A great game which brings Mario back to his side-scrolling roots.
New Super Mario Bros. brings Mario away from 3D worlds and into the classic formula of side-scrolling. If you've played previous Mario side-scrollers, you'll probably be thinking this is all of the same - you're wrong. New Super Mario Bros. refreshes the Mario series and brings it up to date with a bang.
There are a total of eight worlds in the game but you can finish the game by taking secret short cuts and only completing six worlds. You'll obviously want to go back and play the final two worlds if only for the fact to see the stunning level designs. The main worlds are split up into different levels and you direct Mario to which level you want to play and then select it. Along the way there are also optional 'toll gates' in which you can pay five stars to access more levels or to enter a mushroom house which will give you a new power-up or lives. The level select world is simple yet effective and as it is one of the first things you'll see, you get the feeling this is going to be a great game.
The levels are designed fantastically. You can get undersea levels, ice levels, desert levels, grass levels... there are plenty of different styles so you won't get bored of the landscapes at all. Mario of course comes with his basic moves and power-ups, but there are new ones chucked in to make things a little different. Mario is controlled by the D-Pad and he can jump, butt slam on enemy's heads, wall jump and so on. Mario's power-ups feature things such as the fireball, mega mushroom which sees you turning massive and stomping your way through the level for a limited time, mini mushroom which makes you tiny and allows you to access areas you couldn't previously, along with all the usual power-ups.
A downside to New Super Mario Bros. is the fact that it is incredibly short and you get the feeling it is over too quickly. Saying this though, there are a few levels that will have you frustrated as you keep dying at the same point over and over. There are mini-games such as those included in Super Mario 64 DS but these don't add much to the games total game time, nor does the multiplayer feature which sees you collecting stars against your opponent. Luckily, there are three stars to collect in each level and some people may want to go back and collect all of the stars which adds a lot of play time to the game.
New Super Mario Bros. is a definite hit and no DS owner can go without this game. People who may have been around when the first Mario Bros. came out will still enjoy this game as much as people who have never played a side-scrolling Mario. A real thrill all round.
There are a total of eight worlds in the game but you can finish the game by taking secret short cuts and only completing six worlds. You'll obviously want to go back and play the final two worlds if only for the fact to see the stunning level designs. The main worlds are split up into different levels and you direct Mario to which level you want to play and then select it. Along the way there are also optional 'toll gates' in which you can pay five stars to access more levels or to enter a mushroom house which will give you a new power-up or lives. The level select world is simple yet effective and as it is one of the first things you'll see, you get the feeling this is going to be a great game.
The levels are designed fantastically. You can get undersea levels, ice levels, desert levels, grass levels... there are plenty of different styles so you won't get bored of the landscapes at all. Mario of course comes with his basic moves and power-ups, but there are new ones chucked in to make things a little different. Mario is controlled by the D-Pad and he can jump, butt slam on enemy's heads, wall jump and so on. Mario's power-ups feature things such as the fireball, mega mushroom which sees you turning massive and stomping your way through the level for a limited time, mini mushroom which makes you tiny and allows you to access areas you couldn't previously, along with all the usual power-ups.
A downside to New Super Mario Bros. is the fact that it is incredibly short and you get the feeling it is over too quickly. Saying this though, there are a few levels that will have you frustrated as you keep dying at the same point over and over. There are mini-games such as those included in Super Mario 64 DS but these don't add much to the games total game time, nor does the multiplayer feature which sees you collecting stars against your opponent. Luckily, there are three stars to collect in each level and some people may want to go back and collect all of the stars which adds a lot of play time to the game.
New Super Mario Bros. is a definite hit and no DS owner can go without this game. People who may have been around when the first Mario Bros. came out will still enjoy this game as much as people who have never played a side-scrolling Mario. A real thrill all round.
