New Super Mario Bros.

"Italian stereotypes aside, this is a one a spicy meat-a-ball"

Overview:
New Super Mario Bros., oh, where have you been all my life? The answer is: in development for the last 3 years. Oh. Alright then.

As most of you know (I would hope) Super Mario Bros. is one of the greatest games of all times. When it was first released on the NES 21 years ago, it created what we now know as the modern era of video games. It brought a story, colorful levels and characters, and level design into the waning video game industry that was destroyed after the release of the infamous E.T. the game. Flash forward 21 years, and here we are, after the release of another Mario Bros. game, and the effect is just as noticeable. It seems as though the two Mario Bros. games (the original Mario Bros. and New Super Mario Bros.) each did (or are doing) something for the industry that it truly needed. Let me explain.

At this present moment in time, the video game industry is, as I would call it, saturated with graphics games. Games that, well, in my view, are as much games as Michael Bay is a Director (Hahaha I kill myself. If you didn't get that joke, go watch Pearl Harbor). The industry is one that values the look of things over the quality of things. People are oozing over Halo 3 because of how beautiful it looks, yet they've yet to even see its control mechanics. At the same time, countless other developers are overlooking franchises and systems because of their lack of graphics power. This is where New Super Mario Bros. steps in.

New Super Mario Bros. is doing everything it needs to do in the industry right now. It is showing that gameplay, not graphics, are what a game NEEDS to be. Let there be no mistake, New Super Mario Bros. is probably THE most fun game you will play since arguably Mario 64.

One could consider New Super Mario Bros. an important game simply because it is rejuvenating the long-dormant platformer genre (lost to the world of 3D). But, as mentioned above, if all predictions are correct, this game will show the gaming industry that it is indeed going in the wrong direction. Graphics are not the ONLY thing that matter in a video game, but other things as well, such as fun, excitement, and uniqueness.

One of my favorite games of all time is Super Monkey Ball. Most people act quizzical when I tell them this, yet going over the criteria for a great game, it meets it all. Gameplay, level design, uniqueness, fun, variety, and more. All of these are found in New Super Mario Bros.

But here's probably you're though right now. “Okay, you just described to me why New Super Mario Bros. is a very important game right now. But WHAT about the game makes it so damn good?” Well, thanks for asking!

New Super Mario Bros. takes the simple, SIMPLE concept of the original Mario Bros. (Peach is captured, oh no!) and cranks the volume to 11 (sorry, I just watched Spinal Tap, forgive my shameless plug). Everything is upped in the game. Take everything you know about the Mario Bros. franchise, think of EVERYTHING you've EVER wanted added to it, and you won't approach the number of things you'll find in world 1 (there are 8 worlds, each introduces new mechanics).

Here's the best way I can describe everything new about New Super Mario Bros. Many people wondered after the release of Mario 64, “Where did all this new stuff come from? I don't remember water-walkers in Super Mario Bros. I don't remember sand monsters, desert levels, flying, wall jumps, ground pounds, chomp-chomps, climbing fences, grabbing shells, swimming underwater, or a lot of other stuff in Mario Bros.” Okay, well, everything listed above, plus about a good 100 other things from Mario 64 and other Mario games (as well as new stuff) is added to this game. This is LITERALLY a 2D Super Mario 64 times 100. It really is THAT good.

And then, of course, there is multiplayer against your friend where one of you gets to be Mario and the other Luigi. You compete on a level to collect big stars. The rules are totally customizable, and the game is a blast. It reminds me (as the whole game does) of Super Mario Bros. Deluxe for the Gameboy Color, where they took the original Mario Bros. and added a lot of new side stuff, like ghost races, 2 player action, and even a photo book. Granted, there isn't a photo book in New Super Mario Bros., but there are mini games (most taken from Super Mario 64 DS, but a couple of new ones, like Whack-a-mole, given to you from the beginning).

And what would Mario Bros. be without hidden levels? Of course, because they are hidden, I won't divulge into them, but let's just say that, when you finish the main game, you'll only be about halfway done with the whole game.

Graphics: 10/10
As mentioned above, Graphics aren't as important as gameplay. However, with a system as powerful as the N64, one would expect at least a minor graphical improvement over the NES, and we are given that plus more. What I love about the designers of this game is that they didn't add graphics just to make it pretty, they made them essential. For example, when climbing up a fence, Mario can climb behind the fence in 3D space to avoid objects falling in front of the fence. Thus, the graphics actually mean something in the game.

Gameplay: 10/10
Oh come on. As said above, one of the most fun games of all times. Everything that is “New” and “Old” about New Super Mario Bros. melds into a perfect blend of fun, chaos, excitement, and just a great time. Everything means something in this game, and it is something you can play for 2 minutes or 2 hours straight, and come away with the same great experience every time.

Sound: 9/10
I've never been one to love sound in video games (honestly, if it doesn't have a full fledged orchestra behind it like the upcoming Zelda game, then I'm not sold), but Nintendo always finds a way to lull me over with their BOINGS, DONKS, and YIPPEES during the game. The cheery music fits the world of the game perfectly. Nothing against the game, but I always prefer to play a game like this with some Van Halen cranked up in the background, but when I'm without my iPod or computer, the sounds of the game do just fine.

Replayability: 9/10
When you finish the main game, you'll be about halfway done. When you finish everything, you'll have invested about 10-20 hours into this game. Then there are mini games, multiplayer, and playing the game through again because it is just so much fun. I give it a 9/10 instead of a 10/10 because it is a linear game, so you'll see everything after 2-3 times through.

Rent or Buy?
You could buy if just because it restores dignity into the video game industry. But, of course, it is an incredible game on its own, and one that everyone can enjoy. My 4 year old cousin and my 70 year old grandpa will both love this game as much as I will. And in the end, isn't that all that really matters? Well, maybe not, because I'm probably a lot better than them, and no one likes to make their grandpa cry after owning him at Super Mario Bros.

Final Thought:
This game will be looked back upon in 20 years in one of two ways.
A) This game was the last great hurrah in an era confined by high graphics and low gameplay. It was a small beacon of hope in a river of sad, and, unfortunately, the graphics-nuts overruled the imagination of Nintendo and caused the gaming industry to plummet into the ground.

B) New Super Mario Bros. marked an era of change in the gaming industry. It, like its originator 21 years before it, revolutionized the gaming industry, and caused the industry to look at itself in a new light. Everyone stopped ogling over their 1080p HD games and started realizing that fun is what mattered.

It is up to you to determine which of these two outcomes occurs. But for me, no matter which happens, I'll always have my copy of New Super Mario Bros. in my DS, waiting to be pressed, and waiting for me to hear Mario scream his line of joy, “WOOHOO!”

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/31/06