By Karn Spydar Lee Bianco 
07.08.2009
Mario is perhaps one of the most important of all gaming brands. The pity is the poor little plumber has been whored out to play every sport from golf to football and even messed around with Sonic at the Olympics. It is somewhat appropriate then that his latest outing takes him back to his roots somewhat. New Super Mario Bros on the Wii is pure classic Mario goodness, but with a twist. The Cubed3 team recently went hands on with the title. Read on as we each deliver our respective impressions.
Adam Riley, Senior Editor:
Some readers may remember that back when Cubed3 reviewed New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS it was placed head-to-head with TOSE and Nintendo's other platform release, Densetsu no Starfy 3 for the Game Boy Advance. Whilst there was great hope for the first brand new 'traditional' Mario to excel and wipe the floor with all competition, the experience came across as fun, but ultimately was seen to be missing a certain charm found in the likes of Super Mario Bros. 3 from the NES and Super Mario World on the SNES. As a result, the little starfish was victorious in the battle (although sadly that particular game never made its way to the West).
Now Nintendo is trying its hand at the formula once more, this time on Wii, complete with a four-player option, allowing three friends to join in the fun and work their way through the eighty stages on offer. From the limited hands-on with the E3 version of the game it all seemed very familiar, looking pretty much the same as the DS edition, with the exception of plenty more action on-screen at any one time, inclusive of the three other playable characters tagging along for the ride.
However, from a personal viewpoint it will be far more interesting to trundle through the plethora of levels, exploring the full extent of the designers' creations and uncovering all the secrets within on your own than it will be with others in tow. Why? Well, unless you have friends that are all of a similar level as you, the game becomes frustrating as everyone else dies repeatedly, until they are eventually side-lined completely, leaving you to quickly finish a stage alone with the rest twiddling their thumbs. I may sound too negative, but from the taster so far it is definitely the solo experience I am looking forward to most...
Mike Mason, Reviews Editor:
I can understand where Adam is coming from. In single player New Super Mario Bros Wii could be king due to the lack of caretaking required for less-skilled players. I'm very much looking forward to taking on the game by myself, as I was unable to do at Nintendo's event, but I'm also anticipating going through it on multiplayer. See, I'm a big fan of co-op gameplay. Sure, it can get frustrating when people don't listen or do stupid things, but equally if you've got the right partner/s you can't help but find hilarity in each one of those foibles. When James, Karn and myself played we were constantly helping and hindering each other and, despite my tendency to die often, I had an absolute riot.
The fantastic thing about New Super Mario Bros Wii for me is that the game is simultaneously a co-op and a competitive experience; one moment you can be racing against each other, the next you could be allowing others to bounce off your head to collect coins. There's a constant friendly atmosphere to proceedings, but there's a brilliant element of impending cruelty lurking at every stage. For example, you can nick off with other players' Yoshis when they leave them for a second (and gobble them up, spitting them out wherever you feel) and steal power ups that others desperately need. When you die you're brought back in a bubble after a brief delay, and your cohorts must burst you out so that you can continue play. Of course, they can completely ignore you and leave you floating around if they're feeling particularly mean, but you can always wobble through the air after them by giving the remote a shake. And then they can release you...right over a pit.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii does not appear to be online enabled, but this could be a good thing. The nuisance-potential being so high would likely not lead to nice online experiences with random players, so playing with people you know, with arms to punch and drinks in close proximity, is probably the best way to go.
James Temperton, Features Editor:
I don't want to simple echo what Adam and Mike have said, so I'm going to try and give you all a slightly different view on this game as a whole. For one, it is fast, as 2D Mario games should be, for another it is simple in premise but often tricky in execution, as 2D Mario games should be. What's odd, is that this doesn't feel either retro or modern and revolutionary. The whole title just kind of squishes down in this uncomfortable middle-ground.
Gameplay wise it is a bit empty in single player (the game is obviously meant to be played by more than one person, the whole thing just feels wrong when you're all alone) and in multi-player it is massively hectic but hugely frustrating. I'm a bit rubbish at old Mario games, I like to take things slowly, this game forces you to be as good as the best player or perish as a consequence. Whilst this is all well and good and a jolly good laugh for a bit, I can imagine it would be a bit rubbish for prolonged periods of play.
I guess what I'm trying to get across is my general uncertainty about this game. In single player it is very lonely and a bit awkward, in multiplayer it is a little bit frustrating but also a whole lot of fun. Make no mistake, it is a great little package and one that I'm definitely going to be picking up, I'm just not quite sure it knows what game it wants to be right now. Hopefully the final retail version will have all the answers.
Karn Bianco, Previews Editor:
I took almost immediately to Super Mario Bros. Wii, quickly rising above my fellow Cubed3 editors on the scoreboards (forgive my impertinence, guys!). That's not to say that I didn't spend plenty of time accidentally jumping to my doom and cussing wildly, though. Which, really, is half the fun. The other half, as Mike mentions, is the melding of cooperation and competition. If you're feeling particularly dastardly, for example, you can suck up other players with Yoshi and simply spit them off a cliff, but you can just as easily use the same mechanic to carry a struggling companion across a particularly tricky crevasse. There's also something to be said for suddenly turning on a fellow player whom you've lulled into a false sense of security. Mario has never been so underhanded!
While there's nothing to stop you from simply zipping through a level, the more adventurous among you will have plenty of opportunities to test your skills by seeking out coins to boost your high score. Allow me describe a particularly fun example: after entering a warp pipe in the demo's snow-capped level, the rest of the team and I found ourselves in an underground room full of constantly spawning enemy penguins. Avoiding said foes was tricky enough, but feeling suitably cocky I took it upon myself to freeze one of the oncoming foes (using the new penguin suit) as it slid towards me - upon doing so I was able to jump atop it, ride it to an otherwise unreachable ledge, and collect my big golden reward! Cue much taunting at the expense of my entirely indifferent fellow players.
Perched atop my high horse as scoreboard leader it seems that Super Mario Bros. Wii has a lot to offer players with well-tuned, old-school gaming reflexes. It remains to be seen whether the game can hold its own as a single-player experience, but as far as co-op goes, there's a lot of fun to be had. The key, I think, is being able to chose whether you want to cooperate with or antagonize your companions. Having the choice is crucial, because simply "winning" without a challenge can quickly lose its appeal, but so can being held back by less experienced players. Having the freedom to interact with others allows for the creation of a balance that, ideally, everyone can enjoy. Furthermore, the lack of online multiplayer with random (and potentially abusive) players may actually be a blessing for once.
On the whole we're all looking forward to New Super Mario Bros. Wii in some capacity or another. The cooperative gameplay, despite having the potential to favor leading players while leaving others frustrated, is shaping up to be a lot of fun provided you've got a decent group of friends in tow. Whether or not the final version will be sufficiently entertaining as a purely single-player experience remains to be seen, though.
9/10
6/10
(513 Votes)
Out now 
Out now 
Out now 
Out now This preview wins. Thanks for the heads-up. I'll be sure to mark my calendars for when this game comes out. 
i saw the previews on my Wii in the Nintendo channel. i really want to get this game. BEAST!!!!
I want this more than Galaxy 2.
Good thing the people I absolutely know I'm going to be playing this with are as good, if not slightly better, at Mario games than I am. This could turn out very well.
I think it will work better in 2-player co-op then 4, thats the impression I get. (unlike 4 swords, which is the more the better 
).
Lack of online is absolute madness though. I dont see the advantage of playing with strangers, but in this day and age I know a lot more people online then offline, and it would be nice to play with them. (and no, Nintendo, dont give me crap about not being able too...Conduit is pushing out a heck of a lot more data. This just needs to swap 2D co-ordinates and a few status flags).
Anyway, aside from online things Id like to see;
a) Unlockable charecters. (some that -act- differently, not just new sprites)
b) Challange modes, medels...anyone play Mario Bros DX? Simple editions can add more reply incentive.
c) Gravity. Lets have Mario Galaxy style effects in 2D too Could be really fun to have a spacy-level with galaxy physics.
d) A map screen, with multiple routes and secret levels. Probably too much to hope for, as it seems maybe this will be a liner expirence. But I really enjoyed finding secret stuff in Mario World, and want that again.
e)The ability to save your own level replays, and swap them or post them online. (using Nintendos tutorial system). With this sort of game I wouldnt be supprised to see killer speedruns.
Hmm, I may have to rule this out, at least until after I've settled in at Uni, simply on the basis that I don't know anyone else who'd be a decent co-op partner on this!
Kind of dissapointed the single-player is boring, I know it was obviously a multiplayer game from the start, but... 
Good preview, thanks. I wish I would see my brother more often, then we could play this together.
Im not excited by this at all. Having played the DS game. I found the level design and intricacies to be lacking and lifeless compared to SMW. I'm not going to have a group of friend who will want to meet up and play through this.
As a solo player I want levels with loads of secret elements to explore. A world map like super mario world would be amazing. I just feel its going to lack the polish of the snes games. Im also not a fan of this 2.5D design
I'm incredibly skeptical about this, and thanks for the great read, but it only serves to heighten my fears really. Yeah, it's a new 2D Mario, great, but from the sounds of things it feels like something is missing. Online, more characters, great level design? Where is it?
Generally, although it'll probably get 8s and 9s across the board, this is already sounding like a disappointment if it can't get in what should have been shoe ins.
By the way, I must know, what was the music like to people who have played it?
Good stuff guys, like the way this preview\'s been put together!
I\'m not the biggest fan of side-scrolling Marios (*hides* - though did love the portable ones), but really enjoyed NSMB for DS, so have some hopes for this.
Glad to hear it\'s good in two, four does seem a little tricky especially given you\'ll need to all share a screen!
Agree with Darkflame on the use of gravity - would be awesome in 2D!
Online-cop would have been so good, something they should really consider putting in, even if last minute. Tricky to play with others in co-op when you\'re not in the same room, but that\'s what Wii Speak (should) be for (though it\'s a crap piece of hardware).
Even if there\'s a big no to online from Nintendo, characters? Come on! There\'s a whole array of Nintendo faces that could be included, let alone from the Mario series. M, L and two toads is just plain lazy/Miyamoto-driven. God he needs a slap.
( Edited 07.08.2009 13:20 by jb )
TheStratMan said:
Hmm, I may have to rule this out, at least until after I've settled in at Uni, simply on the basis that I don't know anyone else who'd be a decent co-op partner on this!Kind of dissapointed the single-player is boring, I know it was obviously a multiplayer game from the start, but...
Are you kidding me? Universities and Colleges are full of gamers! 
I run Gaming house at my school. Trust me, you'll find friends quick and people who LOVE to play videogames....unless by some chance your school is droll dull and boring.
Excelent preview guys, thanks.
I'm really not intrested in this. The DS game was bland, in my opinion and this is looking the same. To me, it just seems like no effort is being put into it. It should have more characters, an online mode, new level designs (they just look like the DS levels) and I'm sure it could look a little better, visually.
I definetly won't be buying this.
I'm pretty sure all the level designs are new, they are just using some of the same elements/themes as the DS game.
They should look to Donkey Kong Jungle Beat for more whacky/out-there designs.
Allow me to address some questions and concerns...
I think it will work better in 2-player co-op then 4, thats the impression I get.
You may be right. Things were pretty hectic with three people, four may be too much; never got to play it with four (Adam went to the event on a separate date to the rest of us). Two people was decent, three seemed like a nice compromise.
Gravity. Lets have Mario Galaxy style effects in 2D too Smilie Could be really fun to have a spacy-level with galaxy physics.
That\'s something I forgot to mention - there was a level that reminded me a little of Galaxy. No gravity antics but there were rotating platforms and it reminded me a little of that. Hopefully later on in the game...only ten levels have been made playable to people so far.
Kind of dissapointed the single-player is boring, I know it was obviously a multiplayer game from the start, but...
Multiplayer is the clear focus, but I think possibly only Karn played it in single player. As such I\'m unsure how it is in solo play; could be good, these levels were likely shown off as good multiplayer experiences being from the E3/post-E3 tour, to show off that side of the game as they had hyped up at the conference.
Online, more characters, great level design? Where is it?
You\'ve got to remember they\'ve only shown ten levels - and they were all well-designed, think NSMB DS. Online is a bit of a concern if they\'re claiming they can\'t do it (it was said to take up ALL of Wii\'s processing power by Shigeru Miyamoto at E3 - seems very unlikely and/or a mistranslation), but it does seem like the kind of game that\'s better in person. No reason they shouldn\'t offer it as an option, really. As for other characters, again, it was a demo. I\'m sure we\'ll see others in the final build. This one just had Mario, Luigi and Toads, for reference.
By the way, I must know, what was the music like to people who have played it?
Classic 2D Mario. Lovely.
The DS game was bland, in my opinion and this is looking the same. To me, it just seems like no effort is being put into it. It should have more characters, an online mode, new level designs (they just look like the DS levels) and I\'m sure it could look a little better, visually.
It actually looked surprisingly good on a HDTV considering it\'s almost an upscaled DS game. It\'s definitely more DS Mario than NES/SNES Mario (hence keeping the \'New\' tag I suppose), so if you\'re not a fan of that you might not be a fan of this. As for level designs, Darkflame above is quite right - they\'re using similar themes as the DS version, but not the same levels. There are new concepts in there that were only vaguely mentioned as well, such as the penguin suit that allows you to slide around like a buffoon.
All things considered, it\'s looking great at this stage, but it has to be remembered that this was a demo that was likely a couple of months old when it was shown the first time. The game\'s not out til the tail end of this year, meaning they\'ve probably got another month or two to finish it off, and we\'ve only been shown a very small fragment of it. Nintendo are notoriously cagey, so don\'t assume that all we have seen is all there is.
EDIT: P.S., thank you for your lovely comments.
( Edited 07.08.2009 19:03 by Mason )
\"Yeah, it\'s a new 2D Mario, great, but from the sounds of things it feels like something is missing. Online, more characters, great level design? Where is it?\"
2D Mario games don\'t need online or a bunch of characters to be great. I\'m sure this game will have great level design, as nearly all Mario games do.
For co-op, I don\'t see how this will be more frustrating that other same-screen co-op games.
( Edited 07.08.2009 19:20 by PMD )
Classic 2D Mario. Lovely.
2D Mario games don't need online or a bunch of characters to be great.
Couldn't have put it better myself. Nothing screams "HOLY SHIT THIS IS LAZY" like multiplayer recolours, especially in a series so rich with under-recognised characters.
Well suited to a 2D Mario. As I remember there were reused/remixed tracks such as the Bowser music, but that's the sort of thing that turns up in every Mario.
I remember how disappointed i was about the game when they showed it at E3 conference. But when I tried it the next day, I was quite pleased with the experience. Level design is amazing, intricate,varied and very Nintendo. I am looking forward to it, but still hoping they will add Online.
Big phew there, I thought this would be an Animal Crossing type affair in that they just completely re-use the music from the DS game >.<
It sucks the only people that
buy it are idits
yea this comes from the guy that has his name as fart 5
How does this game suck... for the first time mario is 4 players it look great can't wait til i get it
I am actually looking forward to Galaxy 2 over this one, cause it seems like they took an old idea and made it into something new. I'll get it for my 3 year old cousin and get him hooked on Mario.
Passing on the good stuff from generation to generation. ^_^
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