"Good Thing "NEW" Doesn't Refer To The Classic Gameplay"

The Mario Brothers. Their name is almost synonymous with video gaming. You ask anyone if they've played any video games, and chances are, they'll mention at least one Mario game. Ever since I was young, I've enjoyed the Mario games. Many people all across the world have also enjoyed these games. But what happens when a new Mario game is announced? Excitement. And what happens when the new game is a side scrolling platformer, much like the older games? Hype, and lots of it.

I'll admit, I was extremely excited when I first heard this game would be coming to the Nintendo DS. I didn't have one at the time, but I knew that this would be the game to make me buy one. The only other Nintendo consoles I've owned are the Nintendo 64 and the Gameboy Advance, and I've only had one actual Mario platform game (Super Mario Advance). I've played the “classic Mario games”, as some people would call it. Others may call them the “only Mario games”.

May 15, 2006. The NEW Super Mario Bros. Game was finally released (in North America, at least). Did I have my DS yet? No. And it would be that way until Christmas. Christmas of '06 finally arrived, and I received a DS, along with Mario Kart DS, and Animal Crossing: Wild World. Although they were fun, I needed something that felt more like a game, something that had actual levels and goals. NEW Super Mario Bros. was exactly what I needed. So, with Christmas money, I bought it one week later.

Now, enough rambling. It's time for the review. But before we move on to that, here's a little section I like to call “First Impression”. I'll tell you about my experience with the first 10 minutes of playing the game.

First Impression

I pop the cartridge into the DS, and turn it on. With my stylus, I select the game's icon in the main menu. The Nintendo logo pops up with that classic Nintendo sound effect (I hope you know which one I'm talking about; that one single beep). Suddenly, menu options are displayed on the touch screen, while a castle (probably Princess Peach's) is displayed on the top screen. I have several choices to choose from, but I'm too excited to worry about those. I immediately tap the “Mario Game” icon. I start a new file. A short cutscene appears. I enjoy watching it as it brings me back to the old Mario days where rescuing the princess was his only worry. No more partying, no more sports, no more dancing. Just jumping on Goombas and rescuing Peach from the clutches of the evil Bowser (in this case, Bowser Jr. is the captor).

I enter World 1-1. A new tune plays as I spot my first Goomba. Oh goody, no more throwing vegetables at Shy Guys (like in the aforementioned Super Mario Advance); just good ol' jumping on baddies. I take everything in: the graphics, music, sound effects, and of course, the nostalgia. It's been so long since I played a Mario platformer that really felt like a true Mario platformer. As I finish the level after the Mega Mushroom's effects wear off, I see Mario telling me that “that's-a nice!”. Yes Mario, it certainly is.

Those ten minutes were the most fun I've had with a video game in a while. And although almost a week has passed since I got the game, it's felt like I've been living those ten minutes of fun every time I pick up the game and turn it on. Now, onto the REAL review.

Gameplay

Gameplay is the meat of any game, so I'll start with that first, as opposed to graphics. The gameplay is essentially the same as any sidescrolling Mario game: get to the end of the level while getting hurt the least amount of time as possible. Simple, right? Not always. There are enemies, environmental hazards, and other nasty surprises waiting for you, and they're not too fond of you. “But what are these enemies like?” you ask. Many of them are from the Mario games of old: Goombas, Koopas, Paratroopas, etc. But we also have newer enemies that you must also defeat. And of course, we have the bosses. Without giving anything away, the bosses are fresh and new, yet familiar all at the same time. Some are new to the Mario universe, while other are familiar faces.

To help defeat these baddies and bosses, Mario has many of his classic moves at hand. Running and jumping are two of your most valuable assets, but Super Mario 64 has given you a few more abilities. There's the butt stomp (or ground pound, whatever you prefer), the triple jump, and the always useful wall jump. If two walls are close together, you can jump off one, then immediately kick off the other one to traverse your way up without the use of stairs. There has also been many a time where I've used it to bounce off a wall over lava, thus saving my life a handful of times.

But moves won't be the only thing you'll need to find the level-ending flag pole. Power ups are a common sight in the Mushroom Kingdom, and you'll be glad to see your old favourites and some new surprises. The mushroom still lets you become Super Mario, the Fire Flower allows you to shoot up to two fireballs at once, and the Starman renders you invincible for a short period of time. However, the new power ups are quite the mixed bag. You'll notice a two-storey Mario on the back of your game's case. How the heck does he get that big anyways? It's all thanks to the new Mega Mushroom. Use one of these babies, and Mario will turn into Godzilla! Well, not quite. But he does become extremely tall and nearly indestructible. And since we're on the topic of destruction, you'll notice that Mario can destroy any obstacle (that isn't essential to the level, however) in his path, including pipes, blocks, and enemies. When his time is up, he reverts to Super Mario, but gains up to five 1-Ups depending on how much havoc he caused. Although fun, some may find it overly cheap. If you have one of these in your reserve spot (more on that in a later section), you can easily kill any boss with this, thus making harder sections of the game a breeze.

The two other new items can't be forgotten! There's the Blue Shell, which allows Mario to duck into it and knock out baddies and blocks when he gains enough speed when dashing. It doesn't get as much use, but it's still a fun addition to the Mario universe. Finally, there's the mini mushroom. This little blue guy makes Mario half his size, and he will now die in one hit. In addition, he must ground pound enemies to kill them. So why would you even bother using this? This is your ticket to many inaccessible areas. He can jump higher, which can help reach high ledges. In addition, Mario can run on water. Finally, he can fit into small spaces, and this will be needed to unlock alternate paths that lead to special areas in the overworld.

Overall, the gameplay hasn't been drastically changed from previous Super Mario titles, and for good reason. It's the tried-and-true formula of the Mario franchise, and it works well. The difficulty is claimed to be on the easier side, and levels are a bit short. However, I must say that this only makes the game better: it's more accessible to younger gamers, and you don't feel like you're stuck in one particular level forever. Each level has new sights and sounds, and it's usually welcome to see the flag pole sooner than you expected. In addition, there were a few parts that had even me cursing at it's difficulty (mainly just the platforming parts, none of the bosses angered me to a certain degree).

10/10

Graphics

Graphics can easily make or break a game. There are gamers out there who think graphics are everything, those who don't care, and those who just want it to meet their standards. I'm the third option. There's no excuse for bad graphics, but unless the game demands a substantial amount of eye candy, then I'm fine. The Mario games have never needed photo realistic graphics, and this game doesn't break that mold. The developers tried a new style, and when it was first announced, some people had their doubts. Would the 3D characters clash with the generally 2D backgrounds? After playing the game for a while, I must say this: no, the two styles do not clash at all. If anything, they fit perfectly like the last two pieces of an intricate puzzle.

All the characters look amazing on these small screens. Mario and the bosses especially look good. The boss of World 5 looks the exact same way he did when he was in a game that was on a system much more powerful than the DS (I can't give away the boss' name, or what game he originally came from in case of spoilers). The textures are clear, and there are no graphical glitches that I have encountered yet. Mario looks amazing after eating a Mega Mushroom; you can see each individual stitch on his classic blue overalls. All in all, quite an impressive-looking game on the DS. It gets what needs to be done in this department, but also goes the extra mile. By far the best looking sidescrolling Mario game (mainly due to hardware advances, but the art style is also improved too).

10/10

Sound

To me, sound is one of the most important aspects of a game. I may be biased since I love music in general, but sound has always been a big one with me. The music is new, yet still retains the classic Mario feel. My favourite theme must be the one that plays when you are choosing a mini game (more on mini games later). It's THE Mario theme, but changed a bit so it sounds a bit more orchestral, and could easily sound good if played by a concert band. As for sound effects and voices, they're both very well done. All the sound effects are high quality, as many are taken from Mario's newer-gen outings (Super Mario 64, and so on). The voices aren't overdone, but are still a treat to hear. “It's-a me, Mario!” That always brings a smile to my face. The sound is also clear, and also retains the high quality on headphones.

10/10

Innovation

Now here's a section not normally included in reviews, but this is the DS we're talking about. Surely it's innovativeness will be compared to other games on this system. So, let me start by saying this: the touch is used, but not to the extent that we may have hoped for. The only use the touch screen gets in the main game is using an item in reserve when in a level. “But what is this reserve?” Well, when you pick up a duplicate of an item, or enter a red or orange mushroom house, then the item will go appear in a little circle on the bottom screen. You may tap that circle at any time to use the item that you have in reserve, or you may save it for other levels. Convenient, but nothing groundbreaking. Then, when in the overworld, you tap one of the different worlds on the bottom screen to instantly warp there (if it's been unlocked, that is). The final use for the bottom screen in the main game is when you go into an underground pipes. Sometimes, the view will change. Your score and reserve box will appear on the top screen, and all the action takes place on the bottom screen. However, Mario will not become touch-controlled when this happens.

The new items can also be considered innovative. The Mega Mushroom may be a gimmick to some, but I consider it a fun alternative to the Starman. You're still invincible to enemies, but you can now gain 1-Ups from this, and have fun going on a destructive rampage. It can also be a life saver during boss battles. If you're normal Mario, and have this in reserve, I recommend it, unless you really want to beat the boss fairly and risk dying. The Blue Shell is also fun to use, as is the mini mushroom, which coincidentally has the most uses out of the new items.

This game doesn't re-invent the way we play video games, or Mario games for that matter, but it does bring some fresh ideas to the table, and does it quite successfully. I'd like to see more Mario games like this. It's not too difficult, but can still provide hours of fun, especially if you're trying to collect all the Star Coins to unlock branching paths.

6/10

Replay Value

First of all, I know what you're thinking. “What the heck are Star Coins?!” Well, they are the answer to the question of, “How do I make a game replayable?” There are three in each level, and it's your job as the platforming master that you are to find all three. You may have noticed the branching paths on each overworld screen, and many paths have a sign showing a toll of five Star Coins. You may save these up, and spend them whenever you wish. When opening a path, you may save, which is a handy alternative to only being able to save after a fortress or castle. Finding the Star Coins may be easy, but actually grabbing them without countless deaths may prove to be a challenge, especially in the later levels.

The other way the game brings you back wanting more is multiplayer, and mini games. I have not yet been able to test the multiplayer out, so I am unable to review that section. The mini games, however, are a blast. There are 18 in total, that range from playing a simplified version of poker against Luigi, to blowing into the microphone to send a balloon-wearing Yoshi sky-high, to drawing trampolines for Mario to ricochet off of to reach his goal. These all incorporate touch screen (while the Yoshi one uses the mic), and many of them are a lot of fun to play. There is also multiplayer, but I am unsure if this is for all the mini games, a select few, or a new batch strictly for multiple players.

8/10

Pros and Cons

Pros
* Fun, easy to play
*Lots of levels
*Good amount of replayability
*Classic Mario style!
* Excellent graphics and sounds

Cons
*May be too easy for some
*Some levels can be frustrating, and require memory more than skill
*Bosses are too easy (however, they ARE fun)

Closing Words

This could be the Mario game that many people have waited a long time for. I know I've waited a while for Mario to return to his sidescrolling roots. Was there hype? Yes. Were people disappointed? Some. Was I disappointed? Not at all. Will you be disappointed? I don't believe so. This game, although on the easier side, can give you hours of fun, and is a great addition to the Mario series. If there's one game you should buy a DS for, let this be it. It's definitely a buyer; renting it will only leave you wanting more. This game screams Mario: the levels, items, enemies, music, everything. Everything has a “been-there-done-that” feel, but changes it ever so slightly to make you say, “Wow, this is the NEW Super Mario Brothers. I'm glad they're back, and in fine form indeed.”

Final Score

10/10
(not an average)

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/08/07