Someone forgot to put the new in my NSMB.
What is painfully evident to anyone who has grown up playing over and over again all the previous Super Mario Bros. games is that the "new" in New Super Mario Bros. is not for us: the classic, well-played fan. For us, the "new" is to stand for "new adventure." This game was developed for a new generation of side-scrolling players, starting from the youngest players and going up from there.
The game starts out as most Mario titles in general do: the Princess has been kidnapped by some Koopa/Bowser-related baddie and now Mario must rescue her. Each world is made of a bunch of levels you can pick from the main map, ala Super Mario Bros. 3 and World, while aesthetically drawing from the game boards in Mario Party. Each world has a mid-boss and final boss, Bowser Jr. and Bowser, respectively. There are Toad Houses you can unlock for a 1UP or powerup boost. All pretty standard Mario fair, right? On the surface, yes.
Nothing is more surface level than the graphics, and they are the first thing that will grab you. The bright, 3D-rendered graphics used are flat-out awesome. 3D-rendering gives the game the feel that the certain parts of the level and the characters are almost sticking out of the screen, something the wonderful use of shading and perception can be thanked for. Everything is excellently animated, from Mario's arms flailing at different speeds depending on how fast he is running to wings flapping on a Koopa Troopa. There are even some nice particle effects, such as the burning ashes falling in World 8. It is really a game you have to see in action to truly appreciate.
To go along with the graphics, the sound effects and music enjoy the same excellent touch. The music mixes in new renditions of classic Super Mario Bros. themes along with some toe-tapping new ones. The sound effects follow the same formula, mixing in classic staples like bricking breaking and coins tinging along with some great new sounds like the death cry of the Piranha plants.
After the initial enjoyment of the presentation begins to wear off and the actual gameplay comes into your mind's view does the game begin to show its true nature of being a building block for the next, albeit younger, generation. None of the Super Mario Bros. titles has ever been a demanding game in the challenge department, but this game is obscenely easy. The game sets you up so that you would have to work extremely hard to receive a "Game Over" screen. Not only are 1ups plentiful, no thanks to the 1up Toad Houses, but mushrooms and fireflowers seem to come every few screens. It's the feel good game of the summer because there is no real way to lose!
Despite its complete lack of challenge (and disappointing new powerups), is a blast to play. The great presentation, tight controls and condensed, though at times uninspired and/or rehashed levels, make for a smooth pick-up line that is hard to ignore. But the biggest crime is that one weekend of play and most of the game is beat. There are very few extra or secret levels to unlock, and once those are finished, that's it for single player. Thankfully though, Nintendo tries to make up for this with 26 touch screen mini-games (some new, some from Super Mario 64 DS) and a fun Super Mario Bros. style multiplayer.
If you are new to 2D Mario adventures or are more of a casual gamer, then this game is a wonderful addition to your gaming library and you can bump my overall grade up a point. For the old guard, it's great but just not "new."Read full review
