Couch Lounger

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

I have to confess it’s been a long time since I so thoroughly enjoyed a video game. Thanks Dave for getting me a copy of the new Super Mario Bros. Wii this Christmas.

For those who haven’t tried it, the new Mario Bros. Wii is classic Mario at its best; 2D running, jumping and stomping without all the camera angles we’ve had to endure in the latest games. No pretentious storyline with long cut scenes, just eight worlds of side scrolling fun (nine, if you can find all the goodies). I honestly felt like I was playing through a game that was built from the best elements of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World.

Old Dog Has New Tricks

Of course, the game isn’t a total rehash of old concepts strictly for the sake of nostalgic older players. Mario has been around the block and picked up a few new moves since his last 2D adventure, and he brings those to the party this time around. After being introduced in Super Mario 64, triple jumps, stomping and wall jumping are nice additions to the traditional bag of tricks and really help to tie the title in with the franchise.

Even the supporting characters have brought their new skills to the table. Bowser, Mario’s arch nemesis bring his large size to the game – when we say large we don’t just mean to say he’s bigger than Mario; he is <em>gigantic</em>. When our good friend Yoshi is back we find he’s able to hover briefly in the air like in Smash Bros.

Forgiveness

Mario games have always been excellent for occasional players because they provide simple objectives – get to the end of the level – but the levels are filled with treasures and bonuses for more advanced players who wish to explore. Character death results in only temporary setbacks, meaning you can play at your own speed and discover all the game has to offer without being punished for your curiosity.

The game’s leniency toward mistakes also make it very accessible to novice players like my wife, who would not be able to get past the first world if she had to keep re-starting. I always know when she’s been playing because the ‘Continue Counter’ moves up into double and triple digits.

Play Together

The co-operative element has always distinguished Mario games. Nintendo understands that people want to play together, and has designed consoles that support 4 (sometimes more) players. Unfortunately, game developers don’t always include good multi player capabilities; for years, the best example of co-operative play I could point to was Jurassic Park 2 for the Super Nintendo – both players were on-screen at the same time and could co-ordinate their dinosaur-fighting efforts or slow each other down.

Most Mario games have allowed some form of two player mode. The original Mario Bros. (not Super Mario Bros.) let two players jump through the sewers together, either hurting or helping each other while squashing foes. Super Mario Bros was sometimes frustrating because it would let each player continue advancing through levels until they were killed. Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World were excellent because while players took turns, their turn ended when the timer ran out, when they died, or when they solved the level.

Mario Bros. Wii has become a family favourite. Being able to play 4 players on-screen simultaneously has been a joy and the source of many hilarious moments. Back to the idea of the game’s tolerance for death, if a player dies they are trapped in a bubble and rejoin play right away. When death is imminent, players may choose to put themselves into their protective bubble until the danger has passed.

Wii Remote

The Wii Remote’s motion capabilties often feel like they were only added to games as an after-thought by the developers. When Nintendo releases new Mario games, we rightfully expect them to make full use of their console’s capabilities. This was definitely the case for Super Mario Bros. Wii. Between shaking the remote in order to make Helicopter Mario take off into the air, and tilting the remote to control the back&forward motion of some platforms (while still controlling Mario himself using the D-Pad – tricky!), I felt like there were enough new controls to make things interestings, but not so much that the game became overwhelming.

Wrap-Up

As someone who would rank himself solidly within the ‘casual gamer’ camp, I have to say I was incredibly pleased with the New Super Mario Bros. Wii. It was familiar like an old friend, but filled with enough interesting twists to remain challenging.