"So this is a great game for those who haven't played an NES before."

So here we have a Mario game that sticks to it's roots as a side-scrolling masterpiece. Once again step into your NES and SNES and experience the world of Mario with a face-lift. (Though not so much a new attitude.) The game looks great, sounds great, and plays like any classic Mario should (Yet I'm not one to relieve a game of pressure just because it's like playing my favorite game of all time on the go.) The beef I have with this game, however, would be far less of a beef than if this didn't feel like Super Mario Bros. 3 on the go. . . But can this Mario title live up to it's predecessors? Will Mario once again save the fair and noble Princess Peach from the evil clutches of Bowser's minions? What sort of trials will our hero Mario have to face leading up to his confrontation with Bowser to eventually save the Princess? Find out on the next episode of DRAGON BA-- Oh, sorry about that. I seem to have gotten a little carried away with all of this nostalgia in the game. I'll try not to reference Dragon Ball Z anymore, for the sake of the reader's sanity and to make the review all the more enjoyable to read.

Gameplay.

6.

So, you set off and on that screen it shows those rascally Koopa kids marching off with Princess Peach. I'm thinking to myself, "This is totally awesome!" The main way of controlling Mario when roaming the lands of the Mushroom Kingdom is the D-Pad to get the fat plumber's behind in gear, the A and B buttons to make Mario do a miraculous leap that I'm pretty sure defies the laws of gravity. (Can people of his body shape jump that high?) The X and Y buttons to use various power-ups. (Like scorching a little Goomba off to hell.) The L and R shoulder buttons to make Mario see further off behind him and into the distance. (Legalos sees the Uruk-Hai!) A little button the touch screen you can use to tap into a stored power-up. (Okay, way to rip off Dora The Explorer's backpack, Nintendo.) And while you're in the air, you press Down on the D-Pad to make Mario pound the ground in with his plumber butt. (I feel sorry for whatever that guy lands on.) Yet with all of these various ways of using Mario, I know and God knows that I'm playing Super Mario Bros. 3 all over again. On a handheld. Don't get me wrong, I love the old school Mario's. Jumping on enemies and heightening your score and receiving the miscellaneous power-ups to destroy everything in your path. But this game comes and brings almost nothing new to the table. I have an extra slot for power-ups and a couple of mushrooms that turns me either huge or teeny tiny. A star that helps you obliterate everything in your path. And a butt pound when you jump into the air to get to areas otherwise unaccessible. So the game only has a few new implications and makes you want to play some of the older games just for the older power-ups. Ah, nostalgia. Such a magnificent part of life. Nintendo even decides to leave out a few of the much-loved power-ups from the previous games. Mario now doesn't have his trusty cap, nor can he turn into a raccoon ever again in this "New" Super Mario Bros. So, to put this bluntly, it's a little less than what you bargained for if you played an NES or SNES before.

Graphics.

9.

The game looks gorgeous. It combines stunning 2D backgrounds and landscaping with a 3D Mario and enemies. The backgrounds appear rich and welcoming, but the 3D Mario appears a bit squashed together. The enemies look fantastic, and all wht you would expect in a Mario game. Each world looks more stunning than the last. That said, it still seems as if Nintendo copy + pasted the old Mario formula and gave it a new-age makeover. So that right there sort of hinders those not looking to travel down memory lane once again. Nevertheless, the stunning combination of 3D and 2D makes this game a great deal of eye-candy. The game is no Metroid Prime: Hunters for sure. But that's certainly fine with me, as the art style in bot h 3D and 2D look excellent, and resemble what you would expect from a Mario platformer. That's about all I'm going to say about this, because we all know that what makes a Mario game is not the graphics, it's the gameplay. It's a reason why I still play my copy of Super Mario World to this day.

Sound.

9.

This game brings you back to the days of the NES when you first set foot into Mario's zany 2D world. And it does it with style and grace. Mario's jumps sound exactly like those made nearly 20 years ago, and the familiar "Pop!" sound of enemies as you pounced on them is brought back to dormant ears. Even the classic 1-Up sound is heard whenever Mario collides with that familiar, green, plumber-saving mushroom. Hitting bricks is once again a sound for sore ears. (Can I say that and make it sound convincing?) It captures the soul and feel of the Mario universe and transforms it into today.

Difficulty.

8.

I have to say, if this game is hard to you, you need some lessons in old-school. Most of the challenge to the game is in the form of jumping in the right place at the right time. Your reaction time shouldn't even be a factor in the game. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing as we need a game such as this every now and then. Most games are getting too complicated to even play very easily. (*Cough*Meteos*Cough*) Gamers should be allowed a break from that fast-paced console experience to sit back and relax to play a nice game of Mario. Especially on a handheld, difficulty should not be judged so harshly as it is meant not to be a console experience, rather than just a quick fix for a busy gamer. This Mario on the go is certainly one for the collection of any casual or new gamer.

Re-playability.

9.

So far this game is looking like a sort of pick-up-and-play experience. (Like all Mario's are.) If you are looking for a sort of console experience, then I can assure you that this game will not be your cup of tea at all. It's like Super Mario World in a handheld shell. But I find this type of gameplay extremely appropriate for the Nintendo DS. It is a handheld, after all. The levels are short and quick and fun to play through, making the game once you beat it a blast at short intervals. Nintendo made this Mario on the go and did it right, so I'm going to commend them for this.

Is it worth a purchase?.

Non-gamers new to the gaming scene should definitely buy this game. It's what got most of us "hardcore" gamers hooked into the tech scene. If you're a gamer looking to buy this game, and didn't ever play the original Mario's, then I say you should definitely go and buy it. It combines everything great about the past Mario games and packs them into one neat little package. (With the absence of some power-ups and tricks here and there.) But if you've played the past Mario games (And aren't a fan of nostalgia where nostalgia doesn't belong.) then I suggest you skip this game and let the generations who missed out get some old-school Mario loving. So, buying it depends on which type of gamer you are: A Mario player, or a non-Mario player.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/18/06