New Super Mario Bros. Wii: Comparing the Newest to the Classics

New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which released in November of 2009, arrived on the shelves almost ten years after the overwhelming success of Super Mario Bros. 3 (SMB3) for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). SMB3 remains one of the most popular vintage NES video games of all time, and was certainly my uncontested personal favorite of the Super Mario Bros. franchise. That is, of course, until the resurrection of the classic was arrived by way of New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

With a rating of 8.5 on GameSpot, it's no wonder that New Super Mario Bros. Wii is widely recommended among the gamer community, especially by those who cut their teeth on the NES with the original classics. Capitalizing on the innovative uses of the Wii Remotes-this video game actually requiring the Wii-mote to be turned on its side similar to the original NES controllers-the latest installment in the franchise is both a strange mixture of new content and carefully reconstructed updates to the classics, especially Super Mario Bros. 3.

I was shocked to discover that most of the levels in New Super Mario Bros. Wii are remakes from the classic SMB3. For example, ice world, water world and even cloud world are all revisited just to name a few, and once again we see the unruly children of villain Bowser up to mischief, providing the bosses for each of the levels. The order in which you encounter each of the worlds is altered in this modern installment; in New Super Mario Bros. Wii you encounter icy slopes and challenges in World 3 instead of World 6.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii has the unique perk of combining the traditional 2D side-scrolling game-play with the fun-and challenge-of simultaneous, cooperative multiplayer action. SMB3 allowed alternating play for two players; New Super Mario Bros. Wii can accommodate four players at once, and features the original duo of Mario and Luigi in addition to two new Toadstools. I found the yellow and blue Toadstools to be a major disappointment; access to Princess Peach and the Toad would have been a much better selection for the cast of characters.

This video game allows you to add and remove players during any stage of the game, provided you are not currently in a level. This especially comes in handy when you have a spouse who doesn't really enjoy the New Super Mario Bros. Wii style of game-play, especially after what seems to be an endless supply of additional lives post-continues. Nintendo also made a wise choice in keeping the sounds and music of New Super Mario Bros. Wii similar to what fans originally experienced in the franchise, especially within SMB3.

Ultimately, I found New Super Mario Bros. Wii to be a very worthwhile addition to the franchise, resurrecting just enough of the original charm of the Super Mario Bros. world and combining it with the new technology and features both vintage gamers such as myself and newcomers to the series both expect and demand in modern video games. An extremely challenging prospect to be sure, but New Super Mario Bros. Wii delivers it in an addictive, nostalgic jolt of fun and familiarity.

Sources:
GameSpot, "New Super Mario Bros. Wii for WII"