Review: New Super Mario Bros. Wii

It's no surprise to anyone that I love me some retro gaming. So much that I am willing to fork out a thousand dollars to capture my childhood memories of the glory days of the arcades. As far as consoles, Nintendo has always been the company to keep me crawling back to old favorites such as Mario, Link and Samus. With the New Super Mario Bros. Wii, they've done it again.

NSMBW, not the best acronym, I know, is a game for not only the nostalgic gamer, but anyone who enjoys simple fun. However, don't read too much into that statement about it being simple. What I mean by "simple" is the game's execution. Make no mistake, NSMBW is not easy by any stretch of the imagination. It's much more difficult than Super Mario Bros. 3.



The new propeller and penguin suits, as well as the ice flower power-up, had me forgetting about the raccoon tail, cape and tanooki suit in no time.

This is the game I have been waiting for. Sure, the 3d Mario games are great — except for Sunshine — but it is in the 2d platformers where Mario just feels right. And what has always been an enjoyable 2d experience has been enhanced through multiplayer.

Now, instead of jumping on koopa shells and goombas all by yourself, you can be joined with three friends as you make your way through the levels at the same time. What was once a calm and self-paced single-player experience turns into a chaotic speed run of epic proportions.

NSMBW stands alone as a single-player game, but it is most enjoyed with its multiplayer co-op. It not only adds to the game's difficulty, but in the enjoyment of passing the levels. The game's easy add/drop a player at almost any time makes it the most accessible co-op game I've ever played.

The game follows the same structure as SMB3, with players traversing a map that is not only filled with bonus stages for items, but roaming enemies as well.

All in all, there is a simple complexity to NSMBW. Several sections will test your platforming skills — especially in mutliplayer co-op with collision detection — but then other sections will almost cater to even the most unseasoned player.

It's a solid title worth of a playthrough from both newcomers to Mario in 2d and veterans. And if the co-op isn't enough, there's always the multiplayer coin battles and free-for-all scenarios.

With the abundance of secrets, New Super Mario Bros. Wii should keep any gamer entertained. It almost makes me question why games left 2d after all.