So if you were lucky enough to get hold of the ever so hard to find new Nintendo Wii U, you are probably already strapped for cash after coughing up nearly $400 for the console. I myself already went down that road, and the inner battle on whether or not to buy the New Super Mario Bros video game taunted me. Do I buy this game for my selfish self, or do I buy someone a Christmas present?
Oh well, sorry, Aunt Katherine. I know, I’m selfish. I couldn’t help it though, it felt as if I have waited for years for a new Mario Bros. game to hit the gaming world. I got so sick and tired of the sports bundle Mario games that the original Wii kept 먹튀 us with, which offer a completely different sort of gameplay in comparison to old-school Mario games.
Was the game worth my $60.00 though?
This is hard to say yes and to say no because I have been waiting so long for another Mario game in general. But let me get down to the pros and cons when it comes to this game.
The Graphics:
They are sparkly, shiny, and new, and this is primarily due to the Nintendo Wii U has finally given us high definition gaming. However, even with the Wii U’s HD cable, and stunning new graphics, Super Mario Bros. U did not actually use it to the fullest.
While the graphics are pretty, it is easy to overlook them because they are only semi-shiny and new, but when it boils down to it, the game’s graphics just felt as if it had been done before. Then with a setup very similar to the original Super Mario Bros. on the Super Nintendo, with side-scroll playing, things just felt as if they were new, only re-invented. Nothing grabbed me or had my jaw dropping the way it did back when Nintendo 64 introduced Super Mario 64.
Sounds:
Also lackluster. The sounds in this new game are the same sounds we have heard time and time again in old versions of Mario Bros. games. While naturally, this is what draws us to the Mario Bros. game in general, I feel as if they could have upped their game a little bit.
The Plot:
The one thing that never bothered me about Mario games was the overuse of the exact same plot. Koopa, later Bowser, kidnaps Princess Peach. I like this plot, it is easy, basic, and non-complex. Although they have done it time and time again, this plot in Mario games never seems to grow old.
The plot remains exactly as it should in the New Super Mario Bros. U.
GamePlay:
This one is tough to pick apart because the gameplay in Super Mario Bros. for the Wii U, is actually really fun. The map is set up in a very similar fashion as it was in Super Nintendo’s, Super Mario game. You crawl your way up through different parts on a vast map and enter different worlds filled with either ice, desert sands, or water worlds, as each game becomes more challenging than the last.
When it comes to the actual in gameplay though, as I said, we have that same side-scrolling gameplay, which entails Mario getting to the castle flag before the time runs out. In each world you play however, there will be 3 hidden large star coins. You will want to collect these and not just race through each board.
Now there is nothing wrong at all with a 2D side-scrolling type of gameplay. In fact, I enjoy it, but I guess as a fan of Nintendo, and Mario all around, I was expecting this game to really wow me, as Mario games so easily did in the past when a new console was released.
What I did however like about the game was being able to play with multiple players, which allows you to use both a Wii Mote and the new Wii U GamePad to reach hidden coins, or areas.
Primarily though, even with the multiple player options and games added, this one truly feels more at home when played singularly.
Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Wii U, also allows you to play this game primarily on the handheld if you wanted. You can play it by looking at the TV if you wanted, but it tends to actually feel more natural when viewing it on the handheld. This feature is nice to have because it will free up your TV while you play the game.
Overall:
I cannot lie, Super Mario Bros. is a very decent game for the latest console. However that price tag is not justified due to that lacking wow factor, and believe me, I hate saying that about a Mario game.
