the DS version, though there will be instances where it will feel like it is. No, this is a brand new adventure that follows the same path of dealing with Bowser and his cronies, while freeing the damsel-in-distress Princess. The road to get there isn’t maddeningly difficult if you stay the course and avoid going after the hidden levels and other goodies. But there are times where you will die, sometimes repeatedly. The execution of knowing when to make a certain move is still the cornerstone of the game, and you should feel right at home with it whether you played the NES original or you’re too young to even go back that far.
I would’ve liked to have seen this multiplayer experience with others online, but unfortunately, Nintendo figured it wasn’t important enough to include. A botched opportunity in my eyes, mainly because the elements of making it work are already there. If it’s easy for a player to back out at any time in offline multiplayer, then why not just bring the whole experience to the online community? And while you’re at it, why not make things truly interesting by adding a level editor of some sort. That would be cool. Instead, the online portion of the game is limited to coin-based challenges. They’re plenty of fun, but they can’t replace what’s been left out.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
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Find anyone who may have held a Nintendo game controller during the 80s and early 90s, and you can probably bet that they’ve played Super Mario Bros. at least once. The mustachioed plumber and his sidekick, Luigi, are some of the most iconic characters in gaming history, and that’s unlikely to change.
Motion-sensored gameplay is at a minimum here, which is a good thing. A game like this is meant to be played the old-fashioned way, and turning the Wii remote sideways may give you the nostalgic feeling of holding one of those old NES pads with A and B buttons flashing brightly. You can perform certain moves by shaking the remote a certain way or tilting it in a specific direction, but that’s pretty much the extent of it. As for power-ups, the Ice Flower was a personal favourite. Think of it as the exact opposite of the old Fire Flower in that you can turn enemies into blocks of ice that can be thrown at other enemies or stomped on. These especially come in handy in underwater levels where getting into pipes is difficult because of the water pressure that forces you away. Time and place your shot, land on the block of ice and it should raise you into the pipe. Small gameplay elements like that are neat, but challenging enough to keep things interesting. The Penguin suit should also be popular, particularly since it makes icy levels a breeze to run through (the suit gives you normal traction on the ice). Personally, I’ve always been a fan of the cape from Super Mario World on the Super NES, but the new power-ups here are definitely cool additions.
One of the keys Nintendo touted with this game was the multiplayer. Up to four players can play simultaneously, which is loads of fun, but also incredibly difficult to manage in levels where time constraints and other obstacles make team chemistry vital. Players can jump in and out of a game at any time, which may help keep the game moving and give stronger gamers the chance to go through some tough sequences without having to pull dead weight behind them. And though the game doesn’t end when one character dies, disorganized chaos can happen quickly, leading to the eventual deaths of everyone involved. Without some level of teamwork, plenty of lives will likely be used up.
Despite my griping about the lack of online playability, I felt right at home going through New Super Mario Bros. Wii. To be honest, it offers a longer and more gratifying experience than some of the other highly-touted titles out there. It’s just plain fun, and it does a masterful job of giving young and old the chance to collaborate and enjoy a game together. If you have a Wii, it’s definitely worth the money, especially since you will be playing for quite a while trying to unlock everything. If you can excuse the lack of online replay value, you will not be disappointed.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
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