New Super Mario Bros. Wii Review: What’s Old Is New Again

Written by 2.o | November 24, 2009

New Super Mario Bros Wii

Every once in a while, there’s a game that comes a long that revolutionizes the video games landscape, and without a doubt, the original “Super Mario Bros.” is the best example of that, ever. It, single-handedly, pulled the video game industry out of the rut that it had dug itself into by the mid 1980s, and turned it into the thriving business that it is today. There’s something simple and amazing about that game that many have tried to replicate, but none have ever really been able to achieve. Now, almost twenty five years after the original hit the market alongside the NES, Nintendo has released a Mario’s first 2D console game in almost fifteen years, “New Super Mario Bros. Wii.” It’s a game that’s created in the same style as the original, but takes it to a whole new level for this generation of gamers.

There’s no denying that “SMB 3” and “Super Mario World” were great games, but, at this point, they are so far removed from people’s memories that when “New Super Mario Bros” was released for the DS was released it was like a breath of fresh air, even for those gamers that had been fans all along. “New Super Mario Bros Wii” builds on that momentum, and creates one of the best games for anyone who ever thought “Mario 64” was the wrong dimension for Mario to go in (of which I am one).

New Super Mario Bros Wii

The story may be a bit stale by this point, but everyone seems to love it: Princess Peach has, once again, been kidnapped by the evil king of the koopas, Bowser, and it is up to our friendly, neighborhood, plumber, Mario to save her. In order to do so, he must take down all of the Koopa Kids, as well as Bowser Jr. in the process. It sounds like a mighty task, but we all know Mario is up for the challenge, mostly since he keeps doing the same thing over and over, but at least this time he’s brought some friends along.

Since this is basically the same game that has been released for the last twenty-five years, Nintendo had to throw in a little something new (that isn’t just a power-up), so “NSMBW” brings co-op multiplayer to the franchise for the first time. Mario with multiplayer is literally an entirely new game; with three of your friends jumping around the screen with you at the same time, you’ll no longer be able to make those precision jumps, or grab all the coins for yourself. Instead, you’ll be carrying them across gaps, popping bubbles for them to come back to life, and getting “accidentally” pushed off ledges. I realize that may sound like a horrible time, but it’s actually a lot of fun being able to share a game like this that had been so single-minded for so long. It’s also nice because, as you play, you can tell that the game was built around this mechanic, and the multiplayer wasn’t just tacked on as an afterthought.

New Super Mario Bros Wii

The game itself consists of eight levels, tons of platforms, and a whole lot of side scrolling – it’s any fan’s dream come true. The controls are as tight as you remember, and the levels are just as challenging; the game won’t offer any experienced player too much of anything but a good time beating levels (I finished the game with 87 lives). However, for the less than experienced players out there, “New Super Mario Bros Wii” will help them understand just how frustrating games back in the ‘80s were.

It really goes without saying that a game like this is going to be treated with a lot of love and respect from the team working on it, since they have so many fans to keep happy. However, Nintendo went above and beyond with all the nostalgic touches in this game, that will be sure to make every fan remember their first 1-Up mushroom. The classic music is there, only it’s remixed and sounding amazing. The enemies are there, but now they dance at certain points in the music, which is bound to put a kink in your muscle memory. The power up sounds, the flag poles, the castles… virtually every aspect of this game comes off as the most polished 2D Mario game ever, without losing the feeling of a “Mario” game.

New Super Mario Bros Wii

Okay, I think I’m done gushing. For everything that’s great about this game, there are one or two things missing, and online multiplayer at the top of that list. While it is great to sit and play this game on the couch with someone else, at least having the option to have someone across the country join in would have been more than welcomed. Aside from that, maybe a couple more playable characters would have been nice, aside from Mario, Luigi, and the two Toads. Oh, and finally, I thought Yoshi went from level to level with you, instead of only appearing in like four levels throughout the whole game, and then waving goodbye at the end. While I’m not a huge Yoshi fan, this was a bit of a disappointment.

New Super Mario Bros Wii

“New Super Mario Bros. Wii” has been a long time coming, and it’s well worth the wait. Whether you’ve been jumping around as Mario for 25 years, or you’ve never picked up a controller, this game epitomizes what a lot of games today are missing: simplicity. “NSMBW” is easy for anyone to pick up and jump right into, so there’s no excuse for anyone that owns a Wii – everyone should play this game.

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