"He's back, but is he better?"

-New Super Mario Bros.-

Intro - THAT'S A SO NICE!

Before this game had been released, it had been a considerably long time before the last 'true' Mario platformer - that is, the side-scrolling, block-bashing type. And if you don't count Yoshi's Island as a 'proper' instalment, then we're going even further back.

New Super Mario Bros. was released around two years ago at the time of writing, to widespread critical acclaim and huge sales. After all, this was the game that old-school Nintendo fans had been waiting for - a new Mario title that wasn't about collecting stuff, but was about blasting through levels, powering up and reaching the goal, all whilst keeping your high score as high as it can be.

So how does it fare? Let's take a look, shall we?

Gameplay - A new spin on the plumber's antics.

Thankfully, Nintendo haven't messed much with the classic Mario formula. You've got your blocks, coins, mushrooms, tricky platforming, Koopa Troopas, Goombas, fortresses, Ghost Houses...the list goes on and on! All the staples from the past games are here, except two somewhat crucial things: flight and Yoshi.

With the addition of flight to Mario's two previous encounters, the levels could be seen in a new light and everything just seemed so huge all of a sudden. They also assisted somewhat in making those two games feel a bit more 'free' than Super Mario Bros. and its sequel. Yoshi wasn't nearly as revolutionary or important, but he was still an iconic addition that helped change the gameplay somewhat.

It seems Nintendo have ignored these two additions and instead focused on something to make this seem 'New'. However, our three new power ups aren't exactly as useful as the previously mentioned:

- The Mega Mushroom inflates Mario to a HUGE size. We're talking massive here. He can stomp through levels like the Hulk and destroy almost everything in his path. Enemies are like ants to Mega Mario, and bosses become a pathetic joke. There is a flaw to this, however - whilst it is fun to play around with the first few times, it can be accessed way too much, and makes some stages feel redundant. In my opinion, Nintendo should have just put this power-up in where it was needed, like the ones in Yoshi's Island.

-The Mini Mushroom shrinks Mario to a few pixels' height. In this mode, you can get through small gaps and find a few hidden secrets. However, Mario is at his absolute weakest here, taking one hit to die, and you lose any power you had beforehand (for example, if I'm playing as Fire Mario, I'll shrink if I touch the mushroom but lose my fire powers.

- The blue shell basically turns Mario into Sonic - a blue whirlwind of destruction. Running whilst wearing this item turns Mario into a spinning shell of death, breaking blocks and destroying enemies with ease. However, it is annoyingly hard to keep control of. The blue shell's actually hindered my adventure more than helped it, on most occasions.

Thankfully, the Super Mushroom, Fire Flower and Star all return unchanged.

Aside from the item gripes, everything else is pretty much ace. Level design is fantastic, each one standing out from the next. Alternate routes are also available to increase replay value, although some are so annoyingly specific that you'd think Nintendo was behind some secret ploy to sell strategy guides- there are two entire worlds that can only be accessed by a very specific route, and I would have had no idea how to access them if I hadn't looked up a guide on the internet. Remember, this is an entire quarter of the game I'm talking about missing here.

Mario's also gained a few abilities from his 3D encounters - the ground pound, triple jump etc. are all here and implemented quite well into the stages.

Although it sounds like I'm being a bit harsh on the game, don't take it so badly. The rest of the gameplay is the usual excellence, featuring very individual enemies, interesting (if easy) boss battles and even some interesting puzzles scattered here and there.

Controls - How's the DS do?

Thankfully, the touch screen is limited to menus, world map navigation and the like. Practically everything else in New Super Mario Bros. is controlled traditionally. On the first playthough, Mario seems a little sluggish and 'floaty' - but you soon get used to it. You can't shake the feeling that the controls could have been tightened up just a little bit, though.

Longevity - You'll have this in your DS for a while.

The main adventure is both fun and, towards the end, challenging, but at most it'll only take you about a week to thwart Bowser and friends. However, there are loads of secret routes, a couple of hidden worlds, and of course a high score to keep topping. Add to the fact that the mini-games from Super Mario 64 DS have also been added to the game for some light entertainment, and you'll find yourself playing this game for a good month or so.

Story - Same old, same old.

Mario's not really about story at all. Bowser's got the princess for whatever
reason, Mario has to get her back. That's it. It works. Next.

Characters - The usual suspects.

Whilst Mario's RPG exploits have new characters popping out left, right and center, New Super Mario Bros. sticks to tradition. The core cast is Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Bowser's annoying kid, Bowser's annoying grunts, and Princess Peach. And that's all a Mario platformer needs, really. Although Wario and Yoshi playable as bonus characters would have been nice...

Graphics - Some of the best the DS can do!

The DS is no PSP graphics wise, but Nintendo have done a fine job portraying Mario's crazy, surreal world. Everything animates smoothly, Mario and friends are full of life, and there are some really great graphical effects like the warping of the scenery in one of the desert stages, or Bowser's skin burning off when you fry him in the lava, leaving him as a skeleton (seriously!)

If there's only one thing I'd have liked to seen added, it'd have been a day/night system, which I feel the DS's internal clock is perfect for. Seeing each stage in night and day form, with changes to the enemies, would have been pretty fun as well as an incentive to replay.

Sound - Stickin' with tradition...

The music is the usual catchy stuff, with a mix of new and old tunes. Sound effects are great, from Mario's usual Italian yelps to the satisfying 'splat' when you stomp your first Goomba. No complaints.

PROS and CONS

To finish off then, here are the best of the best, and the worst of the worst!!

GOOD:

+It's still classic Mario action!
+Plenty of stuff to see and do.
+Alternate routes through several levels
+Bright, colourful graphics and excellent sound.
+Puts up a challenge to even older fans of the series.

BAD:

- New power-ups are somewhat gimmicky, and not as subtly practical as past iterations
-Somewhat floaty controls; not as tight as the SNES Mario titles.
-Routes to an entire quarter of the game are a bit too well hidden.
-Bosses are somewhat easy.
-Ignores a few crucial components that were truly advancing Mario's gameplay.

Conclusion

Despite several flaws and a few frustrating moments (plus that constant feeling that it's not quite as good as it could've been), New Super Mario Bros. is a worthwhile purchase, and worth at least a couple of playthroughs.

And since it's been out for nearly two years - where's our sequel, Nintendo?

VERDICT: 7/10

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 04/28/08

Game Release: New Super Mario Bros. (EU, 06/30/06)