10/10

                                    Friends, family, loved ones.  Gather round. Mario has reclaimed his throne. He has returned in what I must call one of the greatest 2D platformers of all time. Gone are the 3D landscapes.  We have gone back to the glory days of Mario. To the dawn of games. New Super Mario Bros. Wii is one of the best games ever. Where do I begin? Lets start with the story. It’s the same as usual. Mario and Luigi must yet again rescue Princess Daisy from the hands of Bower’s children. I know the plot sounds like that of Super Mario World, but that’s where the genius of the game comes in. This Mario combines all previous Mario’s into one game and then makes it work. This game is truly a Mario fan’s dream come true. The usual array of power ups make their return (alas no cape, leaf, toad, or mega mushroom in this game though) along with three new power ups. The first is a helicopter suit that allows you to fly like one and descend slowly. The second is a penguin suit that allows you to slide on your belly across surfaces, traverse water with eases, and shoot snowballs, which allow you to freeze your enemies. The last is a ice flower that lets you shoot snowballs as well. Now when you enemy is frozen, you can pick them up and throw them at other enemies. That’s not the only thing you can do. You can also pick up another player and carry them throughout the level. This action is better put to work when the people who are playing the game work together, for it is needed to reach hidden coins and paths in each level. But that is another addition that this game adds on. Rather then take turns playing, the game is fully co-op with up to four players. This adds a frantic but fun spin on things as you all make your way through the game trying to save the princess. The levels are an array of nostalgia, from the sand level from Super Mario Bros. 3, the original first level, even the Boo House in each level, this game will have veteran players of the original reminiscing about the first time the beat Bowser or when they found the hidden 1-up on the first level. But that’s not the only thing that made a return. Yoshi is also included in the game in some levels. Only downside of this is once a level is complete, you lose Yoshi at the beginning of the next. Now, on to the boss’s. This game really sticks in the vein of Super Mario World by bringing back the eight castles in each world, heck the even bring back the Koopa Airship. Each castle has a different boss to face and is just as challenging as the next and no two boss fights are the same. Some play like they did in the original Super Mario World, others have a twist, like the entire stage being filled with water or having to run from a Giant Chain Chomp. This entire game is crammed with classic memories and chuck full of new ones. At the end of the day, this is probably one of the best Wii games to date, no matter how you look at it. This game is absolute gaming perfection.

PROS

1. This game is truly a gamers dream. This game is not to be taken lightly with its increasingly difficult levels. Only true veterans will be able to conquer this one.
2. The addition of co-op makes a huge difference. That and the bubble and carrying feature. Don’t think you can make it through one part of the level but your partner can? Hit the a button and a protective bubble forms around you and keeps you safe while you partner does traverses through the harder part. Also a great way to take a break without having to pause the game.
3. The final level and boss fight is a true test of platforming skills and gaming expertise. Just remember to duck when you can.

CONS

1. Co-op at times can be a bit hectic, especially with four people playing at once. You all must stay on the same screen or you’ll wind up killing your team mates (if you haven’t guessed, there was a lot of team killing during some gaming sessions.)
2. The difficulty of the game is not that for children. This game was crafted specifically for hardcore platformer fans. Especially the later levels. Not recommended for most children, they will break their Wii.
3. The fact the mega mushroom (allows you to turn into a giant and crush everything in your path) and the cape were not included really irks me.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 13th, 2010 at 1:16 pm and is filed under Game Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.