New Super Mario Bros. Review 248
- Title: New Super Mario Bros.
- Developer/Publisher: Nintendo
- System: DS
What follows from the typical 'stealing the princess' scene is pure Mario flavour. You move your little red and blue plumber from left to right, avoiding Goombas, Koopa Troopas, and the occasional pit. What makes this game a worthy successor and not a cheap cash-in is the title's endless attention to detail and novelty. 1-1, for example, is an almost picture perfect mirror of the very first level of the original Super Mario Bros.. A mirror, that is, until you get over the second hill, pop the question block, and release the giant mushroom. The rest of the level rushes past in a blur as giant Mario slams through enemies, pipes, and scenery, before reaching the flag at the end of the level. This melding of the old and the new allows NSMB to mostly rise above expectations on the friction of greatness. The core of this greatness involves time-worn game concepts that have been freshened up with some new thread and a lot of care.
These game concepts come from across the many Mario titles. The map that allows you to navigate the Worlds and their sublevels is lifted from Super Mario Bros. 3. There are alternate routes through the maps, encouraging exploration and experimentation, as in Super Mario World. The butt-stomp and wall-jump from Mario 64 are here as well, and seeing them executed well in a 2D environment is well worth the price of admission. The only game element that somewhat disappointed was the powerup department. While the mega mushroom is a fun novelty the first time around, it has a fairly limited usefulness. There's also a mini mushroom, which makes you very small; Perfect for long floaty jumps and getting into tight spaces, but not that much fun. There's also the Troopa suit, a turtle shell that effectively turns Mario into a Koopa Troopa. You can run, get up some speed, and slide in the shell through enemies, knocking them akimbo. These are fun elements, but compared to genius like the flying Tanooki suit or the invincible Kuribo Boot they seem somehow a little thin.
Mario's transformative costumes aside, the quality of design here demands exploration and concerted effort. Levels ramp up in difficulty as you move through the Worlds. Requirements for completion go from 'a carefree leap or two' to 'carefully planned trial and error assaults'. Enemy placement is always designed to challenge and occasionally frustrate, but never to provoke calls of 'cheap!' Each world has a theme, of course, with World 2 being a sandy desert and World 5 covered in snow and ice. Within the overall theme of the World, each level provides thoughtful variation. Their overworld map appearance gives hints of what they'll be like; levels located in pits on the map are the familiar subterranean levels, while those on the edge of the ocean tend to have aquatic elements. Some levels are special cases, such as the towers and castles that dot each world. The tower is a mid-level challenge, a chance to face Bowser Jr. (Princess Peach's jailer) and drive him further along the map. The castle is the penultimate showdown for the current World, and defeating Jr. there drives him on to the next World. Generally unlockable, there are *-A levels that are entirely aquatic (and filled with swarming fish). There are also Ghost Houses, as in Super Mario World, which pit you against the surreal surroundings of the Boos and their crews.The World map, then, is informative; It can also be frustrating. Scattered across the map are paths that are unreachable, tantalizing areas that beg to be unlocked. Some, like the powerup mushroom houses, are simply blocked from the main path. These can be unlocked with the large coins you find hidden in every level. Entire levels, though, are secreted off branching parts of the World's path. These require you to exit a particular level via an alternate route in order to open up that part of the path. The flag at the end of each level may, indeed, not be the way out you want. These secret routes lead to hidden levels, warp pipes that allow you to skip around within a World, cannons that blast you across the sky to land in other Worlds, and in two cases even allow you access to Worlds that would be otherwise inaccessible. This exploration element is as entertaining as it is addicting; Wondering just how you get from point A to point B will have you puzzling over the World map for many minutes.
Those minutes will pass by quickly, though, with your eyes resting easy on the beauty that is New Super Mario Bros. The DS has come into its own in the last year, with titles like Metroid Hunters proving the surprising power of Nintendo's two-screened beast. NSMB doesn't push the console the way Metroid did, but the game's graphical presentation is just as rock solid. The 3D elements that are incorporated into the 2D maps make the game pop out at you, as Mario and the various enemies shuffle and run through the colorful environments. The big smiles, though, are likely to come from the little touches. As mini-Mario, you can run across the surface of water, with splashes kicked up by the tiny plumber's pumping feet. In World 5 packed snow hanging on background tree branches is shaken loose as you pass, trapping you for a moment under a mound of wintery goodness. The environments are interactive and imaginative, and scored in the same style as all of the classic Mario titles. In order to avoid burnout by including endlessly familiar tunes and sound effects, there's a good deal of differentiation from the older titles musically. Just the same, you'll recognize where they're coming from with the underground theme, the noise when Mario loses a powerup, the particular blip as a Goomba is flattened, and the frustratingly familiar musical sting when you fall into a pit. These variations put you in the right state of mind, but don't come out of the box already old or annoying.
This preoccupation with recreating the familiar in a fresh way is, ultimately, why New Super Mario Bros. succeeds. The tight control of a leap atop a wandering Goomba is a gaming moment that, while certainly not new, never fails to be somehow special. NSMB taps directly into this with level design, musical scoring and sound effects that harken back to the best days of the NES and SNES. Even while the game looks backwards, it keeps its feet firmly in the now. The game looks terrific, is a challenge for a gamer of any skill level, and offers plenty of exploration elements to keep your mind active. There are even some WiFi multiplayer elements borrowed from the DS port of Mario 64, to keep you and a friend company on long trips. Some may look on this title as falling short of greatness. I see New Super Mario Bros. as competently meeting the expectations of our gaming heritage. Some games last a few hours, and some last a lifetime; This game was already a classic by the time I'd slotted it into my DS. NSMB belongs on the shelf alongside God of War or Half-Life 2, part of a stack I'll be carrying with me for a good, long time.
Why not the game cube? (Score:5, Insightful)
I prefer my gaming on screens larger than 4".
Re:Why not the game cube? (Score:2, Flamebait)
Especially when - from the screen shots anyway - half of that 4" is taken up by stats.
Re:Why not the game cube? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Why not the game cube? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Why not the game cube? (Score:5, Funny)
* buries head in shame *
duh...
Re:Why not the game cube? (Score:5, Funny)
The Koopa Troopa will be there to escort yuu shortly to the Mushroom Kingdom for further questioning [and brainwashing]. Wii feverishly await yuur arrival.
Re:Why not the game cube? (Score:5, Informative)
check it: http://cube.ign.com/articles/708/708018p1.html [ign.com]
Re:Why not the game cube? (Score:2)
omgomgomgomg (Score:4, Funny)
There are MATH SYMBOLS in the CLOUDS!!!
*gleeeee*
Re:omgomgomgomg (Score:4, Interesting)
Better than that - equations. My personal favorites are "heart square equals the sum of all mushrooms" and "fireflower is greater than or equal to square divided by warp pipe."
There's some fundamental truth there, I tell you.
Re:Why not the game cube? (Score:3, Funny)
Screw the console, I want a full-sizer to put next to my original SMB.
You should see my 2 year old go to town on that thing.
"I be Mawio, then I JUMP on da totle.. and then.. I go down undagwond and then.. I get to da fowest"
Yes, my 2 year old can reach 1-3.
Flaimbait??? Somebody slap that mod... (Score:3)
Somebody mod this back up, please.
SMB Allstars + zsnes? (Score:2)
Re:Why not the game cube? (Score:2)
So Say We All!
There's some fantastic games coming out for the DS, but I'm not going to be able to enjoy them on such a tiny screen. Ditto for the PSP.
If only developers had the balls to port some of these gems to the TV, the entire industry would be in better shape. Alas, they seem to have a mental block in that regard.
Sheer Frustration, how fun. (Score:5, Interesting)
The graphics are great and the 2-screen goodness with the 'stacking' of power ups for later use is a very nice touch. I'm very happy with my DS and have bought quite a few titles I'd never thought I'd get with it.
Re:Sheer Frustration, how fun. (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, "Time Travel Paradox Mario" was uber hard. Way harder than "The Lost Levels."
Re:Sheer Frustration, how fun. (Score:4, Funny)
My Review (Score:5, Informative)
Also, the Blue Shell powerup (it allows you to dash to curl into a shell and knock enemies while speeding through the level) will be featured in Super Smash Bros Brawl, and it fits so perfectly I can't help but think it was planned.
Re:My Review (Score:2)
That sounds awfully Sonic to me..
Re:My Review (Score:2)
Ultimately, what that means is that it's really more of a "challenge" powerup rather than simply a speed powerup. You can't control the length of your j
Re:My Review (Score:3, Informative)
Honestly, I did get it, and while the game is very good it pales in comparison to Super Mario World. It pales even more to perhaps the best platformer ever made: Yoshi's Island. The control is a bit loose (more "SMB-ish" than "SMB 3-ish") and the game is over all too quickly. With dedication you can beat Super Mario World in one sitting. With light effort you can do the same with New Super
Dubious (Score:2)
Modern 2D Games (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Modern 2D Games (Score:3, Interesting)
one of the best 2-d games ever came out for playstation -- Castlevania, Symphony of the night. I swear, this is one of the best games ever made.
And it gets better. There are currently 3 games for the gameboy advance (cirlce of the moon, harmony of dissonance, and aria of sorrow) that follow the same gaming formulae and 1 game for the DS (Dawn of sorrow). ALso there is another game comming out for the DS.
So, there are now 5 total games out that have excellent 2-d gameplay with a sixth on the way. If
Castlevania overrated (Score:3, Interesting)
I had one of those Castlevania games ("Harmony of Dissonance", I think?), and while it was kinda fun to play through once, it didn't have any lasting appeal. I think it was too easy, really. In addition, the subscreen interfaces, while adequate, were a little rough. It could have used a tad more polish.
For me, beating it was mostly a question of time, not skill. I put in my time, beat it, then put it away. After a few months I sold it, knowing that I'd never want to go back to it.
Re:Modern 2D Games (Score:2)
Metal Slug is on the GBA (Score:2)
Re:Modern 2D Games (Score:2)
Re:Modern 2D Games (Score:2)
That said, the Xbox version has a bug where not only does it not use 480p resolution, but it'll actually send 480i to the TV even if your Xbox is set not to use 480i for anything. For the majority of TVs, this isn't an issue; they can accept 480i no problem through the same input they accept 480p. For my Zenith, however, it makes the game unplayable... my Zenith *only* accepts HDTV resolutions in the HDTV input and 480i appears as gibberish.
Re:Modern 2D Games (Score:2)
Re:Modern 2D Games (Score:2)
I don't know, maybe game producers think the market for 2D games is sufficiently small that it's enough to release emulators running the old 2D classics? I don't know. All three of the above are "m
Re:Modern 2D Games (Score:3, Insightful)
Nowadays most 2D action games are on the GBA/DS, or made by indie developers. It's a shame, but people have to remember that there was nothing pristine or magical about the 2D format.
Re:Modern 2D Games (Score:2)
Uhh, the GP said nothing of the sort. He rightly pointed out that ignoring the 2D format entirely, as has happened in recent history, is silly, since you cut out an entire genre of games that don't convert well to 3D format (Tetris being an obvious example).
Re:Modern 2D Games (Score:5, Interesting)
There are 2D games (Score:2)
There are a few 2D PS2 games, or at least 2D-style games, that are worth checking out. Of course, you will not see these getting 9.0+ reviews for the most part, and you will see people whining about how hard they are. Because they're oldschool, 2D games, and they are hard.
Some of these may push the limits slightly of a 2D game... Disgaea lets you spin the battlefie
Re:Modern 2D Games (Score:2)
Re:Modern 2D Games (Score:2)
Re:Modern 2D Games (Score:2)
I'm waiting for... (Score:5, Funny)
Really Cool Game... (Score:5, Interesting)
It was so much nicer to open up a mushroom house and grab an item that I could use whenever I wanted.
Speaking as a Goomba... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Speaking as a Goomba... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Speaking as a Goomba... (Score:2)
Re:Speaking as a Goomba... (Score:2)
He did say "speaking"... maybe he's using speech-to-text?
Re:Speaking as a Goomba... (Score:3, Interesting)
Anyone remember the original Super Mario Bros. manual? Pipes were flowerpots, and coin blocks and other hidden items were actually Mushroom Kingdom citizens turned into stationary objects by Koopa's magic who give Mario powers as reward for freeing them. Goombas were corrupt Mushroom Kingdom rebels.
Oh my god, I'm an encyclopedia of Super Mario Bros. lore.
Re:Speaking as a Goomba... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Speaking as a Goomba... (Score:2)
Welcome (Score:5, Informative)
PS: If anyone hasn't seen the flash videos yet over at mario.nintendo.com [nintendo.com], they are awesome!
Flash 8 required. (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Flash 8 required. (Score:3, Interesting)
Comment removed (Score:3, Funny)
We have to start recycling nostalgia! (Score:4, Funny)
Shamelessly ripping off a nostalgic old "The Onion" article.
Re:We have to start recycling nostalgia! (Score:5, Funny)
Ah, yes... I remember that article. Feels like I just read it yesterday.
Re:We have to start recycling nostalgia! (Score:2)
I remember reading about people reminiscing about that article. Seems like it was just a few minutes ago.
what, AGAIN?!? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:what, AGAIN?!? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:what, AGAIN?!? (Score:2)
Re:what, AGAIN?!? (Score:2)
That might be a good idea for the next SMB sequel, Princess Peach gets kidnapped and joins the Koopanese Liberation Army, executing bank robberies, terrorist attacks, and targetted assasinations, while the media circus surrouding the situation speculates on the nature of her involvement with the KBA.
Who's with me on this one?
Re:what, AGAIN?!? (Score:2)
Mega and Mini Mario (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Mega and Mini Mario (Score:2)
Nitpicky question (Score:2)
Re:Nitpicky question (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Nitpicky question (Score:5, Informative)
As for the review, the "*-A" comment is patently wrong. "A" doesn't mean "Aquatic", but rather that it's just the first secret stage of the level. All of the purely secret stages have letter names rather than number ones, so level 3-A, 3-B, etc. Off the top of my head, I KNOW 7-A is NOT aquatic in any respect. Judging by the screenshots, Zonk didn't go past World 1, so maybe that's why he's confused, but for everybody else, the "numbered" stages are normal, and the "lettered" ones are secret.
As for me, I enjoyed this game, but it really was way too short. I was never a "Mario Guru", but what I really thought this game was missing was a set of super-tough levels, ala the ones AFTER the Star Road in Super Mario World (Gnarly, Tubular, etc). Levels that take 10, 20, or MORE lives to get past even one of them. Those extremely unique (and challenging) levels from that game just straight-out don't exist, and even the vast majority of the "secret" exits are painfully obvious. I think I had to hit Gamefaqs for less than 3 secret exits, and maybe a half-dozen TOTAL of the star coins, because they were THAT obvious. I missed only ONE warp cannon from "just playing", and that's just a shame. And the SAME method to access both secret worlds? That's just incredibly weak.
As somebody above also stated, most of the items were uninspired, and not really all that useful in a general sense OUTSIDE of an extremely specific secret. The selection from SMB3 was best (along with item storage), but at least SMW had GOOD items, and a good Yoshi mechanic to add more variety too. NSMB has neither of these. Honestly, the best item in the game is the Fire Flower, and it's good to the point of being just-about overpowered, as extremely few enemies don't die in one hit to it, and thus it's never all that "dangerous" while you have it.
So I was mildly disappointed. It's fun to go through, just don't expect many "on the edge" challenges. I'd rather have the game itself to be at about the current difficulty, but throw up large "side areas" with massive challenge that the "casual" could never get through, but would provide longevity to others. SMW had this, and SMB3 didn't need it due to the length of the base game (along with the better variety of alternate paths). This is the main thing that NSMB was missing for me.
Difficulty (Score:2)
Just as a note... the difficulty is in the levels themselves, introducing new elements I haven't seen yet in a Mario game. However, due to saving (and the unlockable save anywhere) and massive amounts of free l
Editing - words have meanings. (Score:5, Informative)
Penultimate: next to last.
The castle is the not the next to last showdown for the current World. It's the last showdown in the current world.
slide in the shell through enemies, knocking them akimbo
Akimbo: In or into a position in which the hands are on the hips and the elbows are bowed outward:
They really get knocked akimbo? That doesn't make sense. If you don't know what words mean, don't use them.
Re:Editing - words have meanings. (Score:2)
Umm... yes, he is.
Well... (Score:3, Interesting)
Why didn't you capitalize the first word in your sentence?
If you want, I can find a few other mistakes in my comment or your comment. Neither of us automatically write perfect English. Nor do either of us bother to edit our own comments, understanding where they fit in the continuum of importance. Nor have either of us made errors that detract from reader's understanding of our intent. However, when I write an article that thousands of peop
Great game, a few annoying things (Score:4, Informative)
It is a LOT of fun, I'm really happy with the jump back to 2d... however, I thought the powerups could have worked a little better. It's annoying being mini Mario, really the only time you'd use it is when you HAVE to to get to a special exit or to get a coin. And it's annoying running by those mini pipes and thinking "damn, I'm gonna have to come back in here once I find a mini mushroom..."
I've only looked at a few of the mini games, which there are a bunch of... I'll be looking into those next.
Oh, and one part of the summary is somewhat misleading: It mentions WiFi features. You can't play over the internet, you can only play via WiFi against other people nearby that have a DS. I wish they incorporated internet play into the game as well.
Re:Great game, a few annoying things (Score:2)
Re:Great game, a few annoying things (Score:2)
Yeah, that's not so bad, but then you have to beat the world to keep the mini mushroom. I know it doesn't take long, still annoying though that you can't beat the board all in one shot.
Usually what I'd do (before beating the game) is open up the gate right in front of a mushroom house, save, go in and get my item... if it wasn't what I wanted, I'd soft reboot (L R select start) and go back in until I got what I wanted.
Now that I beat it, however, the mushro
So when do we get more on the consoles? (Score:3, Interesting)
My favorite GameCube games are essentially 2D - things like Animal Crossing, Zelda four swords, and Paper Mario. 3D games with ever-changing cameras confuse the hell out of me at best, and make me dizzy and nauseous at worst. Give me a fixed camera any day. I want a GBA player for my GC so I can play more of these - too bad DS games need the stylus!
Re:So when do we get more on the consoles? (Score:2)
For almost everything except typing in the small keyboards, a finger works just fine. (At least in the games I've played - including New Super Mario Brothers.)
Princess Peach? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Princess Peach? (Score:4, Informative)
She is the princess of the Toadstool Kingdom. Peach is the name she signs on informal correspondence, as can be seen in the intro to Super Mario 64.
What I would like to know is whatever happened to Pauline.
Re:Princess Peach? (Score:2, Informative)
Mario Culture (Score:2)
If you *must* go to "the theater" to watch a live performance, I'd recommend Mario Live [google.com]!
Lots and lots more Mario fun at MilkAndCookies [milkandcookies.com]. Mario on two guitars is not to be missed.
Re:Mario Culture (Score:2)
other Super Mario Bros games? (Score:2)
The best ones will be on the Wii. (Score:2)
I would suggest doing this instead of blatantly pirating these classics. Developers being screwed out of money only hurts the industry you seem to love.
Re:other Super Mario Bros games? (Score:2)
Super Mario 3 is my favorite, and the last of the NES generation 2d Mario games. SMB3 really set down the blueprint for diverse levels and fun powerups. It introduces the oft mentioned Tanooki suit, which is a heck of a lot of fun. SMB3 is like a favorite book and I still sit down with it every couple of years.
Super Mario World is an excellent SNES 2d
Re:other Super Mario Bros games? (Score:2)
I bought a DS just for this game. (Score:2)
The DS is only the 3rd Nintendo system I've owned. I had an original NES when I was a kid and loved SMB 3 in particular. Most of the rest of the games just didn't do it for me at the time (of course I was broke and didn't
Re:I bought a DS just for this game. (Score:2)
Re:I bought a DS just for this game. (Score:2)
Rational: The Lite looks even smaller than the DS is now. Given that my hands are basically already too big for the DS, going with the Lite seems like it'd be a step backward in terms of comfort. I know it is supposed to have a brighter screen and all that, but honestly I don't see much wrong with the current DS' brightness. Additionally, the DS is cheaper now at Wal-mart than the Lite will be (since the Lite will be the "new" thing). A
Re:I bought a DS just for this game. (Score:2)
Do yourself a favor: buy another DS and Animal Crossing (for her). I picked it up for my wife two months ago and she's played it every single day without exception, and hasn't played any other games. Do it. She'll love you for it.
and I don't mean "Sha Na Na: The Next Generation" (Score:2)
Actually, it's "Bowser Jr." who has kidnapped the Princess this time around.
I'm not sure when relationship, if any, Junior has to the Koopa Kids introduced in SMB3. Continuity in the Super Mario Universe is not something worth losing sleep over.
It's a game, right? (Score:2)
Please tell me that they are not releasing a sequel to the movie [imdb.com]! Oh, the horror!
Way too easy (Score:2)
Re: belongs on the shelf alongside God of War... (Score:2)
My take on the game (Score:2)
Basically, I think their design choices are interesting. Compared to games like SMB3 or Super Mario World it's like a "less is more" philosophy. I think the variety of suits and their secret locations was great in SMB3, and Yoshi was great in Super Mario World, but I feel like in New SMB they've boiled the stre
i dig it, but the lack of anytime saving sucks (Score:2)
the lack of saves is a drag though. perhaps i'm missing something, but it seems that you have to win a castle or pay to
Good for you (Score:2, Troll)
Don't you have kids to chase off your lawn, or something?
Re:Good for you (Score:2)
I'm a "cynical" fuck for just expressing my opinion about video games? At least you could have thought up a creative response.
Re:Good for you (Score:2)
Re:Isn't it time to move on.... (Score:2)
Re:Isn't it time to move on.... (Score:2, Insightful)
It's depressing, but not surprising, that someone your age views the world this way. It reminds me of adolescents who become too cool to go down a slide or go to Chuck E. Cheese.
Y
Re:Isn't it time to move on.... (Score:2)
Sounds like a great time to me...
Re:Looks fantastic! (Score:2)
Re:Zonk, Please Stop. It Hurts. (Score:2)
after bitching about someone else's lack of understanding of English and then posting this I have no sympathy for you even though I agree with your point.