Review: New Super Mario Bros. Wii

System: Wii
Genre: Platform
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Original Release: 2009

SCORE: 8.5/10

Back in 2006, Nintendo took gamers by surprise with the release of New Super Maro Bros. on the DS. This was the first 2D sidescrolling Mario game since Yoshi's Isand on the SNES in 1995. The game was a throwback to the plumber's 2D romping adventures with familiar power ups and a few new ones. New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a sequel to the DS classic is yet another fantastic entry to the series of Mario platformers and proves once again that Mario's sidescrolling days are far from over.

It's Princess Peach's birthday and just as everyone is about to dig into the humongus cake, the Koopa Kids (yes, the ones from Super Mario Bros. 3) and Bowser Jr. pop out of the sweets, grab Peach and book it with Mario, Luigi, and two unamed Toads in hot pursuit. Huh. I guess the cake really is a lie.

If one player is struggling, another player can pick them up and carry them.

Fans that cut their teeth on the previous 2D Mario games will feel right at home with NSMBW. Run to the right, collecting coins, bashing blocks for power-ups, using your trademark jumping skills to stomp enemies and reach that flagpole at the end of the level. Playing this game is like riding a bike. It have have been a while since you've done it but because you've experienced it before, it's easy to jump back on. Despite being a newer entry to the Mario games, NSMBW has a heavy retro feel to it.

Just as NSMB did before it, NSMBW brings back recognizable power-ups. The Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, Starman are here as well as the Ice Flower from Super Mario Galaxy. Yoshi even shows up to lend a hand in just about one level per world. NSMBW only includes two new power ups, but both are extremely useful. Nabing a Propeller Mushroom nets you the ability to take to the air breifly and then slowly glide back down to earth. The Penguin Suit lets you move as if you had normal traction on icey land, makes swimming a breeze, let's you throw balls of ice just like the Ice Flower, and allows you to slide on flat surfaces. Think of the Penguin Suit as an improved version of the Frog Suit from Super Mario Bros. 3: It's useful on land AND water.

The fact that you play with the Wii Remote titled sideways like an NES controller only adds to the game's nostalgic value, though there is some use of motion controls. You wave the controller up to fly with the Propller Hat as well as pick things up. It isn't too cumbersome, but really, the older method of holding the B button to run, or in this case, the 1 button, would have been preferred.

It's actually a lot easier than you think to lose a few lives in the first Castle.

The biggest new addition to NSBMW is having four players on the same screen at once. Playing the game with three other players can be pretty fun, but it can also be insanely chaotic. The help you get from your pals may end up doing you more harm than good. If you're planing on playing seriously, make sure you're not playing with friends that pick you up and toss you into a lava pit. It's also pretty easy to bounce around off each other and into an enemy or hazard. Despite all the madness that occurs during multi-player you should still try the game out with friends if you have some extra Wii Remotes, but if you're friends aren't available, the game is still a blast to play by yourself.

The unnamed blue and yellow Toads are the best Toads in the history of Mario games. They have to be if they're actually out partaking in the quest.  Where were these two the last 20 times Peach was kidnapped?!

Being a Mario game, NSMBW is pretty challenging, some might even say the challenge in this game ramps up considerably early as opposed to past Mario platformers. Most of the bosses don't pose a serious threat, but making it through many of the game's stages will test your platforming abilities to the limit. As helpful as the power-ups in the game are, more often than not, pure skill wins the day and if you are not bringing your A game, many tears will be shed along with broken controllers. Don't despair, though. If you fail to complete a level after eight attempts, the Super Guide becomes available. The Super Guide is a computer controlled Luigi, that if selected, will show the player how to complete the level. What the Super Guide will not show you is all the level's secrets or alternate routes. You can use the Super Guide to complete troublesome levels but the game doesn't acknowledge it as a true victory. Some are sure to criticize the existence of the Super Guide, but it's not a bad feature and using it is entirely optional.

The Penguin Suit is one of the best power-ups in any Mario game. It also makes you look ridiculously huggable. 

Star Coins return, but unlike NSMB they aren't used for unlocking Toad Houses. These coins are used to unlock special hints like finding alternate routes, hidden exits and Warp Zones. Many of the coins are easy to obtain, but some of them are hidden pretty well and can't be accessed without certain power-ups if you're going it alone. With friends, it's manageable. If you're willing to collect all 231 coins, you'll be able to play each stage in World 9. Remember how hard the Special World from Super Mario World was? World 9 has a pretty similar difficulty and should only be approached by those that are curious or seek 100% completion, which includes getting all of the Star Coins in this world as well.

Two players can get around with just one Propeller Mushroom.  

NSMBW looks like a more cleaned up version of it's predecessor, sporting much smoother graphics. The game has the catchy, humable tunes you've come to expect out of a Mario game, using some slightly arranged versions of some the tunes from the first NSMB and a few remixes of classic Mario tracks such as the Underground theme.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii is one of the best titles for the Wii and a fine platform game. The new power-ups are very welcome, the Super Guide allows novice players to experience more of the game, and the platforming and level designs are some of the best the genre has to offer. This is a must-play game.