New Super Mario Brothers (Wii)

Well, I have to say, this game is superb. Maybe I'm biased as I grew up in the era of the NES but the old 2D Mario platforming games are amongst my favourite games ever! Sure, I like to play modern games such as Modern Warfare 2 and while these are perfectly good games (which I enjoy!), I miss a time when games were simpler and you didn't need 80 fingers to play them...

Old skool Mario gamers will love it's nods towards Mario nostalgia - remixed versions of old tunes, old enemies, characters, level layouts, point scoring at the end of levels on flagpoles, card games in Mushroom huts - it has so many references to all the old Mario games that if you were a fan of them, you're going to be instantly won over here!

Currently, I'm only playing this as a one player affair... but the addition of multiplayer will make for some fantastically frantic and fun games! Having played LittleBigPlanet as a multiplayer, all I can say is that this game will blatantly work just as well - in fact, probably a lot better! I found LBP a very good game as well, but for me personally, it lacked the character of Mario.

This game is blatantly aimed at old skool gamers - this game starts off fairly easy but expect the challenge to increase throughout the game! It never gets frustrating and due it's simple design never feels unfair. No glitches, unfair deaths or alike here... it's all your own doing!

While this game looks superb, it doesn't push the hardware to the max. While some people may frown upon this, I think it is refreshing that this game revolves around gameplay rather than graphics. A lot of modern games are certainly guilty of this. Having said that, this game does look very nicely presented - and Nintendo have pushed the graphics as far as a game of this stature will allow.

Finishing note - I haven't felt this inclined to play through a game for a long time. Quite often I can only play a game for a short while before I want a break - this game makes me want to come back for more and I'm having to prevent myself from playing it in order to be more constructive with my time! All I have to say is that if you're an old skool game fan, a Mario fan or just want something more traditional and less complex (but certainly no less deeper) look no further than this game!

18 years it's been since a proper 2-d scroller! And now mario makes his way back to rule the living room.

I won't make this to long!
Straight to the point! The first thing you will notice when you play this game is it's charming new look. Playing it on a big telly will add to the amazement. Older gamers will be happy to know that everything from the origanal mario bros. is still here! The music is in-geneous, It is a remix from the ds version. The new multiplayer is excellent! And if all this still isn't enough, the levels are completly new and never played before!

This is all a bit overwhelming if you are a parent thinking of buying it for a child for christmas. So i will do what I always do sum it up in points.
GOOD
1. fun for everyone (even parents!)
2. great to play for a party
3. new gameplay is excellent
4. controlls are as simple as beans on toast
5. kids will, I repeat will love it!!!
6. game lasts for ages
7. ideal christmas/birthday gift
8. multiplayer and i will say it again is excellent
9. Starts easy ends as hard as nails
10.new powerups
11.timeless mario magic present
12.GAME OF THE YEAR!!

uh oh.. BAD points
1. Yes you can ride on yoshi but it's limeted
2. as the game gets harder, yes there will be cursing going on.
3. is it a bit to hard for young kids?
4. the mega mushroom is missing...
5. can be a tad frustrating at times

Overall though an outstanding game for people aged 3-infinite. Ideal for x-mas and don't hesitate to comment on the review. I will awnser any questions.

Merry X-MAS!

This is exactly the game you'd expect if you've ever played one of the Mario Bros. platform titles before - it's the same scrolling from right to left concept with the same characters, the same format of worlds and Bowser confrontations at the end of each one.

The important difference is that up to four people can play it at the same time - this turns it from a rather solitary and unsociable pursuit into many evenings of fun.

The levels themselves are very difficult - some of the bonuses are only achievable with more than one player playing unless you are very skilled with the controller, especially the time-based collection tasks - which lead me to conclude that this was designed as a multi- rather than a single-player game.

It manages to keep both types of player happy though - both dedicated ones and casual. At first there's 8 worlds to explore, but if you manage to get all the large coins then a 9th opens up for you to try (but you ned to get ALL the big coins in all other 8 worlds to progress to different stages in the final world). This adds a real longevity to the game because once you have it mastered, there's an addd incentive to get all the coins.

Highly recommended for anyone who wants to play a fun game with children who have a basic level of proficiency to their gameplaying skills; it would make a great gift too.

Edit: it tok me a week before I realised that if I held the 1 button down while moving, my character would sprint - and therefore jump a little further too (I wish I had known that earlier), and that if I pressed the 'a' button at times of extreme danger I would go back into my bubble and be safe (another thing I wish I knew earlier).

Edit 12March 2010 - my partner and I are still playing this game, having fun looking up the location of the secret coins on youtube! A great game.