Gaming New Super Mario Bros.

[r2vq]

I've been looking forward to this game for quite a while, and even though I usually just lurk in the Play It thread, I thought the lack of an New Super Mario Bros thread justified my posting here.

New Super Mario Bros. has been called Super Mario Bros 4 an editor at 1up. It's the first side scroller in the Super Mario Bros franchise in I don't know how many years.
It's very faithful to the original series, with a new style that comes, in part, from the 3D graphics that it uses. The "puzzles" in it are fun, and not too difficult. What I like most about it is its accessibility for just about anyone. Not only is the game an easy game to master, in terms of controls and feel, but the more advanced you get, the more secrets you unlock, and the more you can accomplish.

If you liked the other Super Mario Bros games go ahead and grab this one. If you didn't like the other Super Mario Bros games, leave this one off your list.

I actually committed myself to wait for the DS Lite to come out before I bought this game, but on the day it came out, I couldn't help looking for it. When I found it was sold out in the places I looked, I decided, once again, to wait before buying it. Though, the moment I saw it at Future Shop, I had to have it.

Did anybody else get their hands on this game? I'd like to see how other people felt about it too.

-r2

[Obesepanda]

EDIT: I thought this post was for the super smash bros. brawl.

I've seen the commercials for it being 3D and such makes the game look slightly more fun then its previous versions, unfortunately i don't own an nintendo DS but i would like to try it out.

[r2vq]

[quote name='Obesepanda']I've seen the commercials for it being 3D[/quote]It makes use of 3D graphics, but the game is a 2D sidescroller.

-r2

[Obesepanda]

Right, I was talking about the character models Next time i'll be more clear.

[r2vq]

Oh~ sorry, heh I guess I misunderstood. ^^

The 3D character models do make the game, not necessarily more fun, but unique. It's a fun to see Mario's different poses as he wall jumps, butt stomps, runs, flips, or even double/triple jumps. ^^

-r2

[Obesepanda]

I was suprised they went that way with the series, Messing with game mechanics can spell disaster especially with a game like mario, alot of people like the whole 2d side scrolling image of the game im sure no one will bicker to much but you never know.

[Charles]

[quote name='Obesepanda']I was suprised they went that way with the series, Messing with game mechanics can spell disaster especially with a game like mario, alot of people like the whole 2d side scrolling image of the game im sure no one will bicker to much but you never know.[/quote]

They didn't mess with the game mechanics; they did the opposite. The game plays [i]exactly[/i] like a mixture between the first and third Super Mario Bros. games with a pinch of Super Mario World (storing an item and revolving on cages). The mid-boss battles play out a lot like Mario Bros. 3; even the Hammer Brothers wander around the world maps. The primary differences are a few new power-ups and the addition of a couple moves from Mario 64 (the butt stomp and the wall jump). So yeah, this game is very retro. The 3D character models mainly make an aesthetic difference.

Anyway, I'm happy with the game. I would never call it Super Mario 4 because that would take away from what Mario 64 did for the series. I think that was the natural evolution of Mario. This game, most definitely, is a throwback and it "feels" right. New Super Mario Bros manages to mesh well with the classic Mario side scrollers; that's a huge accomplishment in and of itself. At first I was disappointed with the art direction. I thought the game looked very boring--almost like a fan-made project. And it did. I was also disappointed with how short the levels were, and how easy the game seemed.

But boy, let me tell you, once I unlocked some of the later worlds things picked up [i]big time.[/i] There's some truly inventive platforming mechanics in some levels. Not only did the level design and difficulty end up achieving a classic Mario look and feel, in some ways it surpassed it. For example, the butt stomp and wall-jump moves compliment the gameplay so well, that it would be hard for me to go back to the earlier games. Additionally, [spoiler]whether you're riding on the back of a giant centipede or swimming past huge eels, it's just [i]awesome.[/i] [/spoiler] I almost felt like I was a kid again while playing through it. Also, the placement of the three gold coins is often brilliant. Although I was able to get through the game quickly, it's actually fun just to go back and collect them all for the sake of the challenge alone. The secret exits and unlockable worlds also gave me a lot of reason to go back and explore. Again, just really well done stuff here.

So yeah, New Super Mario Bros. isn't as stylish as I would have hoped and I would have liked some cool power suits (I grew tired of the fire flower) but regardless, this is a great handheld Mario side scroller that craps on most of today's 3D platformers. I have to rank it right alongside Mario Bros. 3. It's that good.

I just hope that Artoon doesn't screw up Yoshi's Island 2.

[DarkRini]

It was a fun game I liked it~ I had little difficulty getting in to the gameplay and even though I just got it yesterday I've beaten it. That may also suggest that it's easy but it really depends on the player. I recommend it.

[James]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I just got this game a few days ago and I've really been enjoying it. It's clear that Nintendo hasn't forgotten how to make a good Mario game.

I suppose that on the one hand, I'm disappointed that this isn't really a "new" Mario game, in the sense that it's not a new Super Mario World as such...but it's really a great mixture of old and new. The graphics and the level designs are reminiscent of Super Mario Bros., but Nintendo have kept the game fresh by adding various new elements (including the new items and the new level elements).

I still have to unlock a few things, but I've been enjoying the game a lot despite the shortness. I really hope that this is the start of a trend; I'd like to see Nintendo get back into the habit of releasing new Mario games every few years...especially 2D Mario games.[/font]

[Papa Smurf]

So far my favorite features of this game aren't actually the new gameplay, the wall-jumps, the butt-stomp, etc. Now that I think about it, even though those moves feel absolutely perfect in this game...I've got to give the biggest nod to the level design. There are portions of the levels that are straight out of the NES originals, no lie.

I remember when Lakitu is chasing you in SMB1, in level 4-1. That's in this game, right down to block placement. With the exact same type of hazards if you hit a block the wrong way while running (as in, you will fall in the hole and die).

This game can be enjoyed by everyone, definitely. But only veterans of the originals will really go all gaga over the subtleties, I think. And in fact, veterans may be the only players who notice the little touches.

I've only played up to 2-3, and already I think it's safe to say this game is reason enough to pick-up a DS Lite if you haven't done so already. It looks good enough on a regular DS, but as I've seen on Charles', the game looks exponentially more incredible on the Lite.

[Charles]

[quote name='Papa Smurf'] I've only played up to 2-3, and already I think it's safe to say this game is reason enough to pick-up a DS Lite if you haven't done so already. It looks good enough on a regular DS, but as I've seen on Charles', the game looks exponentially more incredible on the Lite.[/quote]

This is true. I honestly thought the game looked fine on the crusty old DS but the Lite gave it a new lease on life. I'll post some helpful comparison shots for those of you who are skeptical.

DS:
[CENTER][IMG]http://img.engadget.com/common/images/0399620185228374.JPG?0.23050847691656084[/IMG][/CENTER]

DS Lite:
[CENTER][IMG]http://dsmedia.ign.com/ds/image/article/705/705046/new-super-mario-bros-20060504024952292.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

As you can see, the Lite provides a lot more visual fidelity. Vibrant details that were once invisible, now pop out. But seriously, the picture quality is increased dramatically. It motivated me to go back and collect the dozen or so gold coins that had escaped me previously.

[Shinmaru]

I've been playing New Super Mario Bros. a lot lately, and I can only agree with much of what has been mentioned in this thread. At first I was a bit disappointed due to the relative ease of the early levels, but as Charles said, the later levels and hidden levels ramp up the difficulty, are designed well, and are just a ton of fun to play through. I had a blast running through World 4 earlier today (not to mention just getting there - I've got a lot of gaming rust on me, so Tiny Mario was a bit squirrely for me to handle at times while I was beating the World 2 boss, haha). :)

So, yeah, I'm enjoying the game a ton and it's been well worth the purchase. The comments in this thread have me interested in picking up a DS Lite as well...

[Guest mega-matt]

Yeah I got the game and I love it. I have always loved Super Mario games so I had to get it...it was like a thing I need to live out the rest of my days lol. So yeah I love it...I haven't beat it yet but I know I will...

[Charles]

[quote name='mega-matt']Yeah I got the game and I love it. I have always loved Super Mario games so I had to get it...it was like a thing I need to live out the rest of my days lol. So yeah I love it...I haven't beat it yet but I know I will...[/quote]

So champ, can you be a little more specific? How far along are you? How do you think it lives up to other Mario side scrollers? What do you think of the new power-ups? Any criticisms? Are the boss battles too easy?

[CENTER][IMG]http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/8941/drevil4av.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

[Petie]

[font=Verdana][color=blue]I got this game when I picked up my DS Lite and I've been enjoying it. It's nice to see a side-scroller again and the better graphics add a nice look. The combo of Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3 also makes it pretty interesting to play.[/color][/font]

[font=Verdana][color=blue]In terms of the new power-ups, neither really seems to serve a major purpose but they are fun to use. Being able to crash through good portions of the level or jump double (I'm estimating that) your normal height adds an interesting feel to the game.[/color][/font]

[font=Verdana][color=blue]There is however one thing I don't like about the game. I can't stand that you have to beat a tower or temple or spend come coins to save the game. Save points were originally introduced because the cartridge did not have enough memory on it to do on-the-fly saves. This is not a problem any more so why can't we just save whenever we want? [spoiler]Save on-the-fly is an unlockable feature but only after you beat the game. I really think it should just be there by default.[/spoiler][/color][/font]

[font=Verdana][color=blue]Other than that though, I really do like this game. It stays true to the original games with the level set-up and the Bowser on the bridge battles which is fun.[/color][/font]

[font=Verdana][color=blue]Oh, and Charles, I love the DS to DS Lite comparison :)[/color][/font]

[Ellerby]

[color=#555555][FONT=Tahoma]Eh, I'm sorry for being a bit late on posting in all these DS threads. But I only recently got my DS Lite.

Why did I get it? New Super Mario Bros. The game is amazing. When I first gave it to my brother to give it a try, he had that "If you've played one Mario you've played 'em all" attitude. Well, let's just say he no longer thinks that way.

I've been sitting here for at least 5 hours, just playing it non-stop. It's so freaking addicting (as all Mario games are). I'm up to World 6 (with World 4 beaten, aswell) and I'm loving it. I'm sort of afraid it will end quickly, but I also heard there are 2 secret worlds, so no worries there.

I'm loving the new power-ups (but what does the [spoiler]blue shell[/spoiler] even do?). The graphics are fantastic, and it all fits together nicely on my DS Lite. :)

I have a question, though. Besides opening new paths to mushroom houses, is there any other reason to get the star coins?[/FONT][/COLOR]

[aoi_hikari]

[QUOTE=White][color=#555555][FONT=Tahoma]
I'm loving the new power-ups (but what does the [spoiler]blue shell[/spoiler] even do?). The graphics are fantastic, and it all fits together nicely on my DS Lite. :)

I have a question, though. Besides opening new paths to mushroom houses, is there any other reason to get the star coins?[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]

Got this a while ago. I really love this game. the new worlds look fantastic! ^^
The ability to shrink and get bigger is really fun to use! ^____^

[spoiler] if you hold the b button, you can hide in your blue shell and it provides protection. you can also move around in the shell if you hold b (I believe) and navigate using the control pad [/spoiler]
with the star coins, you can unlock new levels on the map, im pretty sure. If I'm wrong, please feel free to correct me! Hope that answers your questions, white!

[Ellerby]

[color=#555555][FONT=Tahoma]Alright, I beat the game a few days after I rented (as I had predicted I would) and I'm still going back to collect coins. The game is awesome. However I thought that I should post a few secrets you may or may not know about.

The first one is the dancing enemies. Everytime the background music goes "Bah!", some of the enemies do a little dance move. The Koopa Troopas pause and look at the screen, the Goombas jump (and power-ups such as the Fire Flower jump aswell). I thought this was a neat little addition.

Secondly would be a glitch I [i]just[/i] discovered a few minutes ago. It has to do with the jumping enemies in W2-5. If you manage to break only the boxes on top of the question box (I did this by jumping quickly on and off of one while Super Big Mario) you can see their real faces. A small black cube with two lime green eyes. Now I may be wrong, but that doesn't look much like the real face. I think it's a little booboo.[/FONT][/COLOR]