An essential addition to any Wii owner's library.
Reviewed by Cannon Fodder on or around 11th Apr 2010
As a single-player game, NSMBW is perhaps the pinnacle of 2D platform gaming. The critical challenges are balanced to perfection, leaving the optional challenges (such as getting all the Star Coins) to test the hard-core gamers' platforming skills.
It's refreshing to play a game that doesn't take itself so seriously. NSMBW's color palette extends beyond the greys, blacks, and more greys we're so accustomed to with modern gaming; the air of childish playfulness belies the true ...depth of skill one must have to beat the final levels; and the four-player mode brings the co-operative chaos first seen in LittleBigPlanet to a whole new level.
But, surprisingly, the multi-player is where NSMBW stumbles a bit. Sure, 4 player mode makes getting the difficult Star Coins a cinch (jump, grab, bubble your way to safety) and generally makes the boss battles easier. There's nothing wrong with that, though. Cooperative games should be easier than going it solo. With NSMBW, however, 4 player mode is nearly impossible to play in the final levels, because the levels themselves were so obviously built to NOT support 4 players.
Early in the game, 4 players can race each other through any given level, jumping, grabbing, bouncing off each other the whole way. The levels were open and the platforms wide enough to accommodate Mario, Luigi, and the Toads. But, late in the game, platforms are barely big enough for one player and a missed jump sends you to your lava scorched death. Jumps require precision that four people would be hard-pressed to do even with repeated practice. In short, world 8 is a pain in 4 player mode.
4 player is a nice feature and certainly a worthy addition to the "New" series, but it too often crosses the line from fun competitive co-op to a frustrating, I-wish-it-could-just-be-over-already exercise. As such, after beating it with 3 friends and dealing with the sour taste in my mouth, I resolved to try it again solo. That's where the game's genius truly shines, despite Commander Video's claims.
Still, whether your taste is for chaotic co-operative play or for a focused solo affair, you're guaranteed to have fun here. Even with its small flaws, New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a terrific game with plenty of old-school secrets, new-school unlocks (the Super Skills movies idea should be brought to more games), and familiar Nintendo quality. If you own a Wii, you should have this game.
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