New Super Mario Bros. Reviews
NEw Super Mario Bros.
Posted : 14 years, 9 months ago on 25 July 2009 06:52This game is a bad ass game and i like it...its because it has so much details from the old games and Its has more stuff to do in the game.
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New Super Mario Bros.
Posted : 17 years, 6 months ago on 23 October 2006 05:23To call a new Mario 2D platformer long awaited is an understatement. The last edition, without counting sequels without the classic Mario formula, spin-offs, 3D escapades and what not, was released together with the Super Nintendo, or Super Famicom, in 1991. Does Mario still have what it takes to make 2D platformers all the rage again? Find out in our review.
New Super Mario Bros. is good. Itâs grinning from ear to ear, playing till your thumbs hurt good. Playing this game makes you wonder why on earth the world went so ballistic over 3D and why Mario hasnât stayed true to his roots for all these years. Of course, this is a slightly exaggerated response, but it really feels wonderful to control Mario from left to right again, with a lot of classic formulas present.
Yes, classic formulas. If there was one term to describe New Super Mario Bros., it would be that. While the graphics got a major overhaul, with lush backgrounds, bright colours (extra apparent on a sharp DS Lite) and a superb presentation (weâll get back on that in a second), itâs obvious that this is just the first Super Mario Bros. for a new generation, or a visit to an old friend for gamers who experienced the game on the NES that many years ago. Pick up a toadstool to become Super Mario, pick up a rose to shoot fireballs, stomp on Koopas and Goombas and reach a castle after some levels. This feeling of familiarity is both good and bad.
So why is it a good thing? Because fans of Mario will be hopelessly in love with all the redone tunes and the familiar places and situations theyâll find themselves in. The presentation of this title is superb and really brings waves of nostalgia in the mix. Of course, thereâs plenty of new stuff to add on to the old formula, but most of it comes from other Mario titles. There are hints of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World, and even Super Mario 64. Mario can wall-jump and stamp on the floor with his bottom.
But the sense of familiarity is also a bad thing, because pretty much every real Mario platformer had itâs own image, itâs own âcatchâ that made it different from the rest of the Mario platformers. New Super Mario Bros. is just a mix of all the old with a shiny new face. Nintendo has tried hard to give the game itâs own face, but just not hard enough. This attempt is done through some new items: two different mushrooms make Mario screen-filling gigantic or incredibly tiny. However, items from other Mario games like the coat in Super Mario Word or Yoshi in that same game had meaning: they changed the way you played the game and opened up new puzzles that gave an entirely new dimension to the experience. Here, the new items are nothing more than a novelty. There are not enough puzzles and situations that really make sure you want to become gigantic or tiny, or a Koopa Mario for that matter. And thus, New Super Mario Bros. is just like visiting an old friend, instead of re-writing the rules of the genre.
Possibly, Nintendo wasnât out to try that at all, but just to give fans of the series a perfect mix of all the plumberâs adventures on a single DS cartridge. In this, the company has succeeded, if not excelled. From the world map to a re-done Bowser battle, from enemies that walk in line with the music to new actions like swinging on ropes or balancing on cords, the game never fails to make the player happy about being in this colourful world, just running from left to right and enjoying everything that there is.
Which brings us to our last point of criticism: the game is a breeze for any Mario fan. Rushing through it makes for a very short experience, even missing out on two from the eight worlds. Of course, Mario games are there to be replayed and secrets to be found, and collecting three big coins in every level will open up new ways making for a longer experience, but itâs still a piece of cake for most gamers familiar with the Italian chap. Maybe this has to do with the fact that no real new challenges are waiting for the player, instead revisits and combinations of old puzzles found in the previous games.
Of course, there is an option for multiplayer, with people having the option to play the levels together (if both players have the same card), or game sharing with the mini games available. The mini games themselves are a total disappointment, because theyâre virtually the same as the ones that were in Super Mario 64 DS. Still, if you donât own that game, the mini games (that are controlled with the stylus) are a nice distraction from the main game.
Conclusion
With that said, New Super Mario Bros. is one of the best games available on the Nintendo DS, regardless of the fact that it doesnât use any of the machineâs new features, ignoring the menu on the touch screen which brings very minimal extras. Everything just feels finished and polished, and couple that with the simply irresistible vibe in the game that combines nostalgia with sheer fun, and the solid as ever gameplay that makes you think your fingers donât exist, instead controlling Mario with your brain, and you canât do anything else than pick up this game and have a jolly good summer with Mario. Itâs pure Nintendo fun, itâs what we love the company for.
Pros:
- Presentation is superb, Mario fanatics will love it.
- Gameplay is as solid as it ever was.
- Music is lovely with a mix of old and new, although a more diverse score wouldnât have hurt.
- Plenty of levels.
Cons:
- Most people will rush through it in no time, due to the low difficulty at most times.
- Mini games available are the same as in Super Mario 64 DS.
- Not as unique as all other ârealâ Mario platformers, rather a mix of them all.
This game is for: Basically for everyone. Young or old, Mario lover or new to the series, thereâs little chance that the game wonât bring a smile on your face.
This game is not for: People who really have a thing against 2D platformers or are allergic to colourful games. You might still think about a rent to try it out, though.
Written by Moz La Punk / previously published on mozlapunk.net
New Super Mario Bros. is good. Itâs grinning from ear to ear, playing till your thumbs hurt good. Playing this game makes you wonder why on earth the world went so ballistic over 3D and why Mario hasnât stayed true to his roots for all these years. Of course, this is a slightly exaggerated response, but it really feels wonderful to control Mario from left to right again, with a lot of classic formulas present.
Yes, classic formulas. If there was one term to describe New Super Mario Bros., it would be that. While the graphics got a major overhaul, with lush backgrounds, bright colours (extra apparent on a sharp DS Lite) and a superb presentation (weâll get back on that in a second), itâs obvious that this is just the first Super Mario Bros. for a new generation, or a visit to an old friend for gamers who experienced the game on the NES that many years ago. Pick up a toadstool to become Super Mario, pick up a rose to shoot fireballs, stomp on Koopas and Goombas and reach a castle after some levels. This feeling of familiarity is both good and bad.
So why is it a good thing? Because fans of Mario will be hopelessly in love with all the redone tunes and the familiar places and situations theyâll find themselves in. The presentation of this title is superb and really brings waves of nostalgia in the mix. Of course, thereâs plenty of new stuff to add on to the old formula, but most of it comes from other Mario titles. There are hints of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World, and even Super Mario 64. Mario can wall-jump and stamp on the floor with his bottom.
But the sense of familiarity is also a bad thing, because pretty much every real Mario platformer had itâs own image, itâs own âcatchâ that made it different from the rest of the Mario platformers. New Super Mario Bros. is just a mix of all the old with a shiny new face. Nintendo has tried hard to give the game itâs own face, but just not hard enough. This attempt is done through some new items: two different mushrooms make Mario screen-filling gigantic or incredibly tiny. However, items from other Mario games like the coat in Super Mario Word or Yoshi in that same game had meaning: they changed the way you played the game and opened up new puzzles that gave an entirely new dimension to the experience. Here, the new items are nothing more than a novelty. There are not enough puzzles and situations that really make sure you want to become gigantic or tiny, or a Koopa Mario for that matter. And thus, New Super Mario Bros. is just like visiting an old friend, instead of re-writing the rules of the genre.
Possibly, Nintendo wasnât out to try that at all, but just to give fans of the series a perfect mix of all the plumberâs adventures on a single DS cartridge. In this, the company has succeeded, if not excelled. From the world map to a re-done Bowser battle, from enemies that walk in line with the music to new actions like swinging on ropes or balancing on cords, the game never fails to make the player happy about being in this colourful world, just running from left to right and enjoying everything that there is.
Which brings us to our last point of criticism: the game is a breeze for any Mario fan. Rushing through it makes for a very short experience, even missing out on two from the eight worlds. Of course, Mario games are there to be replayed and secrets to be found, and collecting three big coins in every level will open up new ways making for a longer experience, but itâs still a piece of cake for most gamers familiar with the Italian chap. Maybe this has to do with the fact that no real new challenges are waiting for the player, instead revisits and combinations of old puzzles found in the previous games.
Of course, there is an option for multiplayer, with people having the option to play the levels together (if both players have the same card), or game sharing with the mini games available. The mini games themselves are a total disappointment, because theyâre virtually the same as the ones that were in Super Mario 64 DS. Still, if you donât own that game, the mini games (that are controlled with the stylus) are a nice distraction from the main game.
Conclusion
With that said, New Super Mario Bros. is one of the best games available on the Nintendo DS, regardless of the fact that it doesnât use any of the machineâs new features, ignoring the menu on the touch screen which brings very minimal extras. Everything just feels finished and polished, and couple that with the simply irresistible vibe in the game that combines nostalgia with sheer fun, and the solid as ever gameplay that makes you think your fingers donât exist, instead controlling Mario with your brain, and you canât do anything else than pick up this game and have a jolly good summer with Mario. Itâs pure Nintendo fun, itâs what we love the company for.
Pros:
- Presentation is superb, Mario fanatics will love it.
- Gameplay is as solid as it ever was.
- Music is lovely with a mix of old and new, although a more diverse score wouldnât have hurt.
- Plenty of levels.
Cons:
- Most people will rush through it in no time, due to the low difficulty at most times.
- Mini games available are the same as in Super Mario 64 DS.
- Not as unique as all other ârealâ Mario platformers, rather a mix of them all.
This game is for: Basically for everyone. Young or old, Mario lover or new to the series, thereâs little chance that the game wonât bring a smile on your face.
This game is not for: People who really have a thing against 2D platformers or are allergic to colourful games. You might still think about a rent to try it out, though.
Written by Moz La Punk / previously published on mozlapunk.net
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