New Super Mario Bros. Review

Greetings fellow bloggers! How many of you here don't enjoy playing Mario games? Oh yeah, about three of you? Oh well, that doesn't really matter. This really needs no introduction, but I have to since it's my standard format Anyway, read the following about what is worthy of any DS owner's money, I mean really. Oh, and starting with this review (and as long as I remember), I've added a new section after my scores. So yeah, hope ya'll like it. My fellow bloggers, I give you my New Super Mario Bros. review! All screenshots are courtesy of IGN.


Game: New Super Mario Bros.
Developer - Nintendo EAD
Publisher - Nintendo
Release Date - May 19, 2006
ESRB Rating - Everyone
Genre - Platformer
Players: 1-2
Saving - Cartridge holds 3 save profiles

United States citizens must wait until they are 16 years of age to obtain their driver's license. America's teens are usually more than eager to accomplish that. Whoever thought the same would happen to those of us wanting the next epic 2D sidescroller featuring Nintendo's portly plumber? Well, as unfortunate as it was, the wait was more than worth it. We haven't seen an original 2D Mario game since Super Mario World, because the GBA ports don't count. Now our childhood 2D gaming hero has another new home, and this time it's the famed DS. The game's name may not be entirely original, but the experience is. New Super Mario Bros. will easily please any fan of Nintendo's celebrated mascot.

The most special elements of Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World and Super Mario 64 have been combined to form another epic adventure. The story isn't the most creative one Nintendo's ever written though. Bowser Jr. still has the whacked out idea that Princess Peach is his mother. One day when Mario and his girlfriend (I don't care, it's true) are taking a nice stroll, they soon make it to the royal castle. But something is wrong, because the entire building is engulfed in smoke. Obviously Mario feels the need to investigate, so he quickly whisks away to do so. Shortly after his departure though, Bowser's son abducts the lady in pink and runs off. Mario returns, noticing her missing, and immediately goes after her.

This just goes to show you that a DS game doesn't need full 3D to look awesome.

The first thing players will notice about NSMB is the unique presentation. It's a 2D/3D hybrid, utilizing a more advanced isometric picture of both the action and the background. One might think this would look downright strange for a sidescroller, but it actually looks wonderful. The landscape is beautifully detailed, and backgrounds are rendered with a lot of artistic wonder. Players won't be blown away by everything, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with how the game looks. Animation is done well, and character models are vivacious. The special effects will also make any Mario fan happy. When you turn into Mega Mario, witnessing him literally destroy everything in his path is smile-inducing.

The adventure itself functions similarly to Super Mario Bros. 3. There are eight worlds, and each carry their own theme and a series of unique levels to conquer. Those themes range from a simple outdoorsy atmosphere to another that looks like a complete wasteland. Along with the actual levels on the overworld map, players will encounter Toad and Toadsworth houses. The Toad houses offer players a chance of obtaining both extra lives and a backup upgrade item. There are also opportunities for taking shortcuts through the world itself, and warp pipes are the tools for that.

This is your pilot Mario speaking…we are about to pwn two…I say….TWO baddies! Please brace for some possible turbulence.


Controlling Mario is also as fun as ever. The good old days of running, jumping and fireball spitting are back. Along with the 2D platforming roots millions are so fond of, Mario has some new weapons in his arsenal. Unfortunately the Tanooki Suit that turned the chubby Italian plumber into the loveable flying raccoon didn't make it. In its place however, are the new Mini and Mega Mushrooms, along with the Koopa Shell. Mini Mushrooms allow Mario to shrink to less than an infant's size to access tiny pipes that lead to otherwise unreachable areas within levels. Mega Mushrooms, on the other hand, make the plumber an invincible gargantuan that can crush anything encountered. Unfortunately the Koopa Shell isn't the most intuitive thing to use. While it offers Mario some great protection, using it for attacking purposes can prove cumbersome. Nevertheless, Mario and his NES platforming glory days are back, just with a nice new face.

New elements have also been added to actual levels to make this a one-of-a-kind experience. Hidden in each stage are three star coins. Some are no problem to obtain, while others are stuck in some challenging locations to balance the difficulty of finding them all. These coins have one major purpose. That is to open entry to previously inaccessible Toad houses and other alternate paths. Another addition is various stages give players the opportunity of doing one of the more annoying tasks of Super Mario 64. Upon encountering a certain switch, a collection of eight red coins appear. There is a time limit to getting them all, and achieving your objective nets you an upgrade item. In other words, NSMB isn't an 'out with the old and in with the new' deal. It's an 'in with the old and new' experience.

Thankfully,after this battle, there's no annoying Toad waiting to deliver a pointless message.

With the change of pace that the gameplay was given, of course the audio received the same treatment. Most of the music is comprised of remixed themes from Mario games past. Others are brand new, and they sound just catchy as the nostalgic melodies. Hardcore Mario fans may not really care for the more techno-oriented compositions, but there's nothing immediately wrong with them. The music fits the action well, and can really draw in players. Sound effects though, remain unchanged, and for the better. Whether it's bashing blocks, stomping on Goombas and Koopas, swimming or spitting fire, it sounds just as it did in the original SMB games. There was really no need to change them either, so we can be happy for that.

Unfortunately one of the downsides of New Super Mario Bros. is the overall value. It's no doubt one heck of a fun game to play, but it doesn't exactly last long. Players can easily beat this in the span of one weekend. That's not to say there's no challenge, as certain levels most certainly can be, the overall difficulty just isn't really high. You don't even have to complete all eight worlds to beat the game. However, to try to combat this, Nintendo implemented some neat features. One is the multiplayer mode, which allows one person to be Mario and the other Luigi. Players involved compete to collect as many stars as they can to eventually be labeled 'Best Mario Brother'. Another is the return of all the mini-games featured in Super Mario 64 DS. Yeah, Nintendo completely ripped off one its own games, but they are still just as fun for those that wish to try their hand at them. Finally, just with this being such an epic new Mario sidescroller, that in of itself is enough to bring players back. Finding all the coins and unlocking the bonus content available after the game is beaten can take some time.

New Super Mario Bros. is truly new, and so much more. The game may not have relied on the touch screen at all for in-game play, but that doesn't matter. Not all DS games absolutely require using the revolutionary interface. Hey, it uses the local wireless feature, so that's something. Nevertheless, with so much enjoyment to be had with this new generation Mario platformer, why do we need anything else? No matter how lame the story is, not many can deny that this is what we've been waiting almost two decades for. With that said, let's just hope we don't have to wait another 16 years for the next one. That would be plain blasphemy. Thank you Nintendo for another epic experience, but please, don't wait so long next time.

New Super Mario Bros. Breakdown:

Gameplay……….9.5/10
Controls…………9.5/10
Graphics………..10/10
Sound……………9/10
Lasting Appeal…..8/10

OVERALL PRESENTATION……….9.2/10

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. SUMMARY
+PROS
+ Excellent graphical presentation
+ Classic Mario platforming
+ Mega Mario

-CONS
- Overall difficulty isn't high
- New music may upset some fans
- No Tanooki Suit