New Super Mario Bros. Wii

[filmfanatic]

So, has anyone gotten New Super Mario Bros. Wii yet? I definitely want to get it, as it looks like a great retro trip for Mario fans.

In the meantime, here are two videos showcasing one of the coolest things they have done with this game: they brought back the Koopalings!

 

[Covar]

This may or may not be the first thing I buy on Dec 26.

 

[Soliloquy]

Man, I desperately want this game. I've been hoping for simultaneous co-op in a mario bros. game ever since I was a kid playing the vs. battles in Super Mario 3, wondering why we couldn't do something like that in the regular levels.

 

[Adam]

Picked it up on Tuesday. Wife and I have played through on coop all the way to the last castle on level 8.

It's actually quite difficult to play multiplayer. I found it hard with just two of us, I can only imagine the gong show that a 4 player Mario level would be like.

In all honesty though, it's not worth the price that they're asking for. It really is just another 8 levels of Mario Brothers that you can play multiplayer.

 

[Covar]

Picked it up on Tuesday. Wife and I have played through on coop all the way to the last castle on level 8.

It's actually quite difficult to play multiplayer. I found it hard with just two of us, I can only imagine the gong show that a 4 player Mario level would be like.

In all honesty though, it's not worth the price that they're asking for. It really is just another 8 levels of Mario Brothers that you can play multiplayer.

See that's worth the asking price to me. I played the crap out of New Super Mario Bros. and I'll probably play the crap out of this one.

 

[Adam]

Picked it up on Tuesday. Wife and I have played through on coop all the way to the last castle on level 8.

It's actually quite difficult to play multiplayer. I found it hard with just two of us, I can only imagine the gong show that a 4 player Mario level would be like.

In all honesty though, it's not worth the price that they're asking for. It really is just another 8 levels of Mario Brothers that you can play multiplayer.

See that's worth the asking price to me. I played the crap out of New Super Mario Bros. and I'll probably play the crap out of this one.[/QUOTE]

I'd rather pay for effort. As I played through the game, I was kind of aghast at the lack of effort that was putting into the latest offering. Sure, it's a neat idea with multiple players at the same time. Kinda like Sonic 2 back in 1992...

But the game mechanics haven't changed - at all, the worlds display a distinct lack of inventiveness, and there are a couple really dumb game design decisions (Such as in order to pick things up, you have to shake the controller. In order to fly, you have to shake the controller. In order to do a spin, you have to shake the controller. Why couldn't all of this be determined by a button press?)

I'm enjoying playing through it, purely for the social aspect. However, if I played alone, I would give this game a decided thumbs down, especially at the price asked.

 

[Shawn]

I wanted to pick it up, but $50 is just too damn expensive right now.

 

[Shawn]

I wanted to pick it up, but $50 is just too damn expensive right now.

This is why my Wii is collecting dust...

And I LOVE the damn thing! T.T[/QUOTE]
Yeah. It's funny. My wii doesn't get much play either. And I haven't even beaten most of the games I own. Zelda and Metroid Prime 3 are still sitting there uncompleted since I've owned them (about 2-3 years?). I hope I'm not getting too old for video games.

 

[Olorin]

This isn't a quick cash in at all.
Adammon seems to be one of the few people that doesn't like it, as most people I've heard from absolutely love the game and praise the level design.
There are about 80 levels spread over 9 worlds, and besides playing the whole thing single player, co-op or competitive, there are also other multiplayer modes. It's classic Mario like Mario 3 or World, and from what I've heard, it's just as good as those classics.

I really really wanna buy it, but I'm low on cash, so I'll have to wait, or hope I can find it on eBay for cheap.

 

[Reboneer]

Picked it up a few days ago, and I'm loving it so far... and I haven't even had a chance to play multi-player yet.


... But then I'm a sucker for a good platformer.

 

[Zappit]

My brother got it a couple days ago - it's really, really fun. I actually like some of the extra challenge of coop. It adds a little randomness/unpredictability to the game.

And it kind of does feel like a return to the good-ol-days of Mario - and by God, I love that.

 

[Soliloquy]

So how does the camera system work with multiplayer? I'm assuming it works similarly to Smash Bros, with the camera zooming out as players get farther apart.

 

[Chibibar]

We try this out at a friend's house. It WAS INSANE with 2 people. Of course you can be a total dick to your partner by running ahead and killing them off or grab all the power ups.

we didn't try with 4 cause the people who promise to bring the wii-mote didn't show up.

 

[Oddbot]

Getting it this weekend. I'm excited because this is one of the few games my girlfriend actually wants to play with me.

 

[Troll]

Got it last week. Very fun. Definitely a classic Mario game, which is great.

 

[Seraphyn]

So how does the camera system work with multiplayer? I'm assuming it works similarly to Smash Bros, with the camera zooming out as players get farther apart.

If you lag behind, you die. At least that is what I saw in the only movie I've seen of the game.

Just decided to give away my Wii on Sinterklaas, so I won't be picking this up. Looks like fun though, maybe I'll poke my brother to get it.

 

[Oddbot]

The game is a blast. Why did it take the this long to make a co-op mario game?

 

[Frank]

I was mad when I went over to a friend's place, brought my wii controllers including the classics pad and was promptly told by the game that it wasn't supported and to unplug that shit right the fuck now.

WHY THE FUCK ISN'T THE CLASSICS CONTROLLER COMPATIBLE?

Ok, gameplay wise, the game is nearly unplayable with 4 people. Sure for the first 2 worlds we got by hilariously, but hilariousness turned to extreme frustration in the some of the ice world levels where one person could easily completely fuck everything up for everyone. Also, that little split second pause when people get power ups or die is the worst fucking thing in the entire world. When there's 4 people playing you will die as often to the momentum killing pause happening every 7 seconds than you will to the awkward (don't tell me it's as good as the NES and SNES Mario games when it comes to it's control, it isn't, at all.) jumping physics.

I think I would enjoy this game a lot more on my own or with maybe one other person who isn't enjoying torpedoing everything for everyone else.

 

[Hailey Knight]

I'm kinda surprised it doesn't support Gamecube/classic controller. For what's essentially an old-school Mario platformer, that's just weird.

 

[Frank]

I was flabbergasted. The worst part about it all is because I have very large hands and use the middle of my thumb on the d-pad, not the end of it, I was constantly brushing the bubble button by accident. Which was pretty frustrating too.

 

[Reboneer]

Ok, gameplay wise, the game is nearly unplayable with 4 people.

Really? I finally got a chance to play four-player a few days ago, and we made it to world 6 in a few hours (2 sessions of about 2-3 hours each). And we're not hardcore gamers or anything - for one guy, this was his first ever Mario game.

Completely agree about that split-second pause though... that screwed me up a few times.

 

[Olorin]

The classic controller isn't supported because you need the wiimote's motion sensing for the propeller suit, tilting platforms and a few other things.
And if the wiimote is too small for your hands, you could get one of these:

Just a plastic wiimote shell, but apparently quite comfortable.

 

[Frank]

The classic controller isn't supported because you need the wiimote's motion sensing for the propeller suit, tilting platforms and a few other things.
And if the wiimote is too small for your hands, you could get one of these:

Just a plastic wiimote shell, but apparently quite comfortable.

All the things that you "NEED" a wiimote for could have been very easily mapped to controller buttons or the analog stick to make it classic controller compatible. But noooooooo, all Wii games need their shaking the controller bullshit.

 

[Olorin]

All the things that you "NEED" a wiimote for could have been very easily mapped to controller buttons or the analog stick to make it classic controller compatible.

Yep, but isn't it more fun to tilt your controller than just pressing the L and R buttons ? (which would have to be slower to be just as accurate, so it wouldn't be exactly the same) I agree that classic and gamecube controller support would have been nice, but it's really just a very minor issue.

But noooooooo, all Wii games need their shaking the controller bullshit.

Massive exaggeration.

 

[Covar]

All the things that you "NEED" a wiimote for could have been very easily mapped to controller buttons or the analog stick to make it classic controller compatible.

Yep, but isn't it more fun to tilt your controller than just pressing the L and R buttons ? (which would have to be slower to be just as accurate, so it wouldn't be exactly the same) I agree that classic and gamecube controller support would have been nice, but it's really just a very minor issue.

But noooooooo, all Wii games need their shaking the controller bullshit.

Massive exaggeration.[/QUOTE]

Games shouldn't be fun.

 

[Frank]

All the things that you "NEED" a wiimote for could have been very easily mapped to controller buttons or the analog stick to make it classic controller compatible.

Yep, but isn't it more fun to tilt your controller than just pressing the L and R buttons ? (which would have to be slower to be just as accurate, so it wouldn't be exactly the same) I agree that classic and gamecube controller support would have been nice, but it's really just a very minor issue.

But noooooooo, all Wii games need their shaking the controller bullshit.

Massive exaggeration.[/QUOTE]

I don't think it is more fun, at all. I hate it. Especially when the slight movement of the controller in my hands causes me to spin in the air when I don't want it.

 

[Frank]

Massive exaggeration.

Yeah, I mean, in Wii Mario here you only shake the controller for spin jumping with fire and ice flowers, picking up objects, activating the helicopter hat and tilting the different platforms when it's needed.

That's more actions done by shaking the fucking controller than just buttons alone.

---------- Post added at 12:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:20 PM ----------

In other words, you don't like the Wii.

Pretty much. I love Mario games. To death, loved Mario Galaxy. I can beat the original Super Mario Bros. in about 5 minutes. I just hate so many of the touches in this game that make it not fun to me. The fucking pause of cascading death is the most egregious of the design choices Nintendo made in my opinion on this one, slightly above omitting Classic Controller support.

I dunno, this game just seems really lazy.

 

[Olorin]

loved Mario Galaxy.

But Mario Galaxy also used well implemented motion controls, just like New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Shaking for spin jump, tilting for the manta ray and monkey ball levels.
Maybe it would be good to try NSMBW in single player mode, or with just 1 other friend before you completely write it off. Some people love the chaos of multiplayer, others don't...

 

[Frank]

Yeah. Mario Galaxy had WELL implemented motion controls. This game does not. Having the same motion do 3 different things is awful.

 

[Oddbot]

I've gotten through about half the game so far with two people, and overall I've enjoyed it immensly. But the game is no cake walk for sure. Much harder than Mario Bros DS. The pause death thing screwed me up alot at first but after a while I got used to it and barely notice it now. Haven't tried it with four players but I can only imagine how chaotic that would be...

 

[Dei]

Playing with 4 players basically means someone dies to lagging behind or getting accidentally jumped on almost constantly. At least, with my family.

 

[ElJuski]

I'll probably punch up a longer bit for the ol' blogaroo, but basically I've really enjoyed my time with the game. I also have the benefit of having sadistic roomates--and not really giving two shits if we're messing around.

What DOES occur to me though is Nintendo's laziness. They always seem to skimp on the details, or adding an extra layer that would really make the game shine. Not having the Gamecube controller or VC thing as possible play types is infuriating. Nor the ability to just NOT waggle, which has caused plenty of problems during our couple of days with the game. Also--Nintendo, are you the ONLY company that doesn't have AutoSave? I'm getting really tired of "DO YOU WANT TO SAVE"--of course I fucking do. Welcome to 2009, warn me that the little spinning mushroom in the bottom-right corner of the screen is saving my progress; no worries, I won't shut the fucking thing off, I promise.

And...what the fuck is up with just having two Toads? Why couldn't they throw in Princess Peach or Toadsworth or somebody else interesting in there? They added some great cameos and details into the game otherwise--I've been bitching about Bowser abandoning the Koopalings for night a decade now--but then they opt out for another annoying Princess in another castle boring storyline, and slap us with two different colored Toads which is basically the Generic Choice For Your Younger Brother or Roomate Who Don't Play Too Good.

But seriously, not having some extra sheen (and maybe some online-play, would that kill you Nintendo? Would it?) are my biggest gripes. For what it's worth, the game has been a romp for the past couple days. Wouldn't ever buy it, though. A rent seems fair enough. It's 2009; making us feel like it's 1994 again is a pretty neat feeling, but man...they could be doing so much more and so much better.

 

[figmentPez]

(and maybe some online-play, would that kill you Nintendo? Would it?)

Apparently it would have killed the Wii. From Kotaku, "The game won’t support online play because the title uses up all of the Wii’s processing power, Miyamoto said."

It's possible that they misunderstood him, and that Miyamoto was saying that using Wii Speak was impossible because of a lack of processing power, but either way it seems that online multiplayer for NSMBWii was scrapped because the Wii is two Gamecubes strapped together.

 

[Olorin]

And just a bit of lag would totally kill a platformer, so I don't think online would have been that great.
I guess I'm the only person who loves Toad... I'm more saddened by the fact that you can't play single player as Toad or Luigi. And autosave would probably upset some people who want to go for sparkly stars (completing the game with all star coins without ever having the super guide block show up)

I thought Nintendo was great at adding extra little details, like making the enemies dance to the "bop" in the music and having Mario take off his hat at 99 lives.

 

[ElJuski]

It's kind of like Star Wars to me. George Lucas can remember what color lightsaber a Jedi has, and why, but can't remember that Leia remembers growing up with her mom.

You can retconn and rationalize all you want, and yes, there are flourishes, but then there are glaring lapses. I think Nintendo banks wayyy to much on nostalgia and cute wow-factor.

Also, having one Toad would be fine--still keeps that Nostalgia slant, and he's a viable character, sure. But the second one just reeks of laziness, in my opinion.

---------- Post added at 06:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:22 PM ----------

Also, I could care less about the marginal population of obsessive hardcore gamers that want to get all the sparkle stars or whatever they're called. It's not like Nintendo has an achievement system or anything.