Game Review 16:New Super Mario Bros.

Do not be tricked by the word 'New'. In fact, New Super Mario Bros. is very similar to the original Mario game, Super Mario Bros., except the fact that Mario looks better now, because he is no longer drawn using big pixels. The increased power of the DS, compared to earlier consoles, not only improves the graphics, but at the same time, gives the developers a chance to add more gameplay elements like the deforming terrains into New Super Mario Bros. Yeah, there are special actions that Mario can perform like swimming, rope climbing and even vertical wall jumps, but otherwise, gameplay is still very much the same, so you can expect lots of jumping -- timed ones, of course. Wait, there is more meaning to the word 'New'. And the answer lies within the power-ups. New power-ups include a mega and mini mushroom and a special koopa suit (a blue turtle shell). The mega mushroom is quite rare, but if you happen to get it, it is fun! The mega mushrooms inflates Mario to a giant, filling almost the entire upper DS screen, brushing away any resistance in Mario's way (Just walk into them!). Although the effects only last for a brief moment, it is amazingly nice while they last. The mini mushroom shrinks Mario down to a very small size, so small that he can float on water and in the air, but that makes Mario very vulnerable to enemies. At times, Mario may also see power-ups like the special koopa suit. When Mario is in danger, he can hide in the shell. These type of new power-ups give us additional ways to play the game. It is just fantastic! There are also some hidden or sealed ways that can only be accessed by spending the Star Coins that Mario has collected. 2 of the 8 worlds cannot be accessed directly too. However, before rushing out to get your copy of this game, please be warned that this game is no walk in the park. Instead, it is very close to insanely difficult, especially in the later worlds, and you just have to perform a 'trial-and-error' method. I can swear that some jumps are absolutely impossible and the only way you can proceed with the game is to destroy the enemy using fireballs or be a Super Mario, so when you sustain damage, you will revert back to the Standard Mario instead of starting from the last checkpoint (Well, if you are none of those Mario types, Fire Mario and Super Mario I mention, then good luck). It becomes increasingly fustrating as you go deeper into the game. Yes, I like Mario games very much, but this one is just not engaging enough, and it gets pretty boring after a while. The collection of mini-games included with the game does no help with making my playing experience better. Alright, let me get this straight. (I am very honest here) Although New Super Mario Bros. sounds good, it just lacks the feeling I always get when I play excellent games like Half-Life 2 or even Mario Kart DS (this game is better than this). In other words, New Super Mario Bros. is a good game (no doubt about that), but not good enough. What that has been successful in engaging gamers in the earlier days (for example, Super Mario Bros.) are not what that makes a good game today.

Overall score: 9.1/10
Platform available: Nintendo DS