jeremy1456's Full Review: New Super Mario Bros. for DS
One of the first games shown for the Nintendo DS handheld was a new Super Mario Bros. title. Unlike the more recent handheld editions, this was a completely new game, and it looked to return the series to it's roots, but with a completely polygonal art style. 2 years in the making and finally we're blessed with the game. Is it quality enough to stand alongside the classic Mario games? Read on to find out.
First off, how stupid of a name is New Super Mario Bros? Very. My initial response when I heard the final title was that it sounded incredibly lame, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way. I still hold the same sentiments. Couldn't Nintendo have named it something different? I would have even settled for Super Mario Bros. DS. Oh well, what's in a name anyways?
New Super Mario Bros.
As you may have already realized, the story is the usual Nintendo fare. Baby Bowser has kidnapped Princess Peach, and it's up to Mario to save her from the beasties' clutches as he hops his way through eight worlds. Kinda lame, but it wouldn't be a Mario game otherwise.
Make no mistake, this is classic Mario action. You'll progress from level to level through a small map. In each level the goal is, as simple as it sounds, to run or swim right until you reach the exit, at which point, you can move on to the next. There are a few switch-ups, such as the more confusing pipe levels and the castle zones, but no radically different goals will be required. The castle zones each feature a boss which you will need to defeat, and each world contains a small and a large castle. I understand that this all sounds a bit too simplistic, but any fan of classic Mario games will find a lot to love in this package.
Before jumping in you should know that New Super Mario Bros. is most akin to the original SMB. The level structure reflects it, and the fact that there is no power-up that allows you to fly also reinforces this. While this isn't a bad thing, I would have preferred a more inspired new game in the series, and one that's less based on the original title. I was hoping New Super Mario Bros. would take place in a brand new setting, feature more new enemies, radically different power-ups, or at least have a more complex level structure. I'm not saying that the developers were lazy here, but it seems that they were aiming more for a nostalgic title here than a true successor.
Still, the game is a lot of fun. Everything is tight, and it certainly does feel a lot like the original Super Mario Bros. games. One element that I'm glad to see return is the level design. Though, as I already mentioned, the level structure is a bit too similar to the older games for my tastes, each area still contains the classic Mario quirks and cool little Nintendo touches that made the old games so great. No complaints here; I'm just glad that Nintendo still has it in them to re-create the magic.
The worlds are nicely varied in classic Mario style. You've got a stone world, a Halloween themed area, and even a zone in which most of the levels are underwater. You'll find a nice spectrum in the design, and this is easily one of the game's strong points.
Each level in the game contains star coins. These are used as a toll to reach new areas in specific map areas. For example, you can unlock alternate routes, and mushroom houses (which offer you items or 1ups). Although they aren't required to complete the game, it's still a nice little addition that rewards those who are looking to get more out of the experience. My major problem with these star coins is that some of them are hidden in areas which require specific power-ups, which are, most of the time, not located in the given level. This will require you to backtrack if you are looking to get everything, and it's actually quite an annoying element.
The power-ups are the weak link in this title. They're just too uninspired, and as fickle as this sounds, I really would have liked more classic ones to return. Why couldn't you have included the Frog and Tanooki suits, or even just the Raccoon or Cape, eh Nintendo? For this outing the returning power-ups are the Mushroom and Fire Flower. New to the series is the mini-mushroom (which shrinks Mario way down), the shell (which allows Mario to roll in the direction he's running), and the mega mushroom (this makes Mario huge, and allows him to destroy anything in his path). The new ones sound a lot more cool than they actually are, and you'll undoubtedly find yourself bored with them.
And why the heck can't you throw a shell upward, like you could in Super Mario World? This may seem like no big deal, but it's stupid to throw out such a simple feature when there's no clear reason as to why. I liked it, and it's very missed.
Multi-player is actually quite well done. You're given the option to race through a level, or to battle it out for stars amongst two players. The game even allows for single cart play, but you're severely limited in the amount of levels you can choose from when using this method. Along with these modes you're also given the option to play a set of mini-games; all of which make use of the DS' touch screen functionality. What's kinda lame is that these are the same exact mini-games that were included in Super Mario 64 DS, but it's still decent of Nintendo to bring them over. I would have preferred completely new mini-games, but I'll take what I can get.
The graphics in New Super Mario Bros. are incredible, especially when you're watching the game in motion on the DS Lite. It's a bit odd at first to see 2-D Mario animated in polygons, but everything moves much more smoothly than you would expect. Also cool are the backgrounds which are sprite based, but they still mix in with the polygonal characters. The bottom screen is used for not only stat tracking, but sometimes when you go down a pipe the action will be transitioned down to it, which is admittedly a little cool. This is one colorful, and fantastic looking game. Probably the best graphics on the DS yet.
Audio clearly leaves a lot to be desired. Not only is the music unimpressive, but it's also mostly unoriginal. Again, this is an area in which Nintendo decided to get all nostalgic instead of making it new as they have done with each new Mario title. The sound effects are ripped mostly from Super Mario 64, although you'll find some classic, such as the fireball throwing that have been taken from the older games. New Super Mario Bros. also features the standard voice samples for Mario and Luigi, but it's what we've come to expect. All in all I'd say that this is a pretty weak game in the audio department.
Although the music is weak, controls are sublime. You'll find that everything is incredibly responsive, and moving around is very intuitive. There are no problems with the basic controls, unless you're playing with the DS Lite and it's crappy d-pad. A slight mishap is that Nintendo forced touch screen integration into this game. Thankfully it's only used for calling down your reserve item, which is displayed on the lower screen. A quick tap sends it to the upper screen, at which place Mario can grab it. Sometimes there's way too much going on to take the time to touch the item, but that's it's only real drawback.
Final Recommendation
If you're a fan of sidescrollers, and especially classic Mario titles, than you cannot live without this game. Although it feels more like a tribute to older Mario games than a completely new installment, New Super Mario Bros. is still definitely worth checking out.
SynopsisOnce upon a time, the gaming world was turned on its head by a little gray cartridge for the Nintendo Entertainment System: Super Mario Bros. ...More at Best Buy®
Mario's first major 2D platformer since Super Mario World has arrived! New and familiar enemies are everywhere in this DS adventure.More at Family Video
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