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      Screens: New Super Mario Bros.

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Text Box: New Super Mario Bros. (DS)   If you have even a passing interest in Nintendo (and if you don’t, what are you visiting this site for?) you’re probably a huge fan of Mario, or have been at some point in your life. Mario is the most well-known and most popular gaming character/franchise of all time, and the titular character has starred in almost every known genre of games, from fighting to sports to RPGs. But when all is said and done, it is the 2D platformers that form the cornerstone of the Mario empire. With titles such as Super Mario Bros (SMB), Super Mario Bros 3 (SMB3) and Super Mario World (SMW) constantly being brought up in ‘best game ever’ discussions (as well as setting sales records in their heyday), it is clear that the key to Mario’s appeal is running left to right, jumping on Koopas (turtles for the uninitiated), powering up, going down pipes and finding cleverly hidden secrets.  So it’s no surprise that when 2D gaming experienced a mini-revival on the DS, Nintendo decided to cash in and give the fans what they’d wanted for years- a totally original 2D Mario game for the DS. It’s certainly been a long wait between Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros, but was it worth it?  The premise of the game is- hang on, I’ll bet you’re thinking you can skip this part of the review because you know what the premise is, right? After all, it’s a 2D Mario game, so Mario has to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser, right? Well, not quite. This time, Mario is rescuing Peach from… BABY Bowser! Yeah, it’s merely a cosmetic change, but if you’ve got a good thing going, why change now?  Speaking of change, the most significant change in this game is the graphics. Despite being a 2D game, the graphics are done in full 3D. You may notice a few character models being borrowed from Super Mario 64 DS, with the rest being 3D updates of old Mario staples. To go with these flashy new graphics, new music has been added. There are a few remakes of classic tunes, but most of the tunes are completely original, and they’re definitely not as good as the classics (still decent though). The game itself has a strange structure that blends many previous Mario games into one. It starts off with a simple SMB-style layout, where you play stages sequentially. However, these stages are represented on a world map, and eventually you’ll discover that there are hidden stages, secrets, and alternate paths to be unlocked, more reminiscent of SMW. Along with this, there are Toad Houses scattered across the map (where you can get bonus items) and Hammer Bros walking around, a la SMB3.  Funnily enough, the in-game action also appears to blend all the classics into one big tribute to Mario. Initially, the game appears to be based on the original SMB, with linear, left to right stages. After a while, it expands into stages more reminiscent of the later games- that is, bigger stages that allow for exploration. Mario also has new moves taken from his 3D outings, such as the Triple Jump, Ground Pound and Wall Kick, and some brand new power ups such as a Koopa Shell, a Tiny Mushroom, and a Giant Mushroom. The Giant Mushroom is sadly under-utilised, but the other two new items are really good additions to the gameplay.  The problem with all this mixing is that the game ends up not knowing what it wants to be. SMB was all about fast action, quick reflexes and thinking on the fly. SMW had a slower pace, with more emphasis on exploring. New Super Mario Bros is an awkward mix of the two- not fast enough to be like SMB, not enough exploration to be like SMW. This carries over to the map, which unlike SMB has branching paths but unlike SMW isn’t very big or complex. What this results in is a game that will be far too easy for all but the youngest or most inexperienced players. It’s not a bad game, it just doesn’t challenge the player often enough, and you almost feel like Nintendo are ‘holding back’ on you as you play.  Another downside is that some areas feel like they’re being re-used from older games, and it ends up feeling more like a ‘best of’ collection than a brand new game built from scratch. Coupled with the fact that it’s much too easy to get Fire Flowers, experienced Mario players will walk through this game with their eyes closed. Fortunately, there’s the option to go back and 100% the game by collecting all the Star Coins, which extends the life of the game a little bit.  Overall, New Super Mario Bros is a game that doesn’t seem to reach its potential. It’s got some great ideas and its fun to play, but once you’ve finished it you may feel cheated at how short and easy the whole thing was. Definitely give it a go, but if you’re looking for a real challenge, be wary.  By Mr_M  

Text Box:     Graphics: A+ No doubt about it- Mario looks superb in 3D!   Sound: A- Classic sound effects and some good tunes. More classic tunes would have been better though.   Gameplay: B+ Sublime controls and fun gameplay, but it’s all over too quickly and too easily. Some stages feel recycled or half-done.   Overall: B-   A fun game that would have benefited from being longer and/or more challenging. Try before you buy. What have you got to say? Say it in the forum, and get feedback direct from the reviewer!    
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