New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a game that makes a point. Almost as if ripped from a bygone era, its ambitions are uncharacteristically precise. In these days of diverse mechanics and myriad gameplay goals, NSMBW is unashamed to do one thing and do it well. Demanding only that gamers platform their way to success, Mario's triumphant return to 2D console gaming is free to focus the entirety of its attention on the elements that most engagingly facilitate that goal.
There is no down-time in NSMBW. Sure, you spend a little time goofing around in Mushroom Houses on the maps, but the stages proper are always constructed to require the same level of frenetic attention. One need only look as far back as Super Mario Galaxy to see where this philosophy wanes. For all its (deserved) accolades, there are numerous challenges that you can sleepwalk through, or that at least don't require mastery (or even use) of the game's primary mechanics. Remember the star where all you had to do was jump in the water, grab a shell, and return it to a penguin not 20 feet away? How about the "garbage disposal" stars, which were among Galaxy's most frustrating tasks?
Such interludes are alien to NSMBW. Each challenge demands the run and jump meat and potatoes that have served as Mario's foundation for decades. It might seem trivial to dwell on, as one would expect this kind of structure from a 2D Mario title, but it's proof that this tried and true mold has more going for it than just nostalgia. Recent titles could stand to learn a few things from how this focus keeps the game evenly engaging from beginning to end.
That the moves in the unlockable Super Skills videos are even possible is a testament to the kind of attention paid to NSMBW's level design. That Koopa Troopa marching along is innocent enough, but you'd never imagine that it's in exactly the right place to serve as a springboard for some kind of insane mini-Mario speedrun. Everything is everywhere for a reason. There was talk in a recent Iwata Asks about world 1-1 in Super Mario Bros., and how the first pipe is there to make sure the Super Mushroom bounces back at you, forcing you to learn that it's something helpful, despite any initial trepidation. NSMBW's beginning is slightly different, but the elements are all still there, with a small outcropping serving as the pipe's surrogate. So innocent, yet so purposeful.
The powerups, most notably the Ice Flower and Propeller Mushroom, serve less as tools that make it easy to blow through a level without any real effort (I'm looking at you, Mario World cape), and rather become integral in interacting with a level's infrastructure. Many challenges can only be surmounted by using frozen enemies as weights, platforms, or weapons, and the Propeller Mushroom's primarily-vertical flightpath serves less as a way to skip tricky areas and more as a way to access new ones. Even the Fire Flower has gained functionality beyond the simple dispatching of foes, with fireballs lighting darkened areas and melting icy ones. The synergy between powerups and locales allows for some pretty creative level designs.
Of course, the superficial elements will be the first thing to grab you. For me it was the spin jump, which makes the exact same sound it made in Mario World. NSMBW borrows very heavily from the last three Mario platformers, with airships, Koopa Kids, switch blocks, secret exits, and ghost houses in plentiful supply. You'll come across—and mercilessly stomp upon—a ton of familiar faces and setpieces as you progress. The bigger enemies are actually pretty stunning looking, which makes me wonder how anyone can really bemoan the quality of the visuals in this game. They're pretty immaculately implemented throughout, with perhaps the only blemish being some questionable artistic choices here and there. When NSMBW leans more on the New Super Mario Bros. aesthetic from the DS game, it suffers. Some foreground elements end up looking a little anemic and washed out. Most of the time, though, especially in the backgrounds and enemy designs, the visuals are really quite stunning.
When you factor in the multiplayer component, NSMBW becomes a completely different kind of game. In fact, depending upon who you play with, it becomes one of several different kinds of games. Usually, a death means having to restart the level. If you've got friends that are good about not getting in your way, though, you're basically traveling with a series of easy respawn points. With the knowledge that you'll float right back onto the screen if you happen to die, the seeds of a mad and self-destructive ambition are sewn. You'll likely find yourself leaping into chasms with wild abandon in pursuit of often trivial rewards.
When the other players do get in your way, however, things turn into a horrifying bid for survival. A friend will innocently run ahead, oblivious to the fact that they're crushing you on the left side of the screen. A platform that should be easily traversed will turn into a killing ground as four people bounce off each other inadvertently and cascade into fields of spikes and lava. A meek "oops" will eek out between gasps of laughter as Mario eats Luigi with a Yoshi, and spits him directly into a pit. Hey, these things happen.
As we've been told numerous times, we have the phenomenal cosmic power of the Wii hardware to thank for this multiplayer mode. Really though, there are a huge number of things happening on screen at any point in time. Everything's always moving, whether it's huge swarms of Bullet Bills or the very platforms themselves undulating and cycling with arcane purpose. It requires that you always be moving, which is all the more intense when there are three other players scrambling for the same footholds.
It's only as challenging as you want it to be, though. I've played with friends, coworkers, siblings, and even parents, and everyone managed to achieve at least some level of success. Much of this is likely due to me telling them right-off about the ability to hop into a bubble with the A button. My family in particular became freakishly skilled at hitting that button right before they'd fall into a pit, cheering at every successful save. There's something to be said for mechanisms that let unskilled players progress like anyone else, despite any twangs of elitism it may elicit from veterans. The Super Guide also plays to this demographic, but curiously manages not only to make the game easier for those who want it easier, but harder for those who want it harder. True heroes have sparkling stars on their save files, and they can only be achieved if you never once allow the Super Guide block to materialize.
In the end, New Super Mario Bros. Wii isn't really that different from the original New Super Mario Bros. on the DS. The DS game actually kind of feels like what NSMBW may have been had it released halfway through development (which might have been why the E3 demo felt so familiar). There's an extra layer of polish on there now, though—one that comes from a larger sense of scope and scale that helps everything seem more alive and interactive. There was a sense early on that NSMBW was almost a "filler" Mario game, as everyone waited anxiously for the inevitable release of Super Mario Galaxy 2. Surprisingly enough, I think it's Galaxy that now needs to bring its A-game, lest it be outclassed by this innocent little 2D relic. Hopefully it will inspire 3D Mario to trim the fat and stick to what everyone wants: that glorious, glorious platforming.
There is no down-time in NSMBW. Sure, you spend a little time goofing around in Mushroom Houses on the maps, but the stages proper are always constructed to require the same level of frenetic attention. One need only look as far back as Super Mario Galaxy to see where this philosophy wanes. For all its (deserved) accolades, there are numerous challenges that you can sleepwalk through, or that at least don't require mastery (or even use) of the game's primary mechanics. Remember the star where all you had to do was jump in the water, grab a shell, and return it to a penguin not 20 feet away? How about the "garbage disposal" stars, which were among Galaxy's most frustrating tasks?
Such interludes are alien to NSMBW. Each challenge demands the run and jump meat and potatoes that have served as Mario's foundation for decades. It might seem trivial to dwell on, as one would expect this kind of structure from a 2D Mario title, but it's proof that this tried and true mold has more going for it than just nostalgia. Recent titles could stand to learn a few things from how this focus keeps the game evenly engaging from beginning to end.
That the moves in the unlockable Super Skills videos are even possible is a testament to the kind of attention paid to NSMBW's level design. That Koopa Troopa marching along is innocent enough, but you'd never imagine that it's in exactly the right place to serve as a springboard for some kind of insane mini-Mario speedrun. Everything is everywhere for a reason. There was talk in a recent Iwata Asks about world 1-1 in Super Mario Bros., and how the first pipe is there to make sure the Super Mushroom bounces back at you, forcing you to learn that it's something helpful, despite any initial trepidation. NSMBW's beginning is slightly different, but the elements are all still there, with a small outcropping serving as the pipe's surrogate. So innocent, yet so purposeful.
The powerups, most notably the Ice Flower and Propeller Mushroom, serve less as tools that make it easy to blow through a level without any real effort (I'm looking at you, Mario World cape), and rather become integral in interacting with a level's infrastructure. Many challenges can only be surmounted by using frozen enemies as weights, platforms, or weapons, and the Propeller Mushroom's primarily-vertical flightpath serves less as a way to skip tricky areas and more as a way to access new ones. Even the Fire Flower has gained functionality beyond the simple dispatching of foes, with fireballs lighting darkened areas and melting icy ones. The synergy between powerups and locales allows for some pretty creative level designs.
Of course, the superficial elements will be the first thing to grab you. For me it was the spin jump, which makes the exact same sound it made in Mario World. NSMBW borrows very heavily from the last three Mario platformers, with airships, Koopa Kids, switch blocks, secret exits, and ghost houses in plentiful supply. You'll come across—and mercilessly stomp upon—a ton of familiar faces and setpieces as you progress. The bigger enemies are actually pretty stunning looking, which makes me wonder how anyone can really bemoan the quality of the visuals in this game. They're pretty immaculately implemented throughout, with perhaps the only blemish being some questionable artistic choices here and there. When NSMBW leans more on the New Super Mario Bros. aesthetic from the DS game, it suffers. Some foreground elements end up looking a little anemic and washed out. Most of the time, though, especially in the backgrounds and enemy designs, the visuals are really quite stunning.
When you factor in the multiplayer component, NSMBW becomes a completely different kind of game. In fact, depending upon who you play with, it becomes one of several different kinds of games. Usually, a death means having to restart the level. If you've got friends that are good about not getting in your way, though, you're basically traveling with a series of easy respawn points. With the knowledge that you'll float right back onto the screen if you happen to die, the seeds of a mad and self-destructive ambition are sewn. You'll likely find yourself leaping into chasms with wild abandon in pursuit of often trivial rewards.
When the other players do get in your way, however, things turn into a horrifying bid for survival. A friend will innocently run ahead, oblivious to the fact that they're crushing you on the left side of the screen. A platform that should be easily traversed will turn into a killing ground as four people bounce off each other inadvertently and cascade into fields of spikes and lava. A meek "oops" will eek out between gasps of laughter as Mario eats Luigi with a Yoshi, and spits him directly into a pit. Hey, these things happen.
As we've been told numerous times, we have the phenomenal cosmic power of the Wii hardware to thank for this multiplayer mode. Really though, there are a huge number of things happening on screen at any point in time. Everything's always moving, whether it's huge swarms of Bullet Bills or the very platforms themselves undulating and cycling with arcane purpose. It requires that you always be moving, which is all the more intense when there are three other players scrambling for the same footholds.
It's only as challenging as you want it to be, though. I've played with friends, coworkers, siblings, and even parents, and everyone managed to achieve at least some level of success. Much of this is likely due to me telling them right-off about the ability to hop into a bubble with the A button. My family in particular became freakishly skilled at hitting that button right before they'd fall into a pit, cheering at every successful save. There's something to be said for mechanisms that let unskilled players progress like anyone else, despite any twangs of elitism it may elicit from veterans. The Super Guide also plays to this demographic, but curiously manages not only to make the game easier for those who want it easier, but harder for those who want it harder. True heroes have sparkling stars on their save files, and they can only be achieved if you never once allow the Super Guide block to materialize.
In the end, New Super Mario Bros. Wii isn't really that different from the original New Super Mario Bros. on the DS. The DS game actually kind of feels like what NSMBW may have been had it released halfway through development (which might have been why the E3 demo felt so familiar). There's an extra layer of polish on there now, though—one that comes from a larger sense of scope and scale that helps everything seem more alive and interactive. There was a sense early on that NSMBW was almost a "filler" Mario game, as everyone waited anxiously for the inevitable release of Super Mario Galaxy 2. Surprisingly enough, I think it's Galaxy that now needs to bring its A-game, lest it be outclassed by this innocent little 2D relic. Hopefully it will inspire 3D Mario to trim the fat and stick to what everyone wants: that glorious, glorious platforming.