New Super Mario Bros. 2 was a good game, but I couldn't help feeling disappointed with it. The first New Super Mario Bros. felt like a breath of fresh air, a welcome return to the past in an age where such simplicity had been forgotten. The right bit of nostalgia at the right time can feel incredibly new.
The sequel was not that. Already following New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Super Mario 3D Land, it didn't feel old-school as much as it felt plain old. Still good, but wholly unambitious.
With the advent of New Super Mario Bros. U, I now know why it lacked adventure and inspiration. Nintendo had clearly already spent itself working on this little bit of greatness.
New Super Mario Bros. U (Wii U) Developer: Nintendo Publisher: Nintendo Release: November 18, 2012 MSRP: $59.99
New Super Mario Bros. U is, as you might expect, yet another sidescrolling romp through a variety of platform levels spread out across a colorful map of eclectic themed worlds. As usual, Princess Peach has gotten herself kidnapped by the forces of Bowser, and Mario must come to her aid. You know the deal by now. We joke about how much she gets kidnapped, but it's honestly gotten past the laughing point. Sort it out, Mushroom Kingdom. Sort it out.
This latest chapter in the Mario story doesn't go out of its way to contrive surface-level innovations like NSMB2 did, instead focusing on the kind of purity that made the series so appealing, while making sure to throw in just enough new toys to validate its existence. Chief among the fresh trinkets is the acorn power-up that transforms Mario into Flying Squirrel Mario, able to not only glide but gain a huge boost jump with a button press or shake of the GamePad. It's a subtle addition that blends features of old power-ups with a few unique twists, which sums up the game overall quite adequately.
Also joining the adventure are Baby Yoshis that can be carried for new powers. Unlocked in the world map, these plump curiosities follow the player through courses and are color coded according to their unique abilities. Pink Yoshis are inflated to gain high altitudes, Blue Yoshis spit bubbles that trap enemies and can be jumped on to cross gaps, while Yellow Yoshis generate light and radiate a large circular glow in order to push Boos back a little and give Mario some breathing room. Baby Yoshis will also eat any monster they come into contact with, and, more importantly, sing backing vocals to any course's music once held -- which is ludicrously adorable and brilliant for all the right reasons.
Crucially, NSMBU's level design is where it really stands strong. Intricately set out and featuring some really clever environments that play with conventional platform design, this Wii U launch title not only brings inspiration back to the series but challenge as well. Far more than in recent Mario games, quick reflexes and a solid knowledge of Mario's abilities are required to get through each course intact, not to mention discover the many hidden paths scattered throughout almost every environment.
From spooky forests to deadly mountains and even a course rendered with a lovely watercolor aesthetic, the variety and vibrancy is something more recent releases have sorely lacked. Multiple paths, allowing players to choose which world to visit, as well as courses, add to the feeling of discovery that has returned with welcome aplomb. Those looking to be challenged and surprised while still enjoying all the familiarity of the New Super Mario Bros. series will be more than satisfied with what Nintendo has to offer here.
Less-skilled players are once again catered to with a little condescending help in times of repeated failure. Die on a course enough times, and you can offer to have Luigi take over and play the level for you. Players can step into Luigi's shoes at any time and take over where the CPU left off, allowing them to pass a particularly tricky obstacle or even clear an entire course. While the hardcore players will be angry at the further "dumbing down" of videogames, the fact that you have to die quite a lot, not to mention how boring it is to watch Luigi slowly play through a stage, ensures that this feature is not something easily exploited. Skilled players will barely, if ever, even have this feature offered, so it should bother nobody and be accepted gratefully by those who may need it.
Though NSMBU is a return to liveliness, it still must be said that a lot of the freshness of the original concept is long gone, and the foundation upon which this new chapter is built happens to be nothing we've not seen before. The game is pure quality, through and through, but it's not the kind of breathtaking experience that once it was. Some of the sheen invariably comes off when such a simple idea as New Super Mario Bros. is repeated as many times as it has been, and while this is a vastly entertaining experience that does a lot of what New Super Mario Bros.2 didn't, the recent release of that latter game has unavoidably taken some the wind out of the sails of this one.
There are some moments where the pacing seems to drop off and the game settles into safe territory. Bosses are relatively uninspired and more or less retread old ground with maybe one or two little spins on the formula. A few levels also mine for nostalgia, but come off more like repetition, especially when it comes to the "snaking" stages and mid-world castles. Likewise, the game's worlds are quite traditional, from the usual mountains and deserts to ocean and sky-themed environments. The watercolor course mentioned earlier could have supported an entire world, but bold new themes are only ever explored in their own little levels, while the larger portions of the game are not quite so brave as to reinvent themselves.
Nevertheless, New Super Mario Bros. U is a largely brilliant return to greatness for a series that had been teetering on the edge of banality. It's helped that, for the first time, we get to see a Mario game built for HD viewing, and it is glorious. The endearing animations and gorgeous color scheme were made for modern televisions, to the point where one almost feels compelled to look back on the Wii's first-party library with sad regret. I was fine with the Wii while it lasted, but New Super Mario Bros. U will make it almost impossible to go back once it's been experienced in its new resolution.
Local multiplayer returns for this console installment, though thanks to the Wii U's limitations, only one GamePad can be used. This is exploited for a new co-op feature that has players controlling characters directly with Wii remotes, while the GamePad player can interact with the world itself to generate new platforms and deal with enemies. It's a unique little idea that can certainly alleviate the challenge for players, but at the same time I can't help but feel that the GamePad side of things is a little boring. When you play a Mario game, you want to play a Mario game, rather than feel relegated to a jumped-up cheerleader position.
As well as the main game, there is a Boost Rush and Coin Rush mode, playable solo or cooperatively. These challenge modes take previously cleared courses and have you trying to either clear them as quickly as possible or with as many coins as can be grabbed. While not worth the price of entry alone, they provide a neat little distraction for those who want some extra replay value.
New Super Mario Bros. U is perhaps not the best game to show off the Wii U's capabilities. It keeps things very familiar, to the point where the expected input method is actually an upturned Wii Remote (the game's start screen even says, "Press 2," despite the GamePad having no "2" button). However, a game like this is good to have early, as it demonstrates that, just because Wii U games have access to new features, that doesn't mean they need to be implemented just for the sake of it. NSMBU keeps it simple and elegant, while also revealing how the GamePad can be used as a theoretical handheld device.
GamePad players will not need to use the touchscreen for any extra features, instead getting a stream of the game exactly as it's represented on the television. It's more or less useless, yet it does show off the startling response time of the GamePad screen, and while the visuals are a lot more drab as opposed to the television presentation, the idea of being able to turn on the Wii U, start the game, and play without ever having to turn the TV on is a whimsical thing to experience, if only the once.
New Super Mario Bros. U is a great little platformer that kicks off the Wii U launch with a bang. Players know exactly what they're getting with this one -- an entertaining and incomplex bit of gaming that provides challenge and smirks in equal measure. While certainly a "safe" game to launch with, it is by no means unremarkable, and the only people who would fail to have fun are those with a fundamental aversion to Mario or platformers in general. Literally everybody else would find it incredibly difficult to dislike this one ... even if some of those latter stages will make them temporarily despise it.
Because nobody likes lava levels. Nobody.
THE VERDICT
8.5 /10
Great: Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding it back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash. Check out more reviews or the Destructoid score guide.
Some time ago, Jonathan Holmes reviewed BlayzBloo: Super Melee Brawlers Battle Royale. It was a pretty quaint release that was forgotten almost immediately.
But now, it looks like a full sequel is upon us, ready to grace the... more
An hour after taking the stage to unveil Disney Infinity, "Disney's most ambitious video game initiative ever" (a press release states), I sat down with Avalanche Studios chief creative officer John Blackburn to discuss where... more
Yes, finally! I've been waiting quite some time for the US re-release of Kirby's Star Stacker (3DS eShop), and now it's finally upon us.
As for everything else, it's not a whole lot this week. There's a free demo for Fire Emb... more
Want to know what's coming for your Wii U and/or 3DS? Nintendo has us covered with a list of first- and third-party releases for both systems as well as their respective eShop titles. Hell, they even threw in the kiddie DS ti... more
Nintendo has posted a new video for Fire Emblem: Awakening, and it's a great introduction for people who have never played the series before.
It goes over the basics like the general story, troop placement, and general tips ... more
It seems as the North American and European release date for the long-awaited Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is finally upon us: March 19th and 22nd respectively.
It'll launch in both 3DS and Wii U form (the latter of which is ca... more
According to a Nikkei report, Nintendo plans to merge its console and handheld divisions next month. On February 16, the company is prepared to bring 130 console engineers and 150 handheld engineers together under a single ro... more
In a recent interview, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata dove into some interesting topics, most notably the Miiverse and how it came about. Iwata also reiterates that the Wii U GamePad can transcend just a gaming audience with... more
If you could somehow combine the addictiveness of micro-transactions with the uncertainty of card packs, you'd probably make a lot of money. Disney is going to make a lot of money. Just a hunch.
In June, Disney Infinity, Aval... more
There's not a lot I remember about the rampant imagination of childhood, but most of the good memories came from the depths of my toy chest. Pitting Aliens against Transformers. Imagining Cloud Strife's sword slicing throu... more
Hey, Television! Check out Double Fine’s latest game for Xbox Live Arcade: Kinect Party. In fun-loving Double Fine fashion, it was released for free upon launch in mid-December until the New Year. For those of you who d...more
DmC: Devil May Cry is an insult. It insults the fans, who have loyally supported Capcom through thick and thin, and it insults the legacy of a most respected action series. Ninja Theory has spat upon one of the last pure name...more
The original Fire Pro Wrestling was a game specifically for the hardcore fans of pro wrestling. I'm not talking about the male soap-opera that is WWE, but a more brutal version such as some of the Japanese wrestling circuits ...more
Joe Danger was the definition of a perfect downloadable game. It was reasonable priced, it was tons of fun, and it was packed with content.
Naturally, since a lot of other people felt the same, a Special Edition version of th...more
The time has finally come. After numerous delays, and nearly a year of waiting after the Japanese release, Max Anarchy, known internationally as Anarchy Reigns, is finally here.
Conceptually, the game is basically a "Greatest...more
Imagine for a moment that you have the power to make videogames. OK, I guess you don't have to imagine. With tools like Unity, Game Maker, and Flash on the market readily available to anyone who puts their mind towards snaggi...more
Seduce Me is only on our radar because it was developed by folks who worked on the Triple-A Killzone franchise, and later denied a place on Steam's Greenlight project. We likely wouldn't have noticed it, much l...more
Maybe it's just me, but it seems that every once in a while there is a game that comes out that makes a statement about MMORPGs. That the best part of those games is the player-versus-player segments. In 2007, there was the "...more
The Sims series will always have expansion packs. It's part of the experience to slowly add more content to the game. Usually these packs add active content like new town locations, new interactions, or new career paths for y...more
I've just saved the planet, and I couldn't be less enthused about it. A New Beginning is a self-styled eco-thriller with a spot of time travel and science fiction thrown in for good measure. It launched in Europe a couple of ...more
It used to cost ridiculous amounts of money to record video from other sources, especially in HD. But these past few years companies like Hauppague, Pinnacle, AVerMedia and others have released affordable boxes that...more
A game that combines ideas from both Minecraft and Team Fortress 2 sounds like it would be a match made in heaven. The LEGO-style buildings and aesthetics combined with the multi-class gameplay should be right up my alley.
Ye...more
Capcom's treatment of the Mega Man franchise these past couple of years has been atrocious. When Street Fighter kicked off its 25th anniversary, Capcom clearly laid out its plans for the coming year, which included key softwa...more
Pirates and Vikings have a lot of things in common. Pillaging, raiding, exploration, and adventure -- these are their shared loves. One could be forgiven for assuming that they might even be able to get along, but that is mos...more
“How dare you? HOW DARE YOU! How dare you review a Lord of the Rings game without having every film box set in a display case! HOW DARE YOU review a MOBA without having been yelled at and debased by 12-year-olds for m...more
It’s not very often that I get a chance to review something bad. It’s even rarer for me to come across headphones that I just hate. Truth is, most things that you spend $50 or more on are pretty good. Mediocrity c...more
The Guild01 collection is a very special project that I'm glad we could be a part of. Although the last game in the set isn't slated for a release out of Japan, the mere fact that Level-5 decided to take a chance with any of ...more
Within my first thirty minutes of playing Black Knight Sword, I encountered a menu option called "cat head grass," a giant mother eye that eats hearts, and severed skulls in a microwave oven that serve as health power-ups.
Yep, this is definitely a Grasshopper Manufacture joint.more