A review that's not from a fanboy.
In all honesty, I'm no big Mario fan. I didn't grow up with Mario Bros., and I sure as hell didn't play Mari Bros. for tens of hours as a kid. My first Mario game was Mario Brothers 2, for the SNES, and I played that about 20 years after it came out. After that, I played 5 more Mario games, bringing it to a grand total of 6. Actually, about 4. Two of the six, I barelly played.
Point is, I'm no fanboy. Meaning, I'm not going to write this remembering the days staing up 'till 3AM and beating World 7 in 19xx. I'm trying to keep this short and sweet, in the Kotaku-like review manner.
What I Loved
It's-a Me! Mario!: The overall plot is the same, which is in my opinion good. It works, and has been working for a lot of years, probably two decades, not really sure. The concept has been changed slightly with itterations, but nontheless, the plot of Bowser kidnapping Peach has been around a while. It suits the game, and since this is a remake, that's one out of many things that should have, and did stay the same.
I died... Again?: No matter how good at platforming you are, it's guaranteed you will die in this game, a lot. There are so many fun levels to play, and dying is something that is kinda fun in the game. Sure, you hate yourself for not being able to jump over something, but that's the beauty of it. You have, endless lives. The only way the game punishes you for dying, is the fact that it takes you back to square-one, or better to say, the first level of the world. You can be at the castle, the game doesn't care. You died, you play over and over again.
How to beat NSMB, for Dummies!: If you die exactly 8 times on a course, the ninth time you enter it, a big green square will appear, no matter at what part of the level you are. This even works for castle levels. You will be presented with the chance for giving Luigi the priviledge of beating the level for you. If you're not cappable of beating the course for 8 times, this surely is a good thing. After Luigi beats the level, you can either go further, or beat the level by yourself, now that you know how to do it.
Just plain fun: This game is a blast. I do advise you to beat it by yourself the first time, and afterwards, to beat it again with a friend. There is nothing more fun, then screaming at a inexperienced player for dying on some stupid parts. You, and the people around you will have loads of fun. Screaming, laughing, it's an amazing experience. The more people you have, the more exciting it is. I play often with a friend of mine. Awesome times.
What I Hated
Nothing: Since I'm no fanboy, and this is my second Mario platformer, it's perfect in my eyes. There is "no thing that has been changed", and no level that shouldn't be. I have yet to find a flaw in the game. If it was a matter of life and death, I'd say that the 9 Worlds in the game are not enough. The game should last forever.
This is, among other things, one of the best games on the platform, and certanly a gem when playing in multiplayer. There are so many things that are done right, and I would really want to say this game deserves the GOTY tittle, but I can't. It's all a matter of opinions. But that doesn't diminish the value of this amazing remake, and fun and joy it brings to the ones who play it.
