New Super Mario Bros Wii. (Wii) Review

 (Originally posted on May, 2014)

(Wii, 2009)

I briefly played this with a couple of friends right after its release, surprised at how hectic the multiplayer was. A couple years back, I purchased my own copy, having a great time, but rushing to the end without experiencing everything. Being increasingly eager to acquire a Wii U for the plumber’s latest offerings, I first wanted to give this “old” game a more thorough run.

Even though I’m not a huge fan of the DS (NSMB) and 3DS (NSMB2) entries to the New Super Mario Brothers series, Nintendo produced a legit great 2D Mario in their Wii version. I easily got the vibe that the developers have a huge respect for Super Mario Brothers 3 and World, as they liberally borrowed from what made both of those games so great. Besides bringing back old, proven ideas, the power of the Wii allows for a more intense 2D Mario that brings some new things to the table.

-        Super Mario World introduced the rotating/scaling platform, seen only in a couple of boss fights, then got expanded upon in NSMB for DS. Working with their most powerful hardware at the time, Nintendo takes their ideas even further.

-        Some stages include an unprecedented amount of enemies for a Mario game. So many bullet bills might shoot through the air that the game feels like a “shmup”. Other stages require calculating how the enemies will interact with each other, the environment and what that means for Mario’s safe traversal.

-        Nintendo’s limited experiments with spot-lighting in Super Mario World are now fully realized, resulting in some tense moments. Instances when the screen zooms out give the gameplay an even grander feel.

-        Concealing items and secret pipes, clouds and fog are ready to be blown away by Mario’s twist jump. But, you’ll often first have to deal with some tricky enemy placement.

-        Among several new power-ups, the propeller suit is far less game breaking than the leaf or cape and is wonderfully engaging in its controls.

In terms of level design, the quality is generally up there with the best that the series has to offer. Big highlights included: Dealing with the novel sand geysers in 2-1. 6-6’s brilliant balance in simultaneously staying close to a light source, dodging fireballs and navigating around enemies which are difficult to attack. The precision and ability to deal with non-stop pressure required in order to master 7-6. The beautiful creepiness found within 8-4’s dark waters and strange creatures. Taking a nod from the Special Zone in SMW, NSMB Wii’s bonus world also features some very experimental level design.

Within each level, 3 star coins are waiting to be collected, which goes towards unlocking secret levels. Rather than adding bloat to the game, their careful placement most often rewards an act of high skill or clever observation by the player. Only resorting to looking up their location a handful of times, I was surprised to enjoy the legit depth and challenge brought on by the inclusion of the star coins. Just for the heck of it, I even managed to get all of them in the bonus world, although it was not easy at all. I’ve yelled at plenty of games, but mastering NSMBWii managed to bring out the more serious SNARL. The overall difficult can be pretty tough, especially when seeking out dragon coins, but one-ups are everywhere to be found.

I wonder if the designer for the “Mojo” cover (released months later) was a fan of the game?

Heavily inspired by Super Mario Brothers 3, each world is given its own theme and filled with things to do in-between stages. Minigames and enemy challenges are back and more varied than ever. Even the air ship makes a return! Not only is the Toad House present, but you’ll get to search for Toad himself in various stages, as he’s become the latest victim of the Koopa Troop’s kidnappings. First introduced in Super Mario World, Yoshi returns to accompany Mario, but more as a rare special treat than an easily obtained power-up.

The low point of the game would have to be the uninteresting, pre-rendered sprites which make up the world and its inhabitants. Other than some very subtle 3D movement in the background, I rarely felt drawn in by the world. The soundtrack is mostly recycled from the DS game and is largely unmemorable (save for the bonus world’s incredible theme). Shaking the wii-mote is required for the spin jump, but one must be careful not to accidentally trigger it during a tense, crucial moment. Tilting it also controls several types of moving platforms, an act which is highly distracting and not particularly fun.

Although lacking the sense of impact and especially charm of past 2D Marios, the game is rarely no less fun. Heavily touted for being the first simultaneous multiplayer Mario, the single player mode offers a more interesting experience than mere images would suggest. Wrapped up in top quality level design and added depth from the star coins which rarely bloat the experience, this is a must play for any Mario fan.