New Super Mario Bros. U Review
Review Date: June 17, 2014
I remember when I learned that New Super Mario Bros. 2 was coming to the 3DS. I also remember when I learned that New Super Mario Bros. U (abbreviated to NSMBU) was coming to Wii U about two seconds after I learned about New Super Mario Bros. 2. It kind of struck me as odd that Nintendo was releasing two New Super Mario Bros. games within three months of each other. Nonetheless, NSMBU may be the best game in the series. But, does it live up to the "New" name, or is it more of the same?
STORY
If you guessed that the main story for this game is that Bowser runs off with Peach while Mario and co. pursue him, then you're partially correct. Instead of taking the Princess to his castle, Bowser decides to ambush Peach's castle and hold her hostage there. Using a giant mechanical claw, he takes care of Mario, Luigi, and the two generic Toads by throwing them far away. This is all relayed through a rather comical opening sequence, where Bowser scoots the Princess out of harm's way before dealing harshly with the others. While this is a fresh twist on the usual kidnapping story, it still uses the same underlying plot: the Princess is kidnapped, and she must be saved.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay here is, unsurprisingly, very similar to that of this game's predecessors. The gameplay still consists of Mario running through various levels to collect three star coins and ultimately reach the flagpole at the end. However, the new Flying Squirrel power-up brings an interesting new mechanic to the game. The Flying Squirrel allows you to glide across large chasms and pits that you can't simply jump across. You can also catch a slight upward draft with the flying squirrel suit, bringing some verticality to the game. The squirrel also allows you to cling to walls momentarily, and this is extremely useful - it can save you from a poorly timed enemy attack and it can save you from falling into a pit. This game also marks the return of the Baby Yoshis. The Baby Yoshis come in three varieties, with each variety having a unique ability. The pink one acts as a hot air balloon, the blue one can blow bubbles that turn enemies into coins, and the yellow one can illuminate dark spaces. The pink and blue Baby Yoshis can be carried with you between levels, unlike the adult Yoshis (which also return in this game). The pink baby Yoshi is personally my favorite variation, and it combined with the Flying Squirrel power-up is an ideal combination. The pink Baby Yoshi really provides extra verticality that the flying squirrel can't provide on its own.
This game controls exceptionally well, as Mario really does feel like an extension of your arm. However, I do not like that you have to use the run button to hold the Baby Yoshis, and there were many instances that the game registered me shifting my thumb as me removing my thumb off the button entirely, causing my Baby Yoshi to go plummeting into a pit. In addition, Mario feels overly slippery on ice. It's fine for the controls to be more slippery in the ice levels, but it's a little ridiculous here. It requires a lot more effort than it should to get Mario to come to a stop on the ice.
This game can be challenging, and it has an appropriate difficulty curve. The game naturally starts out fairly easy and the difficulty ever so slightly increases with each world. The difficulty curve is near perfect in this game, however there were some levels that felt way to challenging when compared to the other levels around them.
LEVEL DESIGN
This game is comprised of eight main worlds plus one special world, with approximately 8 levels per world. Unfortunately, the level design here can be forgettable. Most of the levels are rather generic, however, some do stand out, such as Skyward Stalk, a level which requires you to climb upward on a growing beanstalk until you reach the flagpole. Despite the forgettable level designs, the ghost houses here are overly puzzling. In many cases, it is not overly obvious which route you need to take, and the ghost houses really require you to think and use your problem solving skills to determine how to get to the exit.
As for the boss battles, the Koopalings return to man the castles at the end of each world while Boom Boom from Super Mario Bros. 3 mans most of the mid-world towers. In addition, Bowser Jr. is fought in both of the airship levels in this game. And, of course, Bowser is the final boss. The boss battles here are rather creative and can be challenging at times. Each boss battle feels unique, such as Iggy's battle where he constantly switches between running on the ground and the ceiling all the while summoning lava monsters to attack you. The boss battles are rather impressive in this game, and I commend that.
SINGLE PLAYER
I believe that we have all come to expect that a Mario game can deliver a solid single-player experience, and NSMBU delivers. In fact, single player is the definitive way to play NSMBU, for reasons I will discuss momentarily. Single player never feels like a chore and the experience is as refined as ever. There never once was a period of time where I felt that multiplayer was required to reach a certain area that may contain a secret. Overall, NSMBU features the best single player experience in the NSMB series, thanks in part to the perfected controls and overall pacing of the game.
MULTIPLAYER
On the other hand, however, multiplayer is just as flawed as it was in the Wii iteration. There simply isn't enough room for four players to move without constantly running into each other and unintentionally knocking each other into pits. A fifth player can jump into the game by manning the GamePad for "boost mode," a mode which allows you to use the GamePad's touchscreen to place blocks in the level. These blocks are intended to help the other players reach places they wouldn't be able to reach on their own. It is a neat concept, but it simply doesn't work. The blocks just add to the chaos and make it even harder to navigate the level as they are constantly in your way. In the end, it really is a missed opportunity that Nintendo didn't take the time to fix the problems that plagued multiplayer in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and it ultimately hinders the experience.
GAMEPAD INTEGRATION
The GamePad is hardly used at all in this game. The screen mirrors what is displayed on the TV at all times, which does allow for Off-TV Play. The GamePad is used for boost mode, as mentioned earlier, but that's really the only special recognition the controller gets throughout the whole game. Then again, when it comes to a Mario platformer, the stakes are higher and any added GamePad features would feel more like a distraction than anything else.
GRAPHICS AND SOUND
Even though this is Mario's first HD adventure, NSMBU falters in the graphics department. Don't get me wrong, the game looks great and it is visually appealing. But once you look past the gorgeous new backdrops, you begin to notice that NSMBU is essentially a prettied-up version of NSMBWii and nothing else. There aren't any special textures to be found here, and the character models are, more-or-less, copied and pasted from the Wii iteration.
NSMBU also falters with its soundtrack. Granted, the game does have more new music than NSMB2 and granted, the new music here is good, but the composers stopped halfway. Half of the soundtrack is, once again, recycled from the Wii version. It really is a shame that the composers didn't take the time to finish the soundtrack. They had a great start, but sadly left it there.
VERDICT
When all of these points are taken into account, it can be seen that Nintendo really played New Super Mario Bros. U safe. While the game does introduce several new features, everything is ultimately held back by the developers' fear to go above and beyond and create a fantastic New Super Mario Bros. game. Nonetheless, New Super Mario Bros. U does provide a solid platforming experience, and any Wii U owner that's looking for a good 2D Mario fix should give it a try.
I remember when I learned that New Super Mario Bros. 2 was coming to the 3DS. I also remember when I learned that New Super Mario Bros. U (abbreviated to NSMBU) was coming to Wii U about two seconds after I learned about New Super Mario Bros. 2. It kind of struck me as odd that Nintendo was releasing two New Super Mario Bros. games within three months of each other. Nonetheless, NSMBU may be the best game in the series. But, does it live up to the "New" name, or is it more of the same?
STORY
If you guessed that the main story for this game is that Bowser runs off with Peach while Mario and co. pursue him, then you're partially correct. Instead of taking the Princess to his castle, Bowser decides to ambush Peach's castle and hold her hostage there. Using a giant mechanical claw, he takes care of Mario, Luigi, and the two generic Toads by throwing them far away. This is all relayed through a rather comical opening sequence, where Bowser scoots the Princess out of harm's way before dealing harshly with the others. While this is a fresh twist on the usual kidnapping story, it still uses the same underlying plot: the Princess is kidnapped, and she must be saved.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay here is, unsurprisingly, very similar to that of this game's predecessors. The gameplay still consists of Mario running through various levels to collect three star coins and ultimately reach the flagpole at the end. However, the new Flying Squirrel power-up brings an interesting new mechanic to the game. The Flying Squirrel allows you to glide across large chasms and pits that you can't simply jump across. You can also catch a slight upward draft with the flying squirrel suit, bringing some verticality to the game. The squirrel also allows you to cling to walls momentarily, and this is extremely useful - it can save you from a poorly timed enemy attack and it can save you from falling into a pit. This game also marks the return of the Baby Yoshis. The Baby Yoshis come in three varieties, with each variety having a unique ability. The pink one acts as a hot air balloon, the blue one can blow bubbles that turn enemies into coins, and the yellow one can illuminate dark spaces. The pink and blue Baby Yoshis can be carried with you between levels, unlike the adult Yoshis (which also return in this game). The pink baby Yoshi is personally my favorite variation, and it combined with the Flying Squirrel power-up is an ideal combination. The pink Baby Yoshi really provides extra verticality that the flying squirrel can't provide on its own.
This game controls exceptionally well, as Mario really does feel like an extension of your arm. However, I do not like that you have to use the run button to hold the Baby Yoshis, and there were many instances that the game registered me shifting my thumb as me removing my thumb off the button entirely, causing my Baby Yoshi to go plummeting into a pit. In addition, Mario feels overly slippery on ice. It's fine for the controls to be more slippery in the ice levels, but it's a little ridiculous here. It requires a lot more effort than it should to get Mario to come to a stop on the ice.
This game can be challenging, and it has an appropriate difficulty curve. The game naturally starts out fairly easy and the difficulty ever so slightly increases with each world. The difficulty curve is near perfect in this game, however there were some levels that felt way to challenging when compared to the other levels around them.
LEVEL DESIGN
This game is comprised of eight main worlds plus one special world, with approximately 8 levels per world. Unfortunately, the level design here can be forgettable. Most of the levels are rather generic, however, some do stand out, such as Skyward Stalk, a level which requires you to climb upward on a growing beanstalk until you reach the flagpole. Despite the forgettable level designs, the ghost houses here are overly puzzling. In many cases, it is not overly obvious which route you need to take, and the ghost houses really require you to think and use your problem solving skills to determine how to get to the exit.
As for the boss battles, the Koopalings return to man the castles at the end of each world while Boom Boom from Super Mario Bros. 3 mans most of the mid-world towers. In addition, Bowser Jr. is fought in both of the airship levels in this game. And, of course, Bowser is the final boss. The boss battles here are rather creative and can be challenging at times. Each boss battle feels unique, such as Iggy's battle where he constantly switches between running on the ground and the ceiling all the while summoning lava monsters to attack you. The boss battles are rather impressive in this game, and I commend that.
SINGLE PLAYER
I believe that we have all come to expect that a Mario game can deliver a solid single-player experience, and NSMBU delivers. In fact, single player is the definitive way to play NSMBU, for reasons I will discuss momentarily. Single player never feels like a chore and the experience is as refined as ever. There never once was a period of time where I felt that multiplayer was required to reach a certain area that may contain a secret. Overall, NSMBU features the best single player experience in the NSMB series, thanks in part to the perfected controls and overall pacing of the game.
MULTIPLAYER
On the other hand, however, multiplayer is just as flawed as it was in the Wii iteration. There simply isn't enough room for four players to move without constantly running into each other and unintentionally knocking each other into pits. A fifth player can jump into the game by manning the GamePad for "boost mode," a mode which allows you to use the GamePad's touchscreen to place blocks in the level. These blocks are intended to help the other players reach places they wouldn't be able to reach on their own. It is a neat concept, but it simply doesn't work. The blocks just add to the chaos and make it even harder to navigate the level as they are constantly in your way. In the end, it really is a missed opportunity that Nintendo didn't take the time to fix the problems that plagued multiplayer in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and it ultimately hinders the experience.
GAMEPAD INTEGRATION
The GamePad is hardly used at all in this game. The screen mirrors what is displayed on the TV at all times, which does allow for Off-TV Play. The GamePad is used for boost mode, as mentioned earlier, but that's really the only special recognition the controller gets throughout the whole game. Then again, when it comes to a Mario platformer, the stakes are higher and any added GamePad features would feel more like a distraction than anything else.
GRAPHICS AND SOUND
Even though this is Mario's first HD adventure, NSMBU falters in the graphics department. Don't get me wrong, the game looks great and it is visually appealing. But once you look past the gorgeous new backdrops, you begin to notice that NSMBU is essentially a prettied-up version of NSMBWii and nothing else. There aren't any special textures to be found here, and the character models are, more-or-less, copied and pasted from the Wii iteration.
NSMBU also falters with its soundtrack. Granted, the game does have more new music than NSMB2 and granted, the new music here is good, but the composers stopped halfway. Half of the soundtrack is, once again, recycled from the Wii version. It really is a shame that the composers didn't take the time to finish the soundtrack. They had a great start, but sadly left it there.
VERDICT
When all of these points are taken into account, it can be seen that Nintendo really played New Super Mario Bros. U safe. While the game does introduce several new features, everything is ultimately held back by the developers' fear to go above and beyond and create a fantastic New Super Mario Bros. game. Nonetheless, New Super Mario Bros. U does provide a solid platforming experience, and any Wii U owner that's looking for a good 2D Mario fix should give it a try.