[REVIEW] New Super Mario Bros. U

Mat Paget
(Wii U [REVIEWED])

So, New Super Mario Bros. U is pretty much what most would expect: a Mario game. You run through levels from one side to the other, jumping on enemies occasionally, dodging the odd projectile, and making sure not to fall down pits of unknown dangers. Throw in some power-ups, like throwing fireballs or sparkling like a mad man while running equally so, and you’ve got the majority of the “2D” Mario games. And the newest addition to this quasi-new “New Super Mario Bros.” franchise is that, and just a smidgen more. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily bad, it just means you should ask yourself a question: how much Mario have you played lately?

The game brings one (that’s one) new power-up to the table. The Flying Squirrel suit allows Mario to glide like the animal it takes its name after. It’s really useful when Mario is seemingly doomed to fall down a pit, as the player can hit RZ to have him pick up some air, and glide to safety. Other than that, it’s just not the same as the Tanooki suit, or Cape Feather; like a flying squirrel, you just can’t fly. Unless, of course, you acquire a P-Acorn, which is really more like “gliding with style,” than anything else.

Baby Yoshis make a return and, depending on their colour, have a unique power that lend a very helpful hand. For example, a red Baby Yoshi will inflate itself to allow you to hang on as if it were a balloon, while the blue Baby Yoshi blows bubbles that can take out enemies. During the dimmer, poorly-lit levels, the yellow Baby Yoshi becomes incredibly useful, too, as it brightens up the area around you. They still eat enemies like they did back in Super Mario World, but I never actually got one to turn into a full-grown, adult Yoshi. Either that, or it takes a lot more to raise them — perhaps a metaphor for the difficulties of being a single parent?

There was one little problem I had during several parts of the game: my progress was being pushed back. If you do a quick save, and you don’t finish a castle or quick save before quitting, your progress will be pushed back as if you never saved in the first place. This just seems like an oversight on Nintendo’s part. I think it’s not uncommon to think your progress will be saved when you, you know, save your game.

Anyway, to go with the classic Mario gameplay–and the return of the Super Mario World-esque overworld–, there are some new modes that are better suited for the more experienced players. Boost Rush puts players into different levels, in which the goal is to collect coins to speed up the level; basically, it’s a twist on Time Trial. The mode is fine, but it can take a little while to get the speed up to find any sort of excitement in it. The Challenges, on the other hand, actually offer some quality feats to conquer — jumping on an entire screen of enemies without touching the ground, or completing a successful speed run, are exceptionally satisfying when completed.

For the more casual player, the Boost Mode is introduced. Not to be confused with Boost Rush, Boost Mode gives the player with the tablet a new power. Instead of controlling one of four characters, the Boost player can temporarily disable enemies, as well as place platforms, by tapping on different areas of the GamePad’s screen. This isn’t particularly fun, and can definitely be used to dick over your friends, but it’s great for younger kids and that unfortunate fifth person who would otherwise be left out.

I’m sure you’ve figured it out by now that co-op has made an expected return, but there’s no sign of online multiplayer. Instead, the online features implement the Miiverse — basically Facebook on the Wii U without all those “Like if you’re against 9/11 or you’re a bad person” statuses. After players complete levels, or continually die on a specific section, they’re asked if they’d like to post their thoughts to the Miiverse. Other players will be able to see what they thought, and vice-versa. It’s rarely useful, but it is funny to see what some of your friends have posted.

On the superficial side, the sounds and visuals are great, if not a little familiar. The updating of classic Mario music is well done, but there isn’t anything fans aren’t used to. However, the high-definition visuals make everything look nice and round, causing the whole game to feel a lot more real than past instalments. Nothing is that new, but it still manages to be an unexpected visual treat from a series that doesn’t tend to look radically different from one game to the other.

Nintendo is showing Mario’s age. With the continued use of lives, coins, time limits, and scores, it’s hard to ignore that some of these things are starting to become more and more obsolete. Intelligently-made platformers, such as Rayman Origins, prove this. But I don’t want to be completely down on the game, as it’s still a totally competent title that manages to be a lot of fun at times. In fact, I’d say this is the best New Super Mario Bros. yet. It’s just unfortunate that, in recent years, Mario has been churned out as the same old thing that is being easily outshined by more modern-feeling games of this genre. If Nintendo can make Mario actually feel new again, it would be great. But until then, we’ve got New Super Mario Bros. U.