This NEW classic lives up to the Super Mario Bros. name!
As expected from a Mario game, the Princess Peach has been kidnapped. However, like Mario Sunshine, it isn't just Browser involved, it's also that Koopa Kid's reject of a son, Browser Jr. That's pretty much it for a story. -But it's all the story you need to start this portable adventure. As the name states, it's the NEW Super Mario Bros, insofar as meaning, it retains much of what made the classic games so great and revises the rest with new moves, levels, music, and even a whole new look. Don't be mislead by the 3-D Mario and crew, this is a 2-D platformer through and through. It's somewhat like the Mega Man remakes released on the PSP... psuedo-3-D, you could say. Still, the 3-D Mario does bring many of his 64-bit moves to enhance the now rare 2-D platforming genre.
Honestly, I was a bit skeptical about the game after playing Mario 64 on the DS. To my relief, it plays like a Mario 2-D platformer should, and not like a N64 game missing an analog stick. To simply put it, the gameplay is rock solid. The game actually feels like the original Mario Bros at its core, but brings along a few new moves that really refines the Mario 2-D platformer. For example, you can now "butt-stomp" to break blocks below you and kick off the wall to reach higher ground or even recover yourself from a fall. The regular mushroom, fire-flower, and super star from the original are the same as always, but there are a few new fun powers ups. There are two new mushrooms - one that turns you into a gigantic Mario where you get to basically demolish the level, and the other that makes Mario super tiny. Finally, there is my personal favorite: the Koopa shell, which essentially turns you into a Koopa Trooper. That's just cool. However, it's still not as awesome as the Hammer Bros costume or Kuribo's Shoe from Super Mario Bros. 3. While all the new powers are a lot fun, they unfortunately don't show up enough in the levels.
Speaking of levels, the design in New Super Mario Bros is absolutely fantastic. All of the levels are brand new -- making this game particularly refreshing from all of those remakes on the Gameboy Advance. Although deep down the levels are not exactly as memorable as the classic games, they make great use of Mario's abilities and completely retain the excitement and fun of the past. Disappointingly, there are a few levels that seem way to short, but it's not like you can just rush throw the levels without thinking. Just like in past games, that's the best way to die. You still have to pace yourself in areas. While the last few level can be a little tough, the game is a lot more forgiving than the older Mario platformers. Less challenge or not, there's as much fun to be had as ever.
The levels are divided up by a board-like over world similar to the one in Super Mario World. So, there are plenty of "fun to find" hidden routes off of the beaten path. Each world - there are eight in total - contains a bunch of levels divided mid-way by a tower, and capped off with a big castle. There is a boss fight in every tower and castle. All of the tower boss fights are basically a square off with Bowser Jr., which almost always come off as way too easy -especially if you have a fire flower. The castle bosses are a little more varied, but are about the same in difficulty. Since all of the boss fights are over before you know it, they're not really that big of a deal.
For the most part, the game looks great. New Super Mario Bros out of the ordinary mix of 2-D and 3-D really makes the game a refreshing Mario adventure. Sound wise, it‘s excellent, and sounds crisp playing through the DS's speakers. Also, a fair bit of the great music that is new. Remixes and updates of older tunes are scatted throughout, all sounding terrific. The game preserves the charm of the Mario games with it's audio and visual presentation - from enemies occasionally reacting to the beat of the music to Mario saying a friendly goodbye as you put the system into stand-by mode.
Aside from using the extra horsepower of the DS for a graphics and sound boost, the game does not really take advantage of all of the Nintendo DS's features in the main adventure. If you have played Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow, you know this is not exactly a bad thing -- as more features (specially touch screen) would more than likely interrupt gameplay, rather than enhance it. The top screen is where most all of the action happens. The bottom is merely to show additional stats, your progress in a level, and a selection in the corner you can touch to drop a stored power-up. This division works pretty well to keep the top screen uncluttered.
Experienced Mario veterans can blow through this game in around five hours or less, but there is still a fair bit to do afterwards. As mentioned, there are plenty of hidden routes to discover. Some of these are unlocked by special star coins you find in the levels, so there is plenty of incentive and fun to keep you coming back to complete the game. The game also includes a bunch of the DS feature-enabled mini-games found in Mario 64 DS. This is a fun tack-on if you did not pick up Mario 64 DS. As an aside, I foresee this being a trend in Mario DS games; seeing how all of the Mario remakes and Superstar Saga contained the Mario Bros arcade game. In addition, there is also a two-player mode, which can be a fun little distraction.
Nintendo still has the touch, folks. This is the polished and well-made kind of game we have come to expect from Nintendo. If you're a fan of Mario platformers, do yourself a favor and pick this up. As for the rest who are looking for a great game to help you survive the summer-game-drought, you really can't go wrong with the New Super Mario Bros.