New Super Mario Bros. Review

In the "everything old is new again" spirit of the 21st century, there have been many bad remakes, remixes, and 'reinvisionings'. The gaming industry is especially guilty, with endless sequels and a lack of imagination being oft-discussed elements at developer get-togethers. Despite all this, it does appear you can go home again. Nintendo has competently revived the series that made it a household name in the U.S., with New Super Mario Bros.. A classic 2D platformer with plenty of new tricks, Mario comes bounding to the DS with a focus on what he does best. New Super Mario Bros. is not going to make you rethink what is possible in a game; It's not going to make you cry or change your life. It will, however, make you smile. Read on for my impressions of the pudgy plumber's newest adventure.

• Title: New Super Mario Bros.
• Developer/Publisher: Nintendo
• System: DS

For a lot of gamers, growing up with games meant growing up with Mario. Just mentioning titles in the series can provoke memories from the far away and long ago. The first time you defeated Bowser, your first flight in the Tanooki suit, and Mario's first fumbling 3D steps are all moments we can share together as part of the collective gamer hive-mind. This shared history makes the average gamer an intuitive appreciator of New Super Mario Brothers' (NSMB) wafer-thin plot; Bowser has kidnapped Princess Peach and Mario has to save her.

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.

Comments

Why not the game cube?

[mobiux]

It's too bad they aren't releasing it for a console system.
I prefer my gaming on screens larger than 4".

Re:Why not the game cube?

[IAmTheDave]

It's too bad they aren't releasing it for a console system. I prefer my gaming on screens larger than 4".

Especially when - from the screen shots anyway - half of that 4" is taken up by stats.

Re:Why not the game cube?

[the reptilian brain]

Wii wiill not tolerate such foolishly rational statements. Wii Wiill, however, be forced into snatching yuu from the safety of yuur home [with the help of the NSA]. Wii have a few convincing methods wii would like to share with yuu, whether yuu like it or not.

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?

[Funk_dat69]

Nintendo has something else up its sleave for the cube.
check it: http://cube.ign.com/articles/708/708018p1.html

Re:Why not the game cube?

[blazer1024]

Yeah, see it's on the DS. Dual-screen. The lower (touch) screen is often used to display stats, inventory, etc.

Re:Why not the game cube?

[Hogwash McFly]

You are aware that the DS has two screens, right?

Re:Why not the game cube?

[Havokmon]

It's too bad they aren't releasing it for a console system. I prefer my gaming on screens larger than 4".

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.

Re:Why not the game cube?

[IAmTheDave]

You are aware that the DS has two screens, right?

* buries head in shame *

duh...

Re:Why not the game cube?

[porcupine8]

Ok, *that* makes me squee like crazy. Not sure how I missed it in all the E3 coverage. (Though I still want NSMB on a console.)

Re:Why not the game cube?

[Anonymous Coward]

holy shit. That looks sweet.

Re:Why not the game cube?

[ObsessiveMathsFreak]

I prefer my gaming on screens larger than 4".

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.

Re:Why not the game cube?

[sottitron]

Fantastic games coming out for the PSP? Where? Lumines is a fantastic game, but it already came out and with the lack of anything worthwhile, I lost interest and sold my PSP before I lost all my $249+ investment.

Re:Why not the game cube?

[e03179]

I agree. I'd like to play NSMB on a larger screen. At first I thought that a Gamecube/Wii version would be the way to go. But as I think about it, I'd settle for "video-out" of the DS onto a larger screen. Hmm. What if all future consoles were handhelds (i.e. portable)? A console is a console because of the TV. I mean, the PSP is just as powerful as last-gen systems. But, I guess next-gen hardware is always clunky and needs to be put into a larger box. BTW: I've never owned a handheld gaming device in my life. But, I played the junk out of SMB3 on my NES. I've been waiting a long time for a side scrolling Mario Bro. game. I have NSMB bought. I'm waiting for the Nintendo DS Lite to be released in the US in 2 weeks.

Re:Why not the game cube?

[Slithe]

Line up a beta-tester job for that kid, pronto!

Re:Why not the game cube?

[bombadillo]

Tell me I am not the only one that sees an add for a game called Assy Mcgee at the top of that link you postedh.

Re:Why not the game cube?

[The Warlock]

It's getting a few decent games (Daxter, etc), but the library is still pretty anemic compared to the DS.

Sheer Frustration, how fun.

[OS24Ever]

I just got this game on Monday and my 2 year old son has learned several new cuss words. I forgot how frustrating it can get having to time that first jump after the second one. I was never very good at Mario games, my little brother was the genius with them. I'm currently straggling up to 2-1 now after a good few hours of getting to play the game.

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.

[Captain Scurvy]

I forgot how frustrating it can get having to time that first jump after the second one.

Yeah, "Time Travel Paradox Mario" was uber hard. Way harder than "The Lost Levels."

Re:Sheer Frustration, how fun.

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow, color on Slashdot! I thought I was hallucinating at first. Has Taco turned over a new leaf?

Re:Sheer Frustration, how fun.

[ObsessiveMathsFreak]

There was a warp in the second level that took you to the last. It involved killing Mario's father to become his own mother, then climbing the temporal beanstalk discontinutiy to the clouds before the universe collapsed in on itself. If you did this, the final bowser had upgraded armour making him invincible, so you basically had to wait until the portal opened so you could slide. It took 36 hours.

Re:Sheer Frustration, how fun.

[Overly Critical Guy]

My only issue with the game is the over-reliance on Bowser, Jr., a character I value as highly as other overused throwaways like Wario. I don't get Nintendo's obsession with these secondary characters. Battling Bowser the two times that you do in the game is sheer joy. So why am I chasing Bowser, Jr. the rest of the time? I want to fight Bowser! It's just not as fun. It's like Nintendo is afraid to rely on their main characters or something. Super Mario Sunshine can't just be Mario, it has to be Mario and a talking water backpack. It can't just be Bowser, it has to be Shadow Mario and Bowser, Jr.

Either bring back classic Bowser, or bring back the Koopa Kids. *slams fist*

Re:Sheer Frustration, how fun.

[Anonymous Coward]

Nintendo: No

Re:Sheer Frustration, how fun.

[KDR_11k]

Actually it isn't that hard.

Re:Sheer Frustration, how fun.

[KDR_11k]

Early screenshots suggest that they were indeed planning to bring back the Koopa Kids but changed their minds during development. Perhaps that was Miyamoto complaining about that being too many characters or something.

My Review

[The MAZZTer]

This game is awesome, and lots of fun. GET IT. This is like what Super Mario World might have been if Nintendo waited until now to continue the Mario franchise.

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

[binkzz]

"Also, the Blue Shell powerup (it allows you to dash to curl into a shell and knock enemies while speeding through the level)"

That sounds awfully Sonic to me..

Re:My Review

[Ant P.]

Sounds more like the motorbike power up from Alex Kidd.

Re:My Review

[SilentChris]

"This is like what Super Mario World might have been if Nintendo waited until now to continue the Mario franchise."

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 Mario Bros.

It's a fun title, but will it be remembered in the annals of platformer history? Doubt it.

Re:My Review

[EggyToast]

Sounds, maybe, but in reality entirely different. To go into the shell you simply duck, which makes you mostly impervious. And it differentiates itself further in use, as while you will go into "shell mode" after dashing for a short period, precious few of the levels are truly set up for it, and even in those cases it's often simply for a short portion.

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 jumps and there's no convenient loops or pipes to zoom around in like in Sonic. Think about Sonic in SMB 1, with all the holes in the ground, square steps, and flat walls. Now remove the blue hedgehog's easy maneuverability while buzzing around the screen.

Unfortunately, "fast and invincible" is not particular to any franchise.

Re:My Review

[dubiousmike]

My 5 year old has been playing gameboy, came cube and now DS games starting at the age of a year and a half. I have bought him games that he stopped playing after 20 minutes of opening it up. He told me this is the best game he has ever played. He loves it. He keeps telling everyone about it. How's that for real world feedback? So far, he loves how he can play as Luigi the most. He figured out stuff like new moves and new features on his own without any instruction or help which amazes me. Once, while in DC, we stopped at a mall booth selling one of those 30-in-one game controllers. He played SMB 1 for the first time (after playing SMB 3 on gameboy for a while). Within 5 minutes, he had a crowd of people watching him, whispering to each other about how well he played. People were amazed he had never played that Mario version before. Its scary how good he is at these games. And he has a one hour cap per day!

Re:My Review

[hords]

I think the game was great. The main thing I was disappointed with was that it seemed way easier than most of the previous mario games. I beat the end boss on the first try, and nearly every boss the whole game. I remember the feeling of achievement beating mario 3 and it just wasn't there with this game. It was still fun and I'll continue hunting for the secrets. I can't wait for Super Paper Mario on the Gamecube. It's about time we see a 2D Mario on the main consoles again. I wish more game companys would realize there is still a market for fun 2D games. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was one of the best games ever in my opinion. More please!

Re:My Review

[Anonymous Coward]

Who gives a flying fuck what you think, asswipe?

Modern 2D Games

[SlashdotOgre]

I've always been disappointed at the lack of modern 2D games; it seems ever since the PlaySation the only new games we see are 3D. There are tons of excellent 2 dimensional games that would look great on a modern system. In particular games like Raiden, Sonic, Megaman, Contra, Gunstar Heroes, Radiant Silvergun, etc. all come to mind. Certain genres do well in 3D, but at the same time platformers and shooters are often better left in the second dimension.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[Solra Bizna]

The game is 2D, even if the graphics are 3D...

-:sigma.SB

Re:Modern 2D Games

[Anonymous Coward]

If you want to play 2D games, buy a Nintendo DS (it is backwards compatible with the GBA)

There are lots of original 2D platform games for the GBA and DS -

Four Castlevania games (3 GBA, 1 DS)
Four MegaMan Zero games (all GBA)
Two Metroid games (both GBA - admittedly one is a serious reworking of the original Metroid)
Four Sonic games (3 GBA, 1 DS)

And I am sure I am forgetting lots of titles.

All of the above are excellent, and are not available on any other platform.

If you are of the Sony persuasion, I understand the PSP has a pair of decent 2D MegaMan games (they do use 3D models much like this new Mario game).

Re:Modern 2D Games

[VendingMenace]

dude,
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 you have not played them then you owe it to yourself to play them -- NOW GO GET THEM!

Re:Modern 2D Games

[wiredlogic]

Yeah. It would be sweet if someone would release the Metal Slug series (Neo Geo) on a conventional modern console system. They are some of the funnest Contra-esque side scrollers I've ever played.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[faust13]

I totally agree. Take Worms... loved, absolutely loved that game, but they had to make it 3D. Completely ruined the game.

I might have to dust off Worms World Party tonight... great game.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[kyjl]

In the case of Radiant Silvergun, you've got Ikaruga. It's on a modern console (Gamecube & Dreamcast), it's FUN AS HELL, and it's maddeningly challenging.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[porcupine8]

I'm planning to get a GBA player for my GC so I can play all the great 2D games for it - on a screen that my husband and I can actually both watch at once, since we usually play games together. However, it sucks that there's no way to translate the DS games to the big screen. They need a way to hook up a DS so that you can still use the stylus pad in your hands, but use your TV for the upper screen.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[Anonymous Coward]

Also, if you have a cube, you can buy the gameboy player and play those (non-DS) games on a tv. I have a GBA and a DS only because they have the best 2D games, not because they're portable (I've never taken them out of my house in fact). So, playing them on my TV is a huge plus. One of the Castlevanias looks 10x better on a TV as they crammed a lot of detail into the graphics that are hard to make out on a GBA screen.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[F_Scentura]

Yeah, it's a good thing nobody's released them for the Xbox or anything.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[interiot]

Well, 2005/2006 has brought a small wave of new 2D games... 2005 brought the pretty popular Geometry Wars (sort of a modern remake of Robotron: 2084) along with Xbox Live Arcade 360, which may encourage more investment in smaller games like that, and 2006 brings us New Super Mario Bros. and Super Paper Mario.

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 "must play" games in my book, since there's only so many times you can replay the same SMB3 levels.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[Rayonic]

What most people forget is that there was a glut of 2D platformers back in the NES/SNES days. And a lot of them were cheap knockoffs or tripe, like the Bubsy series.

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

[Blakey Rat]

Like the Xbox maybe?

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

[slack-fu]

Yeah Metal Slug was deffinately released for the Xbox

Re:Modern 2D Games

[Anonymous Coward]

Ahhh, the metroid style Castlevanias... They definately are some of the best 2D games ever made (along with the metroid style metroid games, of course)

But good luck finding SoTN or CoTM in stores these days! HoD and AoS were recently re-released as a 2 pack and even they are getting scarse. Sightings of SoTN and CoTM are unheard of in stores these days (at least in my corner of the world, ontario); eBay is pretty much the the only choice if you want these gems nowadays (and beware the fake bootlegs!)

Re:Modern 2D Games

[Anonymous Coward]

That was an intentional decision by Sony. They ordered third party developers to not make 2d games for playstation.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[Roody Blashes]

...my Zenith *only* accepts HDTV resolutions in the HDTV input and 480i appears as gibberish.

Yes, but on the brightside it was very expensive gibberish.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[mr_jrt]

What you need to consider is the restrictions the console comapnies put on new games. Sony are famous for blcoking games that "don't meet their visual standards", typically meaning 2D games. In fact, SNK recently bemoaned this publicly, hinting that they are looking forward to the Wii as Nintendo is generally less restrictive.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[wampus]

WWP was used as a break from FEAR at the last LAN party I attended. A real shame that Worms3D was so horrible.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[Jules Mercuri]

Then people complain about spending $700 for a console with a four-core, 6Ghz processor and 2GB of VRAM to play a 2D game. I'm sure there are purist King-of-Fighters-kinda guys who base their system choices on 2D games and controllers with good D-pads... Wii FTW!

Re:Modern 2D Games

[Gulthek]

Yeah, but you'd have to be able to pick which screen goes to the tv or else Kirby or Nintendogs wouldn't be very much fun to watch at all.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[Blakey Rat]

Fortunately, the demo on the Xbox Magazine disk had the same bug, so I avoided buying it altogether. :) Shame, though, because it looked like a really fun game.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[Abcd1234]

It's a shame, but people have to remember that there was nothing pristine or magical about the 2D format.

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

[ryanov]

Though not so modern, Dreamcast had a bunch of 2D games on what was essentially a 3D console.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[Felius]

The GBA Player is worth every cent. My wife and I played through Golden Sun and are currently working through Golden Sun 2, and being able to do with while sitting comfortably on the couch is a joy.

I too wish for some similar functionality with the DS, but it's obviously going to be a bit harder to reproduce the dual-screen interface.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[Felius]

Many others have posted mentioning current 2D platformers, shootemups and beatemups, but if you haven't played Paper Mario on the Gamecube then you should give that a go. It's a 2D console RPG with tongue very firmly in cheek. The english localisation is so good that it's hard to imagine the original having been that good. It's not a difficult game, but my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[thermal_7]

I very much agree with you, but as an exception check out Contra: Shattered Soldier - PS2.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[SetupWeasel]

Exclusive Wii launch title: Metal Slug Anthology.

You're welcome.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[jt007]

Well, maybe it wouldn't be hard to replicate the dual screen type interface (split screen would probably suffice) but it certainly would be hard to replicate the touch screen interface :P

Re:Modern 2D Games

[zerocool^]

Come on, SNK will not be moving to the Wii. There aren't enough buttons. You need a D-pad, and at least 6 buttons for high, medium, and low, kick and punch. Not to mention, in CvS2, the extra buttons on the controller were made use of due to things like "select" = taunt and L1/L2 being PPP/KKK (which can break you out of a super if you need to), etc.

More control in fighting games is good. The wii will have, at best, a D-pad and 3 buttons on the one remote, and an analog sick with one more button on the other remote. I can't see any way to shoehorn the motion capabilities into fighting games because of the level of precision required.

Not to mention there are any number of excellent 2d games for the playstation - disgaia for one, pocket fighter, sf Alpha III, I dunno, the list goes on.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[Masami Eiri]

Actually, IMO, Tetrisphere was pretty damn fun.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[Anonymous Coward]

Do some research about the Wii you idiot.

Re:Modern 2D Games

[mr_jrt]

Now here you go.

What you also have to consider, is that the wii-mote is expandable. The nunnchuck is just one usage of the expansion port. I'm fairly confident additionbal buttons can be very easily added. Hell, look at the retro controller they also announced.

I'm waiting for...

[eviloverlordx]

Super Mario Retirement Home to come out.

Re:I'm waiting for...

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm sorry, Mario, but your teeth are in another castle!

Oh, and the water levels would be Mario doing water aerobics.

Re:I'm waiting for...

[cylcyl]

probably be called: Super Mario Brain Training

Really Cool Game...

[th1ckasabr1ck]

The only major disappointment for me (as Zonk mentioned) was the powerup system. Not only because they were kinda lame-ish, but also because there was no gathering/hoarding of power-ups as in Mario 3. Instead you just have one item 'in reserve' that you can tap the bottom screen to use.

It was so much nicer to open up a mushroom house and grab an item that I could use whenever I wanted.

Re:Really Cool Game...

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, in all fairness they did do away with the hoarding thing in Super Mario World first, so it's not like this is the first time.

Re:Really Cool Game...

[Overly Critical Guy]

It's the Super Mario World inventory system. The game would have been far too easy if you could hoard a bunch of Mega Mushrooms.

I love the reliance on the fire flower. It makes it feel like SMB1, and it also removes the issue of how useless the fire flower was made in SMB3 and SMW.

Notice there are also no flying items, by design, to make the game even more platforming-centric. It's one of the best platformers I've played since Yoshi's Island.

Re:Really Cool Game...

[Pyrowolf]

Coming from a guy who had this reserved for months in advance, I have to say one of the things that irritated me the most about NSMB was the absolutely frustrating twitching the enemies do to the music. Some stop momentarilly to "twist", others hop, and even more irritating some change directions (e.g Lakitu's thrown spineys). When you're trying to play it in a quiet place and you can't hear the parts where it's going to "twitch", a jump to land on a turtle can end up being a jump that lands you right in front of the turtle where it promptly pauses, touches you, and you're dead. I've even had one of the spineys get stuck in a spot where I couldn't get by because three of them were twitching back and forth and covered an area larger than I could jump due to some wonderfully placed blocks.

The twitching is more of a novel irritation than a real benefit to the playability.

Speaking of the inventory rant from the parent, why oh why doesn't it give you the ability to swap something out of the reserve slot? There's a pre-defined weight placed on powerups that if you happen to snag an extra flower while you've inventoried a mini, it keeps the mini. Not a big deal if you're in a level - but when you hit up a mushroom house praying for a megashroom or a turtle shell and it doesn't kick out because you've got a mini - it can get irritating really quickly. The only way around this is to jump in a level and dump the extra power up and pray you get what you want in the 'shroom house.

Other than those two things, I would definately buy it again. I'm still glad I had one on reserve as there weren't any around at stores on release day and days after.

Speaking as a Goomba...

[Anonymous Coward]

Speaking as a Goomba, I find this whole line of games extremely offensive.

Re:Speaking as a Goomba...

[Meagermanx]

Don't be silly. Goombas don't have hands, so there's no way you could have typed that post!

Re:Speaking as a Goomba...

[chrismcdirty]

They did if you choose to acknowledge the SMB movie. But I can't blame you if you don't choose to do so.

Re:Speaking as a Goomba...

[wirelessbuzzers]

Don't be silly. Goombas don't have hands, so there's no way you could have typed that post!

He did say "speaking"... maybe he's using speech-to-text?

Re:Speaking as a Goomba...

[Overly Critical Guy]

It's Koopa's black magic.

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...

[Aqua OS X]

It's-a racist! Woohoo! Yippie!

Re:Speaking as a Goomba...

[prockcore]

Actually, Christine (the Goombette in Paper Mario 2) was seen writing letters.. they have powers of levitation aparently.. since the pencil would just float there.

Re:Speaking as a Goomba...

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

"Speaking as a Goomba, I find this whole line of games extremely offensive."

Oh, relax. We all think of you as a fun-guy.

Re:Speaking as a Goomba...

[ESqVIP]

Might be somehow related to how those guys at Wii Sports and Wii Music Orchestra can play -- though in their case they do have round fingerless hands.

Man, I wish I had wireless floating hands like that.

Welcome

[spacemky]

I for one welcome our new turtle-jumping, pipe-warping, fireball-spitting, bowser-butt-kicking, princess-saving overlord(s)!

PS: If anyone hasn't seen the flash videos yet over at mario.nintendo.com, they are awesome!

Re:Welcome

[Anonymous Coward]

>>bowser-butt-kicking

Now wait just a minute!
I was told that Internet Explorer already won the bowser wars. What gives?

Re:Welcome

[Overly Critical Guy]

Not only is this game great (I love the old-school levels where running off the right side of the screen makes you appear on the left), but there's a Yoshi's Island 2 coming out for DS in the style of the first one!

Best time I have had in a game in months.

[falcon5768]

beating the game isnt hard (they give you plenty of 1ups that you dont even need to do a 99 1up trick) but getting all those coins

My thumbs had a nice case of Nintendo-itis the day after I got it.

We have to start recycling nostalgia!

[spun]

We are running out of things to be nostalgic about. Every year we are told to be nostalgic about things that were more and more recent. Pretty soon we are going to be nostalgic for things that haven't happened yet. The solution? Recycled nostalgia! We need to start being nostalgic about the nostalgia that we used to have for things. Instead of being nostalgic for, say, the eighties again, we can be nostalgic for the eighties nostalgia we felt in the ninties. Similarly, we no longer have to be nostalgic for the original Super Mario Brothers, now we can be nostalgic for the nostalgia we used to feel.

Shamelessly ripping off a nostalgic old "The Onion" article.

Re:We have to start recycling nostalgia!

[Rahga]

Shamelessly ripping off a nostalgic old "The Onion" article.

Ah, yes... I remember that article. Feels like I just read it yesterday.

Re:We have to start recycling nostalgia!

[Senzei]

Ah, yes... I remember that article. Feels like I just read it yesterday.

I remember reading about people reminiscing about that article. Seems like it was just a few minutes ago.

Re:We have to start recycling nostalgia!

[Blakey Rat]

Some band in the mid-to-late-90s had a music video that was basically a nostalgic view of the sitcom Happy Days. I found it interesting, because it was basically 90s nostalgia towards a 70s show that was nostalgia towards the 50s. In short: It's been done.

Re:We have to start recycling nostalgia!

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/weezer.html

what, AGAIN?!?

[bunions]

After some point, you really have to wonder if Princess Peach doesn't want to be kidnapped. Once or twice, ok, sure, Bowser is a real jerk. Eventually, you gotta figure that the Princess must not really mind it so much, if you get my drift.

Re:what, AGAIN?!?

[Hogwash McFly]

Sounds like old Peachy has a case of Stockholm syndrome

Re:what, AGAIN?!?

[Miniluv]

Or the parent is falling back on the good ole American defense "She asked for it!"

Re:what, AGAIN?!?

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't be so xenophobic.

Re:what, AGAIN?!?

[Guppy06]

What they're not letting on is that Mario and Peach get off on the whole damsel-in-distress role playing bit.

Re:what, AGAIN?!?

[dominion]

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?!?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's been done, in comic form no less!

The rumours.
http://punksandnerds.com/d/0028.html

The aftermath.
http://punksandnerds.com/d/0078.html

Re:what, AGAIN?!?

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, the instruction manual for New Super Mario Brothers says something like "doesn't Bowser Jr. ever wonder if Peach is really his mother?"

She's into turtle sex and incest, apparently.

Ew.

Re:what, AGAIN?!?

[darthnoodles]

Sounds to me like Kim Bauer...predictably captured everytime.

Re:what, AGAIN?!?

[patio11]

She doesn't want to be *kidnapped*. She wants to be *rescued*. The one I feel sorry for in this situation is Bowser... he keeps getting caught up in Princess/Mario's twisted courtship (alright already, we get it, you're an item -- hang up the plumber's boots and settle down to raise some mushrooms already), and beaten up for his trouble.

Re:what, AGAIN?!?

[PacoHernandez]

This very idea was covered in this comic. ;]:

Looks fantastic!

[fak3r]

As usual, Nintendo makes games that are fun, this review looks like they're just continuing that tradition. This is why Wii is going to be good, cause the games will be fun. My only complaint; please put this out on the GameCube! With the GameBoy adapter you can play ALL GameBoy and GameBoy Advance on GameCube, but there's no such option for DS (and how could it with the 'touch' screen part...because of this they have to release this for GC, now!

Thank you Nintedo, you rock.

Re:Looks fantastic!

[be-fan]

Fun for whom? I never liked a Mario game (ever) good enough to finish it. I never understood the point of just trying to get from one end of the map to the other, or why he has to go through every section instead of just bee-lining to the end. After the first few levels, it just all seems the same to me.

Re:Looks fantastic!

[Anonymous Coward]

Why don't you tell everyone what games you do play?

Mega and Mini Mario

[technoextreme]

I have to say Mega Mario very fun to play with. There is one secret area where there are nothing but pipes and a mega mushroom . Watching Mario destroy the entire area really is quite entertaining. Mini Mario is also fun with those secret little pipe areas that lead to midget goombas. Not to mention the fact that you actually have to use him to reach the two secret areas. This is very challenging because you have to butt stomp to do any damage. I have to say Nintendo took the best of all the Mario games including one stage that reminded me of the Doki Doki Mario Brothers where you could just keep on running right until you popped out on the left screen.

Re:Mega and Mini Mario

[mausmalone]

Just for kicks, I went to the mega mushroom house and got one for my inventory just so I could laugh my ass off while trouncing the final boss. Good times.

Nitpicky question

[Rob T Firefly]

I know it;s a minor detail that doesn't impact anything anywhere ever, but does Mario have a voice in this one? As much as I'm a total fanboy of Mario and his games, I must admit I never felt the squeaky voice they gave him beginning with SM64 fit all that well.

Re:Nitpicky question

[desenz]

Yep, and its the same one hes had in all the recent mario games. I must admit I liked the novelty at first, but it is a little grating after a while.

Re:Nitpicky question

[JackAxe]

I recall them using the same voice in Mario Teaches Typing, which came out just prior to the N64.
http://www.mobygames.com/game/mario-teaches-typing

But yeah, the voice kind of bugs. :)

<]=)

Re:Nitpicky question

[Erioll]

He has a voice, but only uses it rarely. For example, he doesn't use it every time you jump, or use a fireball, etc, but WILL use it at the ends of levels, and i THINK while wall-jumping, though I could be wrong on that. Basically, his voice IS there, but it's rare. It's not like the "every jump" of SM64, etc, so not annoying at all IMO, though YMMV of course.

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.

Re:Nitpicky question

[Anonymous Coward]

He had a normal voice in the super mario / zelda cartoon.

It was a somewhat cheesy cartoon pretty much based on the US Super Mario 2 game characters. There was an episode where they tackled either race relations or maybe gang warfare with blue and red mushroom people that I found both enjoyable and disturbing.

Re:Nitpicky question

[Drinking Bleach]

Hopefully Yoshi's Island 2 ends up as frustratingly difficult as the first game.... I must've took 100 lives to get through all the extras.

Re:Nitpicky question

[rAiNsT0rm]

I've already posted once with my displeasure of Zonk and his "reviews" but I will add that you are totally correct in Zonk's complete lack of actually _playing_ the games he reviews. I worked as a reviewer for a few years and my complete lack of respect for Zonk and actually /. for allowing this to continue.

The writing is sub-par, the games are rarely played past maybe 4 hours tops, there are glaring omissions and errors, and they would not make it past even slightly discerning fansite editors let alone a site like Slashdot that should have some higher standards if they are going to run this kind of non-news stuff. I actually find it offensive to all those writers out there who have real talent and no major outlet who would kill to write for /. for free and _this_ junk is trumped up and actually makes front page "news" on a routine basis.

Sad. and FWIW I'd give NSMB a 7/10 and I enjoy it greatly.

Re:Nitpicky question

[chrisbtoo]

As for me, I enjoyed this game, but it really was way too short. [...] I really thought this game was missing was a set of super-tough levels [...] I think I had to hit Gamefaqs for less than 3 secret exits, and maybe a half-dozen TOTAL of the star coins

I wonder how much you yourself are to blame here. Maybe those 3 secret exits or half-dozen star coins might have been the super-tough, 10-20 life eating levels you were hoping for.

I recently looked up how to get a particular star on M64DS, got it easily and then moved on. How long would it've taken me to find it myself? I don't know. Couldn't help feeling like I'd cheated, though.

We all sit here bemoaning the lack of gameplay in today's games, and harping back to the days of yore when things were so much better, but I wonder how many of us are bringing it on ourselves by being too willing to let someone else do the hard work for us.

How?

[the reptilian brain]

How did humanity survive without your divine opinion? I don't know if I could have gone another day without know what you'd rather do than play a videogame.

Thanks for being a bitter person, we appreciate it. Really.

Unlimited 1ups

[drwiii]

Not that you really need them, but it's nice to see they incorporated the unlimited 1up turtle shell trick mainly seen in SMB's World 3-1.

Check out the turtle coming down the steps at the end of World 2-4 in NSMB..

That having been said, the difficulty of this game is way too easy. If there's a game that needed wi-fi connectivity to download new levels, this was it.

Here's looking forward to New Super Mario Bros. 2.

Re:Unlimited 1ups

[meringuoid]

Not that you really need them, but it's nice to see they incorporated the unlimited 1up turtle shell trick mainly seen in SMB's World 3-1.

That was an absolute bugger to pull off, though. An easier example is SMB3, world 3-9. Hit the Koopa at the beginning of the level, then carry it _fast_ to the place about halfway through where there are two cannons on the ground level and a platform above and between them. Throw the shell so that it bounces between the two cannons, and stand on the platform above so that both cannons fire inwards.

100. 200. 400. 800. 1000. 2000. 4000. 8000. 1UP. 1UP. 1UP. 1UP. 1UP...

Re:Unlimited 1ups

[drwiii]

The turtle-stairs thing is easier in NSMB than it was in SMB, but even in SMB it was dead simple. Fireball the first turtle coming down the stairs, press yourself against the step, and wait for the second one to come down. Don't move left or right, just try different lengths of jumps until one catches. In NSMB you do the same thing, but you catch it every time.

Difficulty

[yeoua]

I haven't played a true Mario style platformer in a while, and the return to a game where exact precise movements must be required, or death happens, was pretty jarring. Contrast this with most current games that feature leveling and increases in health that allow you more second chances before death.

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 lives, finishing the game is easy. In addition, having a secondary carried powerup definitely makes some levels much easier as it gives you additional hits you can soak.

Of course, no matter how many extra lives you get, it doesn't make some of the later levels any less challenging (especially the secret exit levels where you have to play the ENTIRE map as small Mario which is a one hit kill).

Editing - words have meanings.

[JMZero]

The castle is the penultimate showdown for the current World

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.

[clown_puncher]

Couldn't help but look this one up.
"Strictly speaking there's no redundancy, as the word could in theory be applied to anything bent into a curved shape. But from the very earliest recorded references, it seems to have been used exclusively in reference to that characteristic position of the arms, so the phrase arms akimbo has for many years been a fossil idiom, with the redundant arms given respectability by convention."
semantics
1. (linguistics) The science of the meaning of words. Semantics is part of linguistics.
2. The study of the relationship between words and their meanings.
3. The individual meanings of words, as opposed to the supposedly more important intent of their author.


http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-aki1.htm http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/akimbo

Re:Editing - words have meanings.

[jrockway]

> and you're not using them as the beginning of a sentence

Umm... yes, he is.

Re:Editing - words have meanings.

[paperdiesel]

From Merriam-Webster:

2: set in a bent position

So based on that definition, it would be correct to say 'knocking someone akimbo' if you mean to imply that someone was knocked in to a bent position.

I have no idea if that's what really happens in the game, but if we're going to split hairs, I thought I'd toss in my $0.02 of karma burn.

Re:Editing - words have meanings.

[loserface]

I'm not entirely sure what the point of your comment is, as grandparent mentioned nothing about the redundance of "arms akimbo".

The remark about semantics is what I choose to take issue with. While the question of the meaning of "akimbo" could be considered superfluous (though the use of the word does make me briefly question whether Mario's enemies have started expressing their defeat in strange new ways), the use of "penultimate" was misleading. The author's intent, regardless of whether it is more important than the meaning of his words, is overshadowed by the use of a word which is in direct contradiction to his meaning. His use of "penultimate" is not a question of semantics but of diction. In this case, diction which presents wholly incorrect information. NOTE: I chose not to use "patently" because I don't know for sure what it means.

Re:Editing - words have meanings.

[Blakey Rat]

Arms Akimbo = best Freakazoid villain!

Re:Editing - words have meanings.

[cornface]

Penultimate: next to last.

In InternetLand, it means "extra-ultimate."

I'm not sure why.

Re:Editing - words have meanings.

[clown_puncher]

I understand your confusion. Why was the definition of semantics included? I wanted to point out that semantics included in its definition the individual meanings of words, as opposed to the more important intent of their author. I was merely trying to find the right word for our entire "semantic" discussion.

paperdiesel makes my point with his shorter, less confusing post.

Great game, a few annoying things

[dividedsky319]

I just beat the game last night after having it since Friday. (I could have beaten it faster, but I made it a point to get all 3 coins in each world as well)

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

[petsounds]

The confusion of "Wi-Fi" is not limited to Zonk; it's everywhere. Game rags, game software stores, even game publishers all interchangeably use "Wi-Fi" with any kind of multiplayer, even though Nintendo has set up the "Wi-Fi" term to very narrowly apply on the DS to multiplayer games which use Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection Service. Unfortunately I don't have enough money to buy all these people a ticket on the clue train.

Re:Great game, a few annoying things

[Slappytron]

"damn, I'm gonna have to come back in here once I find a mini mushroom..." Keep going back to World 1-4. No need to search.

Re:Great game, a few annoying things

[dividedsky319]

Keep going back to World 1-4. No need to search.

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 mushroom houses don't "disappear" once you use them, so you can just keep going in until you get what you want.

And on another topic... most annoying "big coin" to get? 8-4, coin two. I must have spent half an hour last night trying to get it. It's the world that has the rocks falling from above... you have to have a mini mushroom, have the falling objects blow up the block above a mini pipe, go in, go through a maze, and then... beat the board without getting hit as mini mario. I even tried not getting the mushroom by the midpoint so once I came back up I could become big, but those falling rocks even make that difficult. I was SO happy once I finally got to that flagpole!

Re:Great game, a few annoying things

[Anonymous Coward]

Perhaps that's Nintendo's problem for coopting an existing term for their own use. A wireless network connection is WiFi, regardless of what devices are being connected.

So when do we get more on the consoles?

[porcupine8]

Okay, you've all proven you can do pretty 3D graphics. Can we have our 2D platformers (on the big screen) back now?

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?

[kodiar]

They're making a new Paper Mario platformer on the GC:
http://cube.ign.com/articles/706/706414p1.html

Re:So when do we get more on the consoles?

[BigZaphod]

too bad DS games need the stylus

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.)

Re:So when do we get more on the consoles?

[ostermei]

I want a GBA player for my GC so I can play more of these - too bad DS games need the stylus!

I assume you're lamenting the fact that no (current) consoles can have a DS equivalent of the GameBoy Player with this comment. I was thinking about the same thing the other day, and I realized that the Wii would be capable of playing DS games. Dig it: take the Wiimote with nunchaku controller... you've got the analog stick on the nunchaku to replace the DS's D-pad, and the Z and C buttons (I believe that's what they're calling the "shoulder"-ish buttons on the nunchaku), either one of which could be used to replicate the DS's L shoulder button. Then on the Wiimote itself, you've got the B button (the trigger) to replicate the DS's R shoulder button, the + and - buttons (or whatever they're gonna end up labelled as... the ones to either side of the "Home" button) to take over Select and Start. You can use the Wiimote's D-pad to be the four main face buttons from the DS (A, B, X, Y). And finally, you use the Wiimote's pointing capabilities to replace the stylus (using the A button on the Wiimote to register a "touch").

With the two screens stacked atop one another on your TV (leaving black bars to either side, of course, but it's a necessary evil), and a "cursor" on the bottom screen to indicate where your Wiimote-cum-stylus is poised to touch... Hell, I'd say it's even better than the DS itself. The two screens would be seamless, helping out games where the two screens are representing a contiguous stretch of game-world that on the actual DS is broken up by the necessary physical separation of the screens. Plus, you'd have all of your controls on the "stylus" itself... no more having to use your finger on the screen for the games that use the physical controls 99% of the time but have an occasional need for the touchscreen.

'Course, now I'm all excited for this and it'll probably never happen.

Metal Slug is on the GBA

[technoextreme]

Yeah. It would be sweet if someone would release the Metal Slug series (Neo Geo) on a conventional modern console system. They are some of the funnest Contra-esque side scrollers I've ever played.

Dude.. There are Metal Slug two games released on the GBA and there is a complete collection being released for the next generation games.

Re:Isn't it time to move on....

[Anonymous Coward]

Six Flags opened in what, 1961? I was about negative fourteen then. Now I'm 31 and stopped going to most amusement parks years ago.

Come on, give it a rest. Can't anyone think of anything better to do after 45 years?

Flash 8 required.

[leoxx]

So don't bother clicking the link if you use Linux.

Re:Flash 8 required.

[idonthack]

I've never understood why they do that. I don't know if it still does, but last time I checked, several sections of the Nintendo website including the online store required you to use IE. Forcing your customers to use your competitor's products before they can even buy yours doesn't really seem like a good idea to me.

Re:Flash 8 required.

[IamTheRealMike]

It's possible to view by installing the Windows Firefox into Wine and then using Flash 8 via that.

Annoying yes, impossible? No.

Re:Flash 8 required.

[rehtonAesoohC]

So don't bother procreating if you use Linux. Fixed that for you! =D

Re:Flash 8 required.

[normal_guy]

If you use Linux, you're used to disappointment.

Re:Isn't it time to move on....

[Anonymous Coward]

Okay, first of all, Super Mario Brothers came out in 1985.
Second, we're not all quite so old.
Third, we're not all quite so bitter.

It's fine that you don't play games anymore. I personally think you're missing out, but your sunny disposition really woulnd't be a boon for the gaming community anyway, but the rest of us are having a grand old time. Why rain on our parade?

--
M

Princess Peach?

[AragornSonOfArathorn]

Maybe I've been out of the Mario loop for too long, but isn't her name supposed to be Princess Toadstool? Soon I'll be back in the loop. /me eagerly awaits the DS Lite, and will probably get NSMB too.

Re:Princess Peach?

[Anonymous Coward]

"Princess Peach Toadstool (Piichi-Hime?), or more often simply, Peach, is a fictional character in Nintendo's Mario video games series, often playing the "Damsel in distress" character of the adventure series.[1][2] Formerly referred to only as Princess Toadstool in the early English translations..."

Source: Wikipedia.

Re:Princess Peach?

[Anonymous Coward]

The official name according to Nintendo is Princess Peach Toadstool (Peach, being her first name, and Toadstool being her last name).

Re:Princess Peach?

[10Neon]

Peach is her first name, Toadstool is her last.

Re:Princess Peach?

[poot_rootbeer]

isn't her name supposed to be Princess Toadstool?

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?

[Overly Critical Guy]

No, she was always Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom in the original Japanese Mario games. For Super Mario 64, Nintendo decided to refer to her as Peach internationally. Toadstool was an America-only thing.

Mario Culture

[dougman]

Now that I'm in my 30's, married with kids, I have to be a bit more "cultured" or so my wife says.

If you *must* go to "the theater" to watch a live performance, I'd recommend Mario Live!

Lots and lots more Mario fun at MilkAndCookies. Mario on two guitars is not to be missed.

Re:Mario Culture

[dougman]

Ooops, that site doesn't link to perhaps the most classic mario parody ever. Link requires flash, but if ever there was a worthy reason to have flash installed, this is it...

Good for you

[b00m3rang]

Congratulations on becoming a crotchety, cynical fuck. Sounds like it's working out well for you.

Don't you have kids to chase off your lawn, or something?

Re:Good for you

[Emperor Shaddam IV]

Hmmm,
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

[b00m3rang]

"Noone should produce or play video games ever again, because it's been done before and I'm better than that" sounds pretty cynical to me.

Re:Good for you

[justchris]

You are being cynical though.

For the life of me, I've been unable to understand what people who don't play video games or read books do with their time. Everything they come up with seems so incredibly boring, it pales in comparison. But I don't deride them for their choices just because they don't make any sense. If they're having fun, they're welcome to it. And while they're doing that, I'll do something I enjoy, instead of trying to conform to what other people think I should be doing.

Re:Isn't it time to move on....

[Joebert]

Someone needs to swap that "Troll" out with a "Bowser".

Re:Isn't it time to move on....

[CharAznable]

I'm 28 years old. So at what point in the next 10 years do I become a bitter old fart? I want to be ready.

reading TFSummary

[nub!s]

pudgy plumber... great name for an ubuntu based gaming distro.

Hope this inspires some innovation...

[ericdfields]

I've yet to play this yet; i'm waiting for the DS lite and then i'll purchase both at the same time.

BUT

from what I've read about this game, it sounds like a sure-fire winner... and it's a 2-D side-scroller... in 2006. I've always felt that there was plenty of life left in side scrollers considering so few got the chance to make use of next-gen technology. Stuff like getting the Mega Mushroom and blasting through the level as a giant... that's something that'd be nearly impossible to do well with sprites, but pretty effortless with 3-d and zippy hardware. The Castlevania side scrollers since Symphony of the Night have taken the other route and made impressive use of newer consoles to push the boundries of sprite detail in a 2-d game. Both soultions are beautiful, and I hope more developers take note of this.

Video games are now an industry that has the man & machine power to do anything... the problem is that they try to do everything... in every game. As the boys over at 37signals explain in Getting Real (excellent read for any techie... esp. the code monkeys), constraints can be breading grounds for creativity.

As NSMB Demonstrates, this is SO true.

Re:Isn't it time to move on....

[Emperor Shaddam IV]

Having a grand old time huh? Is that why most of the children growing up today have to get remedial teaching in math, especially geometry and spacial processing? I have a friend who is working with kids, who because they spend too much time playing with 2 dimisional video games and not enough time playing outside and with real toys, are unable to understand the relationships of geometric objects.

Sounds like a great time to me...

other Super Mario Bros games?

[NMerriam]

I recently got the nostalgic urge to play Super Mario Bros again, but of course my Nintendo is long dead so I grabbed the emulator for playing it on my XBox. Not having followed or played any of the 3,000 Super Mario Bros sequels, can anyone recommend which one(s) are the best (where best = the platform goodness of the original, not into super mario kart and that kind of stuff)?

Re:other Super Mario Bros games?

[drwiii]

Try Super Mario Bros. 3 followed by Super Mario World.

And if you've got a death wish, try the Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 2.

Re:other Super Mario Bros games?

[spezz]

...can anyone recommend which one(s) are the best (where best = the platform goodness of the original, not into super mario kart and that kind of stuff)?

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 Mario game where it starts to depart from strict Mario play as you ride around on Yoshi for some of it and the graphics are definately heading towards pseudo-3d. It's also longer and has more buried secrets and levels in it.

Re:other Super Mario Bros games?

[hollismb]

I believe most people would agree, in varying order, that Super Mario Bros 3, Super Mario World, Yoshi's Island, and Mario 64 are the best. All are excellent in their own ways, which is why some prefer one over the others. I'd say Super Mario World, but someone else on this page already claimed Yoshi's Island, while Mario 64 set the bar for all 3D platformers.

Re:other Super Mario Bros games?

[tepples]

The canonical Mario platformers are Super Mario All*Stars, Super Mario World, and Yoshi's Island.

Re:other Super Mario Bros games?

[Anonymous Coward]

You should try http://bisqwit.iki.fi/nesvideos/movies.cgi?inpure= Y Air.

Re:other Super Mario Bros games?

[blitzsieg]

"3,000 Super Mario Bros sequels"

Heh, not quite. Mario probably has appeared in 3000 games, but there are only a few platformers with him in this series:
SMB, SMB2, Lost Levels, SMB3, Mario World, Mario Land 1, 2, and 3 for the GB, Mario 64, Mario Sunshine.

10 games in 21 years. A least with each version the franchise still feels fresh (Tony Hawk or FF anyone?)

As for the best games, I'd say Mario World, SMB3, and Mario 64, in that order.

Flaimbait??? Somebody slap that mod...

[iamlucky13]

The classic Mario experience for many of us was side-scrolling on our parent's 19" television. Portability is great and I wouldn't mind having a DS, but plugging in and playing with your friends and not squinting because of the small screen/glare rocks.

Somebody mod this back up, please.

Re:Isn't it time to move on....

[Anonymous Coward]

NEWSFLASH!!! People have always been stupid. It's just now that the media reports the hell out of it.

Crazy how all these stupid people keep making leaps in science.

Too easy...

[arock99]

Loved the game but finished it in no time...thank god there is replay value...but i'm not going to complain I miss the 2D platformers and that's a reason i dont buy games like i used to...to me the 3D games are mostly the same crap over and over again

I bought a DS just for this game.

[BigZaphod]

Just yesterday I was reading everything I could about this game. I had been waiting for it since I first heard of it and the reviews all sounded excellent. After work my wife and I headed to the store and picked up a DS, New Super Mario Brothers, Mario Kart DS, and Nintendogs (for her).

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 have much access to game stores, either). Years later, I got a Game Cube with the idea that it was about time I satisfied my Mario cravings. Unfortunately, Super Mario Sunshine sucked balls. Mario is just not meant to be 3D. Sorry. (Although I enjoyed Viewtiful Joe quite a lot - but that's basically a 2D game.) I sold the GC not long after buying it out of disappointment. Now I have the DS and already the games I've played on them have been excellent. Mario Kart is pretty damn fun - and made even better by the Internet play. New Super Mario Brothers is everything I've wished for in a Mario game since SMB 3. Nintendogs is just silly, but the wife loves it. :-) Long story short - I'm quite happy with my purchase and it's all because of the release of this game. Way to go Nintendo!

Re:I bought a DS just for this game.

[Zed2K]

Why not just wait 2 weeks for a ds lite? Just curious.

Re:I bought a DS just for this game.

[BigZaphod]

There are both rational and irrational components to this answer...

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). Admittedly, not *much* cheaper... but still, it helps me feel better about it. :-)

Irrational: I wanted it *now* dammit! (stupid impulse-buying...)

Re:I bought a DS just for this game.

[Just Some Guy]

After work my wife and I headed to the store and picked up a DS, New Super Mario Brothers, Mario Kart DS, and Nintendogs (for her).

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.

Re:I bought a DS just for this game.

[patio11]

Sunshine was just not a good game, but Mario64 stands as one of the best platformers of all time (it was his first foray into 3D, on the N64). If you get the chance to sit down with it sometime (or buy it when it is inevitably rereleased for the Wii) I strongly recommend you do -- its quite possibly the perfect expression of the license in threespace.

Zonk, Please Stop. It Hurts.

[rAiNsT0rm]

Seriously your "reviews" make me cringe at least 3-4 times each. Your mastery of the English language mixed with your wanna-be reviewer prose == hurt. "Penultimate" eh? Maybe check the real meaning of that word.

It is a disgrace to real reviewers, and insults my intelligence. I know people will mod me down and claim Zonk does a great job, but I always hope that someone, somewhere, will realize that Zonk's "reviews" are pure garbage not fit for even the most basic fansites.

Re:Zonk, Please Stop. It Hurts.

[rAiNsT0rm]

Flamebait, eh? Well I called it, let the down-modding begin... however, my only small request is that when you mod me down please reply with a reason why I am wrong or how I am flamebaiting.

You can reply as AC, that's fine. I would really love to know how/why no one on /. can say anything about this whole "game review" B.S. without being beat up for it.

The reviews are sub-par. Period. I could care less what website they were on or who wrote them, they would still be garbage. That's all I'm saying.

Re:Zonk, Please Stop. It Hurts.

[Yahweh Doesn't Exist]

>I could care less...

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.

Re:Zonk, Please Stop. It Hurts.

[Anonymous Coward]

A. Moderators cannot repond to a story that they moderated on.
B. If you don't like the game reviews, don't read them.
C. If you don't want to be labeled flamebait, then put more construtive things into your comment. Telling Zonk to stop it and not try again is very destructive, but of course, you probably do everything perfect without practice or error the first time.
D. Meta-Moderate if you have problems with the moderating system. That is why it is there.

Also, asking for comment as to why you were modded flamebait is also flamebait. Why? Because now you will respond to this and someone else will respond, with nothing really good coming of the conversation except "you suck...", "no you suck more".

Re:Zonk, Please Stop. It Hurts.

[rAiNsT0rm]

I don't understand your point, but whatever. I wasn't asking for pity or sympathy... and my grasp of the English language is fine. All I was asking is why in the name of Jeebus these "reviews" continue when they are a total disgrace, that was all. And I simply wanted actual input from those who would mod me down for saying so.

It's all good, agree/disagree no big deal, just explain why.

Re:Zonk, Please Stop. It Hurts.

[ostermei]

His point is that you stated that you "could care less," implying there is room below the level at which you care. In other words, you DO care. The phrase you were looking for is "I couldn't care less."

Anyway, I don't have an answer to your other question, so I'll settle for just having cleared up a bit of miscommunication ;)

and I don't mean "Sha Na Na: The Next Generation"

[poot_rootbeer]

Bowser has kidnapped Princess Peach and Mario has to save her.

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.

The best ones will be on the Wii.

[Viewsonic]

You can probably expect them all to appear on the Wii. Either as free, or bonus games for buying a Wii game, or just really cheap.

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:The best ones will be on the Wii.

[Acer500]

He said he was nostalgic for Super Mario Bros. I also have a Nintendo and the original Super Mario games (amongst others), but the Nintendo doesn't work. You suggest I should buy them again or is it OK for me to play an emulator?

Re:The best ones will be on the Wii.

[NMerriam]

I'm probably going to buy a Wii, and do indeed expect that some of the mario games will be available. Hence my asking which ones I should look at -- I'm not going to buy them all!

Well...

[JMZero]

why did you capitali(s|z)e the words 'Akimbo' and 'Penultimate'?

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 people will read I try to stick to words I know the meaning of. I don't think I'm being too much of a Nazi to expect that much.

I think Slashdot could use "editorial" comments that can be acted upon then hidden - or just not visible by default to normal readers. As much as you apparently see me as hypocritical, I think there's value in trying to improve articles - but I'm sometimes tempted to respond as you have done when I see an editorial comment mixed in with more interesting content.

Re:Well...

[Anonymous Coward]

I agree that this "penultimate" crap really needs to stop. You know that people who misuse it are just attempting to sound more intelligent than they actually are, and how difficult is it to say "second to last", anyway?

Game Boy Player is not compatible with all titles

[tepples]

With the GameBoy adapter you can play ALL GameBoy and GameBoy Advance on GameCube

Almost. This excludes tilt sensor games (which don't work well as one would need to tilt the GameCube and jar its moving parts), Game Boy Camera (which displays diagonal lines when the GameCube's RF interferes with the camera circuitry), and a few FMV-driven titles (which crash on purpose on the Game Boy Player because their publishers are private parts about people videotaping the FMVs).

I hope this one's only the first

[blueskatz]

Seriously, as long as they keep making new levels, I'd keep buying these games. I don't think I could get enough. I hope this is only the first in a long series of DS Mario platformers.

torrent!

[muftak]

where is the torrent?

Re:torrent!

[arock99]

piratebay probably does but honestly if you want to see more 2d mario platformers you should go out and spend the 40 bucks to own it legaly

SMB Allstars + zsnes?

[LDoggg_]

Maybe not as cool as this new version, but hardware accelerated anti-aliased Super Mario Allstars(1-3 & lost levels in 16-bit) looks pretty good. All the tricks like 100 guys on world 3 work the same as the 8-bit version too.

Dubious

[MilenCent]

Where did you get your information? Awfully little other than that trailer and a couple of other things on the Smash Bros Dojo site has been released on the game, and to my recollection none of it features a turtle shell powerup. I am forced to call shenanigans.

Re:Isn't it time to move on....

[yobtah]

You seem awfully quick to blame video games for the lack of spatial understanding in these children. How do you know video games are the cause? While developing children probably should do something other than playing video games occasionally, I have trouble making the connection here. 2D video games contain many geometric objects... seems like something else mgiht be involved.

It's a game, right?

[FirstTimeCaller]

Please tell me that they are not releasing a sequel to the movie! Oh, the horror!

Re:Isn't it time to move on....

[Anonymous Coward]

You have stated previously that you haven't played a videogame in ten-or-so years, so your belief that kids play "2D games" is mostly forgiveable. These days, however, kids (and adults) play 3D games, like Halo (a first-person shooter. An analogue you may be familiar with would be "Wolfenstein 3D", which is more from your era), not 2D games, like the ones you might remember from your darker days as a gamer.

I hope that this post has been informative and that we can now continue our discussion from a level of shared understanding of the current videogame landscape.

--
M

Re:Game Boy Player is not compatible with all titl

[Null Perception]

Check out the screenshot..he is in world 1 stage 1: W1-1...seems as if the new consoles name was in the works since as early as the mario bros.

Way too easy

[DigitlDud]

I beat this game the same day I bought it within a few hours. Lots of fun, way too easy. And most of the mini-games are from Mario 64 DS which I already own.

Re: belongs on the shelf alongside God of War...

[lightspawn]

No, it belongs alongside the other DS games. Seriously, does anybody arrange their game collection according to rating instead of by platform?

Castlevania overrated

[JimTheta]

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:Castlevania overrated

[Anonymous Coward]

Of the three metroid style Castlevania games I've played, Harmony of Dissonance was the weakest. Symphony of the Night is easily the best, and is simply an awesome game. SOTN is up there with Super Metroid and Fallout 2 as games I've beat way too many times. I, like you, never returned to Harmony of Dissonance. Circle of the Moon is pretty good, but not as good as SOTN.

Re:Castlevania overrated

[swedd]

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

I don't want to go too far offtopic, but had to step up for a quick defence of the Castlevania series.

While I didn't think it was quite that bad, Harmony of Dissonance was definitely the weakest Castlevania title in recent years.

'Symphony of the Night' for the PS1 was an incredible game, and I recommend trying that if you can find a copy. It's lasting appeal cannot be measured using mere mortal numbers. (ie. in most Castlevania games you have to be very suspicious when you think you've just 'finished' them)

'Aria of Sorrow' (GBA) was also extremely good, head-and-shoulders above both Harmony of Dissonance and Circle of the Moon.

I agree with the grandparent - as long as the Castlevania series survives, 2D gaming will also survive.

My take on the game

[MS-06FZ]

I think there are some interesting facets to this game besides it being a nod to the original, incorporating this piece of this game or that piece of that game, having this, lacking that, and so on.

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 strengths of the series into the most important elements, along with a few common setpieces like the red coins, special coins, switch blocks, etc. I don't know if you can use New SMB as an example of the strength of the original SMB, because of the differences and (more importantly) the greater depth and variety of New SMB - I think it's more about how a relatively simple game can shine, not "despite" its simplicity, but because of it.

For people looking for modern side-scrollers, however, the DS has been delivering pretty much from day one. There's touchscreen gimmick games like Kirby's canvas and Yoshi touch, and more recently titles like Super Princess Peach and the upcoming Yoshi's Island 2. Although the system has 3-D hardware it's almost better to look at the system as a pumped-up GBA - another platform which has been a haven for SNES-era games and similar or derivative titles. (Rockman Zero, anyone?)

The koopa shell simply rocks. I think as powerups go it's way better than the Tanooki suit or even the Hammer Brothers suit. More limited than those SMB3 powerups for sure, but the basic capability afforded by the powerup, the shell dash, is more fun and more challenging to use effectively.

Oh, and the review doesn't mention the fact that, if you're fast enough in 1-1 of New SMB, you get to knock down the flagpole, too! And plowing through the stairs on the way pretty much guarantees you 5-up.

To those who said this game should have been on Gamecube - bah, I say! I think it's great to be able to play this thing mobile.

There are 2D games

[oGMo]

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.

• Alien Hominid
• Atelier Iris
• Contra: Shattered Soldier
• Disgaea
• Gradius V
• Guilty Gear X (and XX)
• UNLIMITED Saga
• Viewtiful Joe
• Ys VI

Some of these may push the limits slightly of a 2D game... Disgaea lets you spin the battlefield, Viewtiful Joe is really rendered in 3D, etc. But they're essentially 2D playing fields. And there are probably a few more I've forgotten. (I'm also not including things like DDR which don't really matter in the conventinal sense of 2D.)

Super Paper Mario has me excited in this regard. Damn nifty.

Finally, I have to mention God of War just because while it's entirely not a 2D game, it is one of the very few 3D games that has that "spark" present in 2D games. If you haven't played it, do so.

Re:Isn't it time to move on....

[tengennewseditor]

Having a grand old time huh? Is that why most of the children growing up today have to get remedial teaching in math, especially geometry and spacial processing? I have a friend who is working with kids, who because they spend too much time playing with 2 dimisional video games and not enough time playing outside and with real toys, are unable to understand the relationships of geometric objects.

Well, that's what the Wii is for...

I already beat it.

[ActionAL]

I beat it in 2 days. I'm sure hardcore gamers probably beat it in less than 1 day.

It's too easy.
The new powers aren't used very often. (blue shell, super huge mario)

I would have liked to see a game that at least met the scale of the world of super mario world, which was what more than 10 years ago?

I feel kinda jipped by how short the game is. It is fun and nice to see classic platforming mario, but there is just not enough.

omgomgomgomg

[Ayanami Rei]

*jumping up and down excitedly*

There are MATH SYMBOLS in the CLOUDS!!!

*gleeeee*

Re:omgomgomgomg

[barawn]

There are MATH SYMBOLS in the CLOUDS!!!

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:Isn't it time to move on....

[Anonymous Coward]

I can understand people that to demean stuff they don't or no longer like but that other people still find enjoyable. It supports a perception that you're better than them, and that your leisure pursuits are more fulfilling. You can even come up with reasons why those other hobbies might have a negative outcome if one over does it.

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.

You know, most people would probably rather go to an amusement park or the beach than play video games. Most people can't do that on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis. They need cheaper and shorter forms of amusement and video games meet that criteria for millions of people. Movies and books fit the bill as well. So does sitting in a coffee shop and pontificating about Spinoza and Aristotle. Getting inebriated and having sex with people is another option. Sports are healthy diversion. LEGO also qualifies.

As long as someone can do any of those things in moderation and still be a postive influence in society, I see no reason to degrade their choices on how they spend their own time giving their bodies and/or minds a break. Sure, some will be less useful, some can even harm an individual if they over-indulge and sacrifice other needs. Some, like reading a challenging or technical text, are more useful than others. In any case, a good mix is probably best and telling other people what should constitute that mix might make one a cynic, but it certainly makes one an asshole.

Don't be silly!

[Anonymous Coward]

Goombas type the same way StrongBad does :-) It's easy once you know the trick...

Re:Don't be silly!

[Anonymous Coward]

Wouldn't it be more like how Homestar types, since Strongbad at least has hands?

i dig it, but the lack of anytime saving sucks

[honold]

the new powerups are less inspired than suits of old, but i think the mini-mario is a great addition for the floaty long jumps. i would have really, really liked to see it be more world-style with a cape and yoshis, though. it feels closer to smb1 than 2 or 3 though, and i do appreciate that. the level design is very good and nothing has felt too long so far. i'm currently on world 5.

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 unlock a path in order to save. when i play, i actually avoid unlocking because the option to save is more valuable than the house items.

Re:i dig it, but the lack of anytime saving sucks

[ostermei]

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 unlock a path in order to save. when i play, i actually avoid unlocking because the option to save is more valuable than the house items.

Nope, you're not missing anything... in fact, you hit the nail right on the head. You do, however, get the option to save at any time once you beat World 8. You might want to just rush through to the end, beat World 8, then go back to get all the Star Coins, etc.

Speed run?

[strider2k]

So do we expect speed run videos from this game soon ?

I'm 22, but...

[hmniq]

...a DS lite, New SMB, and BrainAge will make me a very happy boy for the summer. Man I feel like I'm 12 again. Woot! :D

This game's true gold...

[nmaster64]

...lies in it's multiplayer...

No joke! I never would have guessed until I played that little Mario vs. Luigi game for myself. It is hands down one of the most fun multiplayer experiences I've had since Super Smash Bros. I wish it had a few more levels and options, and it'd be great if it were 4 players, but even as it stands it's the most surprisingly wonderful part of the game.

I'm working on an official review for Nwizard.com/Touchds.com now, but if I had to ballpark a rating for it now, I'd say...hmmm...well...to be safe I'll just say >= 9.5 out of 10. Definitly one of the best video games on the market today, and probably the best DS game out, which in my opinion is saying something...

Sounds great time to retire the GBA

[Is0m0rph]

With the DS Lite out next month (as a bonus it works with the Supercard) and this game Nintendo has just added a sale from me. Can't wait. DS Lite with NSMB and another 5-6 months for the Wii my gaming money is all going to Nintendo this year.

Now give me an Oddworld 2d again

[Sark666]

I was glad when oddworld and it's sequel came out in 96/97. 3d was really taking off at the time and I was glad to see a 2d game could still be a hit.

I love mario platformers, but I also really loved stuff like out of this world, flashback, heart of darkness, and the oddworld series. It would be great to see some more games in this style, it wouldn't take as big a budget as their 3d brethern, and I think the publishers would be surprised that this style of game could still sell really well.

Re:Now give me an Oddworld 2d again

[Anonymous Coward]

Sir, you are a man of fine taste.
And what do you make out of Munch's Oddysee?

Re:Now give me an Oddworld 2d again

[Sark666]

And I'm sure you are as well.

Munch's Oddysee? I was ticked back then that there was no pc version, and never got an xbox but played it in it's entirety on my friends. I thought it was a good attempt, but not great. It seems like some of the puzzle like elements were simplified and some I've seen before. For example when munch controls the levers for abe to pass through gates/doors, I've seen this in the lost vikings and with a little more complexity as you had to open a series of doors and risk your player being squashed if you open the doors in the incorrect sequence. But overall it wasn't bad. And I haven't tried the newer one with the character who looks like clint eastwood but that looks like a totally different direction.

Well, maybe seeing hits like mario, we might see more of these types of games. But mostly, my hopes lied with portable consoles but even they are pretty much going 3d.

Ok, I'm a big fan of these types of games, and thought I played them all. But awhile back I found a thread talking about an old amiga game and that there might be a pc port. I just checked and it's free. It's called oneesapee

http://onescapee.invictus.hu/

Gotta try now.

In a Word

[Anonymous Coward]

Tomba!

It's not a bug. It's a plot element.

[Thedalek]

Sure, from our limited POV, it looks like a shallow pantomime of the same thing over and over.

But imagine a Mario game down the road where it is revealed that Bowser has a limited amount of time travel technology at his disposal. He can't do much, but he can make minor tweaks to history.

Thus, we are not witnessing Peach get kidnapped on multiple different occasions: We are witnessing Peach get kidnapped the same time, on different timelines.

Or not. I tend to overthink some things.

Rent or borrow Unlimited Saga before you buy it.

[Anonymous Coward]

It's a great game, but it certainly isn't everybody's cup of tea.

If you're into pen & paper RPGs, chanses are high that you will love it tho.

DS Emulators?

[Anonymous Coward]

So is there a emu anyone could recommend?

This guy just sounded my complaint for me.

[Mewtwo]

TOO MANY EXTRA LIVES.

Nintendo thinks that we, as a generation of gamers, are soft.

People should have to play through old games before being permitted to play new ones....yes, I'm saying have gaming permits.

Get it right, get it tight

[Rethcir]

I found you, Miss New Super Mario Bros..

Suggestions

[metamatic]

Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee
Oddworld: Abe's Exxodus
Klonoa 2
Viewtiful Joe
Alien Hominid

All available for PS2. (The first two are PS1 games, but run fine on PS2 and are well worth getting, my favorite platform games ever.)

Re:Suggestions

[MadMoses]

I gotta agree, Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil is really a kick-ass 2D style platformer.

I just have to wonder...

[Anonymous Coward]

Is your name a reference to DaiRanger?

Please, no more Mario!

[master_p]

For how long do we have to put up with replays of past games? no matter how "enhanced" the game is, it is still a platform game with the same game elements as the previous one. Does it matter that Mario now has more animation and better graphics than before? not really. It is the same game.

The world needs rejuvenation. For how long will we have to deal with the same heros/games/actors/movies/faces/singers/songs/what ever of yesteryear? what happened to inspiration?

Re:Please, no more Mario!

[Anonymous Coward]

I feel sorry for you. All this throwback nostalgic stuff keeps coming out, building on and enhancing long-established concepts that have put us where we are today. And while other people can either choose to (A) buy in, if they like it, or (B) ignore it, saving their money, you happen to be in the weird and unenviable position of buying into stuff you don't care about. I wonder what kind of mental defect is at fault here, and why you were raised to maturity instead of put out of your misery at an earlier age.

tl;dr - If you don't like it, ignore it. It's not a matter of "putting up" with anything. It's a matter of people enjoying themselves with harmless entertainment and you being an asshole about it.

Boring.

[metalmario]

The game is very easy. The first time I completed the game I had 82 lives, and didn't spend time on collecting them. Also, the blue shell and huge Mario powerups are useless. You didn't need them to advance in the levels, they were just silly bonuses. And the levels mostly scrolled from left to right. In Mario 3 and 4 they went also up... The end of level bosses very really easy. And the minigames are mostly bad.

I'm a Nintendo fanboy to the bone, and love Mario games, but this was just too easy and lacked emotion. Had its moments (like Mario 1 tunes and flagpole jumping), but still, could have been a way better with good level design.

evolve

[Danzigism]

to me, its nice having a character from day one that displays their own way of evolution.. I have no problem with "newer" versions of Mario games coming out.. they're all great.. However, remakes on old ones do get a little hairy from time to time.. I'm not really in to that whole thing.. However, playing Mario 1+2+3 for SNES when they came out with Super Mario Allstars was pretty fun.. they enhanced the music and the graphics.. And yea it was much more eye appealing, and fun to play considering you got to see some real cool new things..

i think that when you're having one of those days when ya wanna play some Mario 1+2+3, then why not play the most updated version with all the cool new things? it merely exists because it means to replace the older versions.. In a way, to keep the game "alive" they almost need to do things like this to keep it appealing for young gamers.. a good portion of the younger generations don't appreciate the old school pixelated games.. much like certain new wave music fags don't like the sound of an old studio jazz recording with one mic..

basically, although I'm not a fan of remakes, I can understand why they would do this.. and i'll most certainly download it for my DS emulator..

Original 1-1 vs. New 1-1

[poiuytman]

1-1, for example, is an almost picture perfect mirror of the very first level of the original Super Mario Bros.

Perhaps the reviewer hasn't played the original SMB in a while, but NSMB's level has a completely different layout. Compare:

SMB 1-1 (Image)
NSMB 1-1 (Video)