54| New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Released: November 15th, 2009

Available on: Nintendo Wii

After Super Mario World launched on the SNES, it would be years before Nintendo made another proper Super Mario game. As a matter of a fact, after Super Mario Land 2, which was released in the West a year after Super Mario World, there wouldn't be a new 2D sidescrolling entry staring Mario until 2006. New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS was hailed as the return of Mario to traditional form. And to make sure people understood that this is a unique installment rather than a simple port or remake of a previous game, Nintendo even put the word "new" in the title. While the game met huge critical and commercial success, I didn't really feel it. In fact I sold it a few days after I got it. Just something about the game felt "off" to me. So when Nintendo announced New Super Mario Bros. Wii, I was a bit skeptical. After playing the game however, my skepticism quickly turned into excitement.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a continuation of the Super Mario Bros. series. Anyone who even knows what a video game is knows the premise of a Mario game. The princess gets kidnapped, so it is up to Mario, and at times Luigi, to save her. The game involves the player often going toward the right side of the screen  as they hop on platforms, jump on the heads enemies, and jump under blocks to receive coins and special abilities. It is a classic formula that has stood the test of time very well.

Luckily, Nintendo didn't just set on their laurels as the Wii entry has some new features. The game has new suits and level styles for the player to take advantage of. There is a penguin suit the protagonist can wear where they throw snowballs to freeze enemies and can slide through ice as if they were sledding. There is a lot of ways to play around with these mechanics as you can freeze enemies to extend your jump range, come to an abrupt stop, amongst other things. There is also the propeller suit which has the character flying and gliding throughout the stage. No Wii game would be complete without Wii remote functionality, the game has platforms that the player has to tilt the Wii remote back and forth to move. The propeller suit also requires the player to waggle the controller to have their suit's propeller spin.

The biggest addition to the game however, was the inclusion of multiplayer. In this mode up to four players can play the game. Admittedly it makes the game much more fun as you can work with, or against, your friends to complete a level. One complaint that is found often with these multiplayer components is that the game becomes too chaotic and the other players just get in a way. In a genre where space and timing is important, other people jumping around in the screen space is certainly a deterrent. While this isn't as much of a problem in New Super Mario. Bros Wii as it is in other games, it still is a problem. If one wanted to clear a level the fastest and/or most efficient way possible, it isn't best to bring a friend. Nevertheless it is still a fun multiplayer mode and is a good alternative if you and your friends become bored of Smash, Mario Kart, and Wii Sports.

The graphics in the game are clean, but a little plain. Unlike taking the route of Vanillaware, Ubisoft, and Nintendo's own Wario title, New Super Mario Bros. Wii looks very basic. In its defense there is an advantage to this. There isn't much clutter or confusion on screen thus the player can always tell where their next platform is. Also let's be honest, with the exception of Super Mario World 2, which technically wasn't even a Super Mario Bros. game, the series has never really been much of a looker. For what's it worth the graphics are very colorful and vibrant, and the music is classic Mario through and through.

It was a bit odd that the Super Mario Bros. part of the Mario franchise was virtually dormant for fourteen years. This is a series that carries on a legacy like no other game in the history of the industry. Being that both the DS and Wii versions sold around thirty million copies, Nintendo has definitely realized their error. Possibly a little too much as they released a total of four 2D Mario games just six years after the series made its hallmark return. This isn't to mention the Super Mario 3D entries, which feel much like a 3D version of the New Super Mario Bros. games, if that makes sense, and Super Mario Maker. Regardless, I think any gamer would prefer a gaming world with traditional Mario than one without.