New Super Mario Bros. Wii

 There’s no bigger franchise in video games than the Mario series. He’s been in so many different styles of games that it is difficult to keep track. Whether he’s fighting in Super Smash Bros., playing tennis or golf, or saving the princess in an RPG, no one is more recognizable than Mario and the gang.

Platforming, though, has always been Mario’s bread and butter, especially in class 2-D on the NES and Super NES. But since the mid-1990s, we’ve only had our Italian hero tearing it up in the third dimension, until recently, with New Super Mario Bros. on the DS, followed by his 2-D console return, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, in 2009.

NSMBW screams nostalgia, from the 2-D levels, world map screens and classic flower suit. Simply put, it is Super Mario Bros. 3 with a facelift. We even see the return of the Koopa Kids come back to ruin Mario’s world. Fans of the old-school NES/SNES Mario games will feel right at home on the Wii, especially with the simplistic controller with just two buttons.

Also like previous Mario games, each world is themed. You’ll get your standard garden-type levels, water levels, ice levels, dessert levels, etc., all with theme-oriented obstacles to overcome.

Not everything is old, though. The biggest addition, shown at E3 2009, is multiplayer. For the first time in Mario history, you and three other players can play through a Mario quest together, without exchanging controllers after every pitfall and Goomba bump.
 
This adds an entirely new feature to the game. You have the option of playing cooperatively and assist each other to the goal at the end of each level, or you can make your opponents’ lives a living hell. If you choose the later, expect a lot of frustration and possibly a few broken friendships. Nothing is more annoying than someone blatantly knocking you in front of an enemy, or down a pit to your demise.

NSMBW is also one of the best looking games on the Wii console. Nintendo knows exactly how to make a lot out of a little, making SD games rival that of their HD counterparts. It gives the classic Mario games a feel of next-gen, without alienating them too much.

The game is definitely a fan-service for longtime players of the Mario series dating back to the 1980s. It is essentially introducing the classic Mario-style to an entirely new generation of gamers, while still catering to the original gamers 25 years ago. It is a game that your parents will have as much fun playing as you do, and the best part is you can play right along with them.

Final Score: A-

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