BusierDonkey
Member
Game 13
New Super Mario Bros. Wii - Obtained all five shining stars
New Super Mario Bros was Nintendo's return to 2D on the DS, but with 3D models. The Wii game is entirely new but keeps the DS aesthetics at a higher resolution. The end result was a very clean look, almost too clean. Everything has a satin-finish look to it and after playing Yoshi's Island again and seeing how well it holds up, this somehow doesn't look as special. Still, I'd take this look any day over the pre-rendered visuals in Yoshi's Story on the N64. The music is super catchy and fits the various areas well, but then the "Wah-wah" kicks in so the Koopas can do a dance. I don't care for it; I find it hurts an otherwise fantastic soundtrack. What I did care for was the gameplay. The last time I played this was with multiple people and the game is clearly designed around that. Platforms are generally large, always making sure there is space for the whole group. That doesn't mean the platforming suffers, just that you won't find yourself balancing on single sprite width platforms very often. Mario feels a bit more slippery and floaty than he did in Super Mario 3, closer to the original Super Mario Bros. but he has a few new tricks up his sleeves. The wall jump and the flutter mean a trip down a pitfall can be saved with the right timing and a jump that just might not make it has a second chance without being a full safety net like Yoshi's flutter. So, while the base gameplay I think is looser than in Super Mario 3, the extra maneuverability Mario's new moves add means you really have more total control over Mario than ever before in a 2D Mario game. The new powerups are great, the propeller mushroom and the penguin suit are both fun to use and come in handy throughout the game. Being a Wii game, of course you have to shake the Wiimote to pick up items which took a minute to get used to but after a while is second nature. Getting 100% completion in this game is tough but fair. while most coins stare you in the face, going back for mop-up meant a lot of testing walls, checking corners and second guesses. The secret world levels were hard, but short enough that you always feel as if you almost made it, never feeling cheap. Overall, it wasn't my favorite Mario game, but it's a fantastic platformer that holds up really well.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii - Obtained all five shining stars
New Super Mario Bros was Nintendo's return to 2D on the DS, but with 3D models. The Wii game is entirely new but keeps the DS aesthetics at a higher resolution. The end result was a very clean look, almost too clean. Everything has a satin-finish look to it and after playing Yoshi's Island again and seeing how well it holds up, this somehow doesn't look as special. Still, I'd take this look any day over the pre-rendered visuals in Yoshi's Story on the N64. The music is super catchy and fits the various areas well, but then the "Wah-wah" kicks in so the Koopas can do a dance. I don't care for it; I find it hurts an otherwise fantastic soundtrack. What I did care for was the gameplay. The last time I played this was with multiple people and the game is clearly designed around that. Platforms are generally large, always making sure there is space for the whole group. That doesn't mean the platforming suffers, just that you won't find yourself balancing on single sprite width platforms very often. Mario feels a bit more slippery and floaty than he did in Super Mario 3, closer to the original Super Mario Bros. but he has a few new tricks up his sleeves. The wall jump and the flutter mean a trip down a pitfall can be saved with the right timing and a jump that just might not make it has a second chance without being a full safety net like Yoshi's flutter. So, while the base gameplay I think is looser than in Super Mario 3, the extra maneuverability Mario's new moves add means you really have more total control over Mario than ever before in a 2D Mario game. The new powerups are great, the propeller mushroom and the penguin suit are both fun to use and come in handy throughout the game. Being a Wii game, of course you have to shake the Wiimote to pick up items which took a minute to get used to but after a while is second nature. Getting 100% completion in this game is tough but fair. while most coins stare you in the face, going back for mop-up meant a lot of testing walls, checking corners and second guesses. The secret world levels were hard, but short enough that you always feel as if you almost made it, never feeling cheap. Overall, it wasn't my favorite Mario game, but it's a fantastic platformer that holds up really well.
