Rated CBAM!: New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Review)

New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Nintendo Wii)

Rated “E” For “Everyone”

A new side-scrolling adventure with Mario comes out on the Wii. Just how new is the New Super Mario Bros. Wii? Or is this another Mario game to bring some coins to Nintendo.

=====Story=====

It’s Princess Peach’s birthday and she invites her favorite friends over to celebrate. A big cake is brought out and out pops Bowser Jr. along with the 7 Koopalings. They dump the cake on Peach and move the party elsewhere. The pursuit is on to once again save Peach from the clutches of Bowser.

So…you save the Princess again. It’s a Mario game. You shouldn’t be expecting more of a story. Run, jump, collect coins, collect power-ups, save the Princess. Nothing new here.

=====Gameplay=====

The style of play is nothing new. If you’ve played any Mario sides-croller, you know to run and jump from platform to platform until you reach the end of the level. A more accurate way of play is that the game plays very similar to New Super Mario Bros. on the DS. It feels and looks almost the same. But since this is a Wii title, there are a few motion controls. They’re nothing complex and they don’t get in the way that much. Most just require a shake of the Wiimote (to fly with the Propeller Suit, to grab enemies/items) or the occasional tilt to manipulate certain platforms.

Something that is new is the inclusion of multiplayer. Sure, you can play this game as Mario alone, but now you have the chance to play along with Luigi and blue and yellow Toads (Bucken-Berry and Ala-Gold). Multiplayer changes the way you would normally play a Mario game like this. Just adding one extra player changes things.

If you have friends to play with, you can easily cooperate and help each other move through levels and find any and all secrets there are. Sharing of power-ups is a small bit of strategy that could be applied. It may take a little more time and patience to help get your friends from Point A to Point B, but it is very doable and satisfying. OR…if you have friends, they can be a pain to deal with. Thankfully there are 2 modes of competitive play (Free-For-All and Coin Battle), but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t screw with your friends when playing cooperatively. There will be screams and you may think to invest in new super friends to play this game with.

=====Difficulty=====

The difficulty setting has been ramped up a bit. That is something new. Veteran players may feel a little cocky playing another Mario title, but they will find that levels can be a bit challenging. Levels aren’t too complex, but there is a little something in almost every level to present a challenge for anyone.

Again, multiplayer will add to the difficulty. It may not be apparent right away, but as you play more with others, you’ll notice how some of the little things matter such as spacing on a platform. 3 players on the same small platform make it a little harder for the final 4^th player to make a simple landing. Carrying others is an option, but those can lead to accidental deaths. An overzealous player could also force screen deaths on slower partners. Multiplayer definitely will add to the difficulty, but some good cooperatively play will help with that.

There are also a lot of opportunities to gain extra lives (1-Up houses, 1-Up loops, etc), but the difficulty level is the reason for that. While making the game more challenging, they’re still throwing you some green mushrooms because they knows you’ll need them. There is something else to help with the difficulty, but more on that later.

=====Content=====

Nintendo knows when to deliver in fan service and that is certainly not new. The Koopalings have been brought back ever since Mario 3 and this will also be the first time that they team with Bowser Jr. Koopalings aren’t the only throw back to Mario 3. Traveling from level to level is mapped out similar to Mario 3, the matching game from Mario 3 is back to help you earn extra power-ups, a mid-castles and castles at the end of each world with a Koopaling is back, airship levels are back, and there really are a lot of similarities to Mario 3 here. That’s not to say any other Mario titles aren’t represented. Yoshi is there in select levels (Super Mario World) and the final fight with Bowser requires the same strategy you used back in the original Mario (not too big a spoiler). Red coins (Mario 64), P switches (Mario 3), Blue coins (Mario Sunshine), Mini Mushrooms (NSMB DS), and bits of other Mario games are thrown into this Wii title. Seeing all of these things portrayed on a next-gen console, THAT is new.

New power-ups are new. Ice Flower freezes your foes rather than fry them. Penguin Suit has the Ice Flower power plus an easier time swimming and the ability to slide on your belly through enemies. The Propeller Suit allows you to reach higher areas with a quick flick of the Wiimote and also gives you a downward drill attack.

Super Guide is absolutely new to any game. If you die 8 consecutive times on the same level, the next time you attempt it, a green block will appear at the beginning of the level. Hitting the green block activates the Super Guide. The Super Guide brings out Luigi and the game will play through the level as Luigi for you. While it completes the level for you, it doesn’t find all the secrets or collect everything for you. And you won’t always get a run through of a level. More often than not, Luigi will walk through the level at a slow pace. Not exactly fun, but at least you can finish off the more difficult levels and continue the game this way.

=====Final Thoughts=====

The Super Guide may be getting flack, but you should really remember that while it is there, it is an option. If you don’t want to use it, don’t use it. If you really need it then it’s available for you.

While not everything is new in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the game itself is new and does a few new things. There are also a lot of positives that outweigh the negatives. Those positives and new things mixed with some of the old make it a great title for Mario fans. You get a challenging classic platformer and you have a chance to have some chaotic fun with your friends.