Quick Look: New Super Mario Bros. U

everyone hates each other when they play "coop" lol

Whoever Wiis, we Us.

@fisk0 said:

@kishinfoulux said:

@FreakAche said:

Why are they hating on the "wah-wah"?

Because it's fucking stupid.

To be hating on it?

I think the music is kinda adorable, though I can see it being slightly overused considering it's been part of .. 3 NSMB games by now? But I could see it kinda being a signature for the NSMB series kinda like the dumb chuggachugga guitar riff thing when you rank up in Call of Duty is one of it's signature sounds, or the Tristram like guitar stuff they kept doing in Diablo even after Uelmen left Blizzard. I would certainly prefer it if they tried to do something new with the music, rather than keeping on doing the same thing they've been doing since 2006, but it's not nearly the worst offender at unimaginative music I can think of.

I think they made this point on the recent Bombcast, and it's one I share, but Mario games have had some great music over the years. To be reduced to this is kind of shitty. Thankfully it's only confined to this one franchise, but still. They are capable of great things.

Wuu

Wait... this game doesn't support the pro controller why? I have no intention of purchasing this console and I'm still pissed about the audacity of that.

@AssInAss said:

(Credit to NeoGAF user Majine)

Perfect!

Wa Waa! This was super funny btw.

Brad, you should look at the manual. You are saying "I don't know what that is" a lot.

It seems like griefing through multiplayer would be the best way to play this game. Not sure I would enjoy a single or regular multiplayer playthrough.

Patrick is way too quick to be mean to Brad! There, I said it

Pro Controller doesn't work on first-party Mario launch title: That's not a good sign. Developer support for that controller will make or break my interest, and Nintendo couldn't even be bothered? Whatever.

EDIT: Also, the co-op here actually makes LittleBigPlanet's co-op look fun. It's painful to watch, I can't imagine actually playing it. Being rushed by other players, pauses every time someone is hurt or gets a powerup... what the heck?! :\ Man. I'm so cynical about Nintendo games lately. :(

@Binarynova: Nintendo only offers that pro controller as sort of a customer grudge fuck. Them supporting it is like them conceding defeat. The Gamepad is the Wii U controller. Get used to it.

Not quite as good as the NSMB Wii QL, but still a quality viewing experience.

Not looking forward to this. I suspect it'll be more of Patrick complaining about how "chaotic" New Super Mario Bros.' multiplayer is... if you have no idea you can manually "Bubble Up" by pressing the A button any time. Which is just annoying. Also, more of everyone else talking about how it's still fun, but super un-ambitious and very similar to the other New Super Mario games, which at least is a valid complaint.

Still, gonna watch. Here's hoping I'm wrong. *crossing fingers*

EDIT: Oh yeah! And more of the obligatory commercial for that shitty Vita Call of Duty game that Sony desperately hopes will move hardware off of shelves! Seems to be in front of every video on Giantbomb these days...

EDIT 2: Okay, that wasn't that bad. I appreciate Patrick and Brad not complaining about the mulitplayer too much;) Although it still irks me that Ryan seems to be the best player, and Jeff is pretty knowledgeable about it, yet neither of those guys seem to know about bubbling up. And then they complain when people stomp on their head. Or don't jump out of it when people pick them up. This is a game with very basic controls. How do you not know that stuff? It makes the multiplayer MUCH more manageable with four players... but then it wouldn't be as funny, probably. Although Vinny will always be Vinny, so I'm sure it would still be funny.

EDIT 3: Dammit Brad, stop being so Brad! Brad: "They don't have any Penguin suits in this game"... Patrick: "But you didn't play any ice levels"... Brad: "...That's true. But it would be crazy for them to make a suit just for one world". EXCEPT THE PENGUIN SUIT IS MADE FOR ICE LEVELS! So you can slide on the ****ing ice! And shoot freeze balls! What the hell are you going to do with a Penguin suit in a Lava World, Brad!?!

I haven't played this specific New Super Mario game yet, but that's how it worked in New Super Mario Wii. It's called good, varied game design dude. Introducing concepts for those levels, and moving on to new, completely different concepts for the next world. And the next. And not recycling things until it gets monotonous. NOTHING ABOUT THAT IS CRAZY. You can be the worst game journalist in the country when you do stuff like that, Brad. SO FRUSTRATING!!!

@outerabiz said:

You guys are missing out if you aren't using transcribed subtitles on youtube.

it's perfect.

bwahaahahaha

@Vinny I'm at the corner of Wabash & Lake.

@vinsanityv22 said:

Not looking forward to this. I suspect it'll be more of Patrick complaining about how "chaotic" New Super Mario Bros.' multiplayer is... if you have no idea you can manually "Bubble Up" by pressing the A button any time. Which is just annoying. Also, more of everyone else talking about how it's still fun, but super un-ambitious and very similar to the other New Super Mario games, which at least is a valid complaint.

Still, gonna watch. Here's hoping I'm wrong. *crossing fingers*

EDIT: Oh yeah! And more of the obligatory commercial for that shitty Vita Call of Duty game that Sony desperately hopes will move hardware off of shelves! Seems to be in front of every video on Giantbomb these days...

EDIT 2: Okay, that wasn't that bad. I appreciate Patrick and Brad not complaining about the mulitplayer too much;) Although it still irks me that Ryan seems to be the best player, and Jeff is pretty knowledgeable about it, yet neither of those guys seem to know about bubbling up. And then they complain when people stomp on their head. Or don't jump out of it when people pick them up. This is a game with very basic controls. How do you not know that stuff? It makes the multiplayer MUCH more manageable with four players... but then it wouldn't be as funny, probably. Although Vinny will always be Vinny, so I'm sure it would still be funny.

EDIT 3: Dammit Brad, stop being so Brad! Brad: "They don't have any Penguin suits in this game"... Patrick: "But you didn't play any ice levels"... Brad: "...That's true. But it would be crazy for them to make a suit just for one world". EXCEPT THE PENGUIN SUIT IS MADE FOR ICE LEVELS! So you can slide on the ****ing ice! And shoot freeze balls! What the hell are you going to do with a Penguin suit in a Lava World, Brad!?!

I haven't played this specific New Super Mario game yet, but that's how it worked in New Super Mario Wii. It's called good, varied game design dude. Introducing concepts for those levels, and moving on to new, completely different concepts for the next world. And the next. And not recycling things until it gets monotonous. NOTHING ABOUT THAT IS CRAZY. You can be the worst game journalist in the country when you do stuff like that, Brad. SO FRUSTRATING!!!

lol wut

That cloud is all, "d'aaaaaaah!"

I’m disappointed this game doesn’t seem to have as much of the Mario World vibe as it seemed from some of the screenshots, it looks as horribly generic as the past few. I’m sure the gameplay is still fine, but I’m really done with these 2D Mario’s, at least until they come up with a more appealing style.

I also can’t really understand why the co-op atmosphere seems to be so competitive and hostile. With four people, it’s a complete mess and almost impossible to play. I think a co-op mode similar to Rayman Origins would be better suited, where everything is a bit more slower paced and.. you know, actually co-operative?

Patrick "Oh so there are new mechanics in this game"

Three Ups have been in Mario since at least Mario World. That game is as old as me and even I know that.

HEY GB, STOP RAGGING ON BRAD SO MUCH. you're all drinking a little too much of Patrick's kool-aid.

#TEAMBRAD you dicks.

@ThePantheon: If you're implying that Patrick and Brad don't like each other, you have played right into their trap.

people being pretty mean to brad.

if you want to tell someone to fuck off or be dismissive of them you had better have some delicate comedy timing or you just come off as extremely rude.

Looked like they were actually having a lot of fun.

This is a great quicklook, and anyone who doesn't recognize the value of this software has their gaming priorities oddly skewed. I'd say it's 4/5 game minimum

3UP!? this has revolutionized Mario and changed video games forever!

Mayhem! Hilarious mayhem!

This multiplayer seems like it'd be a lot of fun if people were co-operating. But... they're not good at that.

Glad a lot of people like this sort of multiplayer. Personally it just seems like a sure-fire method of raising my blood pressure.

Can't get enough of the Wah Wah

5 mins in so far... The full crew has been giving Brad shit for about 4.5 of those minutes.

I love this site.

I am here to complain about the music in this game.
 
Yes, really. Because it baffles me. I understand the idea of having a hook throughout your soundtrack. I understand thematic consistency. I understand wanting to make your game whimsical and playful. But why oh why would you be so eager to make your players notice that you used the exact same sample in every single song in the entire game by punctuating it with dancing characters and bouncing background elements every time it happens? It's as if they wanted the bah bah to be the lead instrument in any given track by making it so prominent, but hey, guess what, if you use the same instrument for the same role in every song in the game, you're doing a pretty damn poor job composing your music!
 
Okay, underground music, prime example. In the original Super Mario Bros. the underground music was this... ominously empty contrast from the other themes. No beat, barely a melody, just this seemingly off-rhythm string of notes (actually playing in sixths or thirds or whatever anyone with actual music knowledge would call it) contrasted with rich amounts of complete silence. Eerie.  Super Mario Bros. 3 mixed it up. Instead of staying true to the eerie mood from the first game, they brought it down to a more comprehensible 4/4 tempo and added those sick rock drums. It feels "harder" than most other tracks in the game, so it still fits the dark, hazardous cave theme and definitely stands out from the other happy, bouncy tunes. Many other games have used different variations on the same song, but they always seem to find a way to make the underground music sound vastly different from the overworld themes, primarily by using completely different sound palettes to evoke a stark contrast in mood.
 
And then this game shows up and what's the first damn thing you hear when you end up underground?
 
BAH!
 
And there's always some stupid enemy around to somehow punctuate those bahs so you know that you're still listening to the exact same thing as before, no matter how hard the rest of the song may try to make you feel like you're in a different place.
 
Yeah, I'm making a huge fuss about nothing. It's not the end of the world. It barely even upsets me. But I am seriously baffled by the decision to intentionally make your game sound more monotone than it has to, and emphasize that fact with visual cues as well, and when I feel a rant coming on, it's foolish to try to stop it...
 
Edit: Actually, I'm not being entirely fair. I suppose it's somewhat okay for a game or two to have a novelty like that and keep it constant throughout the game. I think the thing that's really bothering me is that they've done it, what, four times now? Five? And not only does every game sound the same within itself, it sounds the same as the one before it, too! The thing that really set me off this time is the stupid, stupid animations that draw my attention to the fact that it still sounds the same. That's the baffling part.

It's a shame Nintendo STILL doesn't value online. Though I haven't heard too many positives about the multiplayer in this game. So maybe it's no huge loss.

It's definitely going to be interesting what Nintendo comes up with in the 3d space for a Mario platformer, it's clear they are treating NSB as an "easy" way to launch a platform.

The art and assets in this game look really great.

This actually looks like a ton of fun with a few people.

When Nintendo first started doing this retro-redux I was excited, the remakes of the Mario classics for the handheld systems were well done, and fun to play (replay). However, once Nintendo started making new versions with the 2d look, and new controls they lost me.

Sidebar: I don't get the slippery controls, they feel way too loose for me, just don't work. The classic control, with added abilities would have been fine, but this slipperiness kills it for me, and no matter which system its on if those controls are kept I cannot find enjoyment in playing these new 2d Mario games. I am surprised that there wasn't/isn't more of a backlash to not having regular style of control where Mario can walk or run, like in every other 2d Mario game. Anyways I regress.

To have a new system, and the first Nintendo HD system launch without a 3D Mario game is, in itself, ludicrous. Anything other than attempting to make the next Mario Galaxy (or Mario 64) is a weak showing. The only way I would buy another Nintendo console would be something that is as important and influential as those 3D Mario games previously mentioned. Anyways this Mario U game is quite disappointing, and luckily enough for me Scribblenauts is coming to PC. They have beat the proverbial 2d Mario retroness to death, its done, let it go... Please. My point being is that people look back at Mario 1-4, Mario 64, Mario Galaxy 1-2, as defining games of the console/generation, yet who is really going to look back at or even remember Mario U?

Sidebar 2: Also how can't there be any actual flying power-up? Plus, whats the deal with including Yoshi, but not really including Yoshi... Seems there are some odd design choices being made, and Nintendo has really beenhalf-assing it lately with these 2d Mario games. Think Nintendo could have spent a little more time polishing this bad boy up and giving us something more than just another 2d Mario game.

Give em the big time stick

The next Generation has just begun and Nintendo is already trying to nickel and dime people. The fact that you can't use the game pad to control characters in multi-player is just Nintendo's way of getting people to buy more Wii remotes. Nintendo will also squander any potential the new technology has in favor of cheap gimmicks. Touching a screen to make blocks in a 2D Mario game for example. Not cool Nintendo.

@Chavtheworld said:

Patrick "Oh so there are new mechanics in this game"

Three Ups have been in Mario since at least Mario World. That game is as old as me and even I know that.

He was being sarcastic.

@unholyone123 said:

@Chavtheworld said:

Patrick "Oh so there are new mechanics in this game"

Three Ups have been in Mario since at least Mario World. That game is as old as me and even I know that.

He was being sarcastic.

Suuuuure

Who is this McAfee person they keep mentioning?

*Penguin suit on the screen for the level select for a solid two seconds*

Brad: "I would be highly surprised if there is a penguin suit in this game."

lol, always a Doubting Bradley. That should be a meme.

@Chavtheworld said:

Patrick "Oh so there are new mechanics in this game"

Three Ups have been in Mario since at least Mario World. That game is as old as me and even I know that.

Based on his inflection I'm pretty sure Patrick was being sarcastic, which is why Jeff laughed.

@TPoppaPuff said:

*Penguin suit on the screen for the level select for a solid two seconds*

Brad: "I would be highly surprised if there is a penguin suit in this game."

lol, always a Doubting Bradley. That should be a meme.

@Chavtheworld said:

Patrick "Oh so there are new mechanics in this game"

Three Ups have been in Mario since at least Mario World. That game is as old as me and even I know that.

Based on his inflection I'm pretty sure Patrick was being sarcastic, which is why Jeff laughed.

Is everyone else listening to a different part of the video to me? I thought he sounded like he meant it, plus no-one reacted at all which is why I found it odd.

@Chavtheworld said:

@TPoppaPuff said:

*Penguin suit on the screen for the level select for a solid two seconds*

Brad: "I would be highly surprised if there is a penguin suit in this game."

lol, always a Doubting Bradley. That should be a meme.

@Chavtheworld said:

Patrick "Oh so there are new mechanics in this game"

Three Ups have been in Mario since at least Mario World. That game is as old as me and even I know that.

Based on his inflection I'm pretty sure Patrick was being sarcastic, which is why Jeff laughed.

Is everyone else listening to a different part of the video to me? I thought he sounded like he meant it, plus no-one reacted at all which is why I found it odd.

New Old New Super Mario Bros.... meh.

Worried Brad reviewed this when he seems to be pretty clueless about some of the game's basic feature-set.

Does anyone else think that the chaos of the multiplayer is Super Smash Bros infecting into Mario?

I got bored of this game almost immediately. I love me some Mario, but this is so similar to the last New Super Mario titles that it just got old FAST.

Same ol', same ol'. Yawn.

@fantomspower: that 'P' acorn Brad wastes is totally the flying powerup.

kinda weird how much GB and others have bashed on this game, but watching them when they just sit down and play it they seem to have a real blast with it. i have to say there seems to be something really subversively fun about these games, tired retreads though they may be.

also love how brad seems to forget at times to make platforms for them, and when he does it invariably leads to everyone's demise. :D