DP Challenge 18/100 - New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Game: New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Ranking: 15/100

Score: 88.12%

Once again, we're back to the franchise with everyone's favourite Italian plumber; yes, it's another Mario game, and it's another kidnapped princess. Still, I would imagine a game about Mario turning up to someone's house, drinking their tea and charging them eighty quid to replace a rusty washer wouldn't be anywhere near as fun.

'Surprise! Well, it would be if we didn't do this in, like, every single game. We hid in a cake this time, though. Points for effort, surely?'
(Source: Hooked Gamers)

Intro

The manual is cleanly laid out and easy to read, with nice accompanying graphics. The introduction is quick and to the point; the cutesy animation of Peach getting kidnapped by Bowser Jnr and his cronies in the flimsiest disguise ever (they hide in a cake, hair poking out and all) is genuinely amusing.

There is a little bit of overkill in the manual, such as when it describes how to skip self-explanatory screens. The story is practically non-existent; the princess is captured again, find her.

There's a fair bit of scope to play the whole opening scene for laughs; perhaps everyone present rolls their eyes at the princess being captured yet again, or one character could be genuinely shocked while everyone else looks on wearily. The series is so well known, I think some jokes about this would be appreciated.

'I wish I could fly, right up to the sky, but I can't...'
'You can, Yoshi.'
'I can't!'
(Source: Hooked Gamers)

Getting Going

The game eases you in gently, slowly introducing you to new power-ups and hazards as the game progresses; you never feel overwhelmed, nor do you feel pandered to. As the main goal is simply getting to the end of the level, it's easy enough to work out what to do. Any new moves that are more complicated that using the directional pad or pressing '1' or '2' are shown by a little diagram when you're able to do it; this will be shown until you complete the move. Any bonus stages or additional goals are generally explained as you encounter them. There are a lot of generous celebratory sound effects and visuals to let you know when you have achieved something significant; also, it's normally clear when something has the ability to hurt you.

There were a couple of things I simply didn't understand. There are three large coins in each level, and judging by the spaces on the HUD you need to collect these. But the game doesn't tell you why. I had no idea if these were useful in any way beyond giving me extra points. Although the game is mostly good for giving you strong visual hints as to what is a hazard and what you can interact with, there were some areas where it wasn’t apparent if it was a bottomless pit or part of a vertical level.

Once you've completed each level, you are spat out back into the world map. This would be a good time to flash up any skippable messages about items you've just encountered, such as explaining why I should care about the super-sized coins. I also think it would be good to mark out bottomless pits and other things that are an instant kill regardless of your power-up situation (more on this in the ‘Visuals’ section).

If you get stuck, Luigi can show you how it's done. And they say he's the useless brother...
(Source: Terminal Gamer)

Fun

There's a lot of fun to be had with this game; the levels are varied, there are plenty of new skills to master and challenges to face even in the first world. There are some bottomless pit segments with revolving platforms that make you feel scared without leaving you frustrated at how to navigate them. In the first world, you have underground caverns and underwater stages to navigate, which makes the five stages to the world feel less samey. As each new mechanic is showcased in its own level, this also helps add to the different feel of every level within each world. There are lots of power-ups you can use as well; interestingly, if you complete a level with a certain power-up, you retain that power-up for the next level (providing it's a power-up you only lose from being hit, as opposed to one that wears off after a period of time). Many of the super coins you may want to collect involve taking trickier routes or using power-ups from other levels, so these add a new pseudo-puzzle element to the levels as you try to navigate your way through to these objects. There are also a number of bonus mini-games such as matching pairs and aiming cannons that reward you with power-ups if completed successfully, which make a nice change from the standard gameplay.

Although the levels are reasonably short, you still have to do five of them before you move to a different world; so, get used to that scenery.  One of the rather frustrating things about this game is how slowly Mario moves. It's quicker to move him by continually jumping; when he runs, it's like swimming through tar.

I'd like just a tiny increase in Mario's speed; you don't want to make him a speed-type character, as it is not that sort of a game, but just a lick more of speed would make him feel less sluggish to move around. I'd also make the argument that five levels per world is too many, and that there should be slightly fewer levels to an increased number of worlds to keep things varied.

Run, Mario! Run for your life! Or sort of struggle along the ground. Whichever.
(Source: Hooked Gamers)

Visuals

The graphics are cute and cartoony, which fit well with the style of game. The enemies actually dance to the level music, which is really cute. As the game is a one-hit-and-you-die affair, the way Mario's appearance changes with each power-up acts as a health bar of sorts; if you've eaten a mushroom that doubles your size, you can take one hit before dying. If you've collected a power-up in addition to this that gives Mario special abilities, then you can take two hits; one loses the power-up, one loses the double-size. The way the environment is designed makes it relatively easy to see what you can interact with and what you can't; soft edges, thin platforms and pipes can usually be passed through.

Sometimes it can be a little difficult to distinguish bottomless pits - there were a few times where I avoided certain drops because I assumed they were bottomless pits, but also found myself wondering if they would lead anywhere; especially when they were near pipes which you have been able to use to access underground passages.

I've seen 'warning' symbols used in games before to make it clear that a certain segment is a bottomless pit and not just a continuation of the level; perhaps having something like this would be a good way of making it clear that dropping down one of these is a bad idea (or a good idea if it's not a bottomless pit).

Mario has a ghost of a chance getting out of this one... Ghost, geddit?
(Source: Hooked Gamers)

Intelligence

The enemies in the game have a variety of attack patterns; some swarm you, some just amble along, others throw things at you or allow you to turn them into projectiles. There are enemies that can't actually be destroyed, but only incapacitated. Some enemies are useful as temporary platforms - when you jump on them to destroy them, you can use them to gain more height to reach power-ups and different routes. Enemy placement is usually matched up to where power-ups are present; for example, if you have a large number of perpetually respawning enemies, then you'll probably have a projectile power-up nearly. Of course, if you hit and lose it, you'll be in big trouble.

There appears to be a tactic of having to fight the same boss twice in each world; this means you get a boss who performs exactly the same tricks but with a different and more difficult to navigate environment. I found this a bit irritating - surely upon being defeated first time around, any self-respecting boss character would expand their repertoire a little? The boss seemed no different except for the fact that some platforms moved.

I'd like to see more variety in the boss fights. That first world boss who jumps and throws a blue fireball at you? Give them a few more tricks when you meet it second time around. Maybe it can shoot multiple fireballs, or can dodge yours. Perhaps it can bring out some standard enemy friends to get in your way? Just something to make it a slightly different boss fight, rather than the environment having a predictable effect on its attacks.

'Hey, Goomba! Ready to get iced?'
'If you're going to keep up these awful puns, then I welcome oblivion.'
(Source: Hooked Gamers)

Immersion

The combination of short, varied levels mean that you are never fed up of seeing the same thing over and over. The fact that each level tends to have its own gimmick - such as being set underground, or in water - makes them stand out and feel memorable; they also help to make your several stages per world more varied and interesting, and stave off the feeling of repetition you often get from playing more than two levels in the same world. The varied bonus mini games are fun but aren't just there to pad out the game; they actually serve a purpose in allowing you to gain power-ups and extra lives.

There is one minor thing that I found pulled me out of this game; every time you lose a life, you are transported back to the map world, and not the start of the level or the last checkpoint. When you re-enter the level, you will start at the last checkpoint you passed, but this still wastes valuable seconds as you wait for Mario to stop moaning so button '2' will work and take you back into the level.

I understand the game wants to allow you to try a different level or equip yourself with a power-up before you return, but I'd prefer it if the default was to respawn at the appropriate point of the level and then use the + or - buttons to go back to the hub if you wish.

But I was just... I've still got loads of lives, why did you just... Stop it! STOP IT!
(Source: Hooked Gamers)

Camera

The camera is third person and follows your character. As the world is 2D there are no clipping issues or problems with the camera focusing somewhere you don't want. You can see where you're going and the camera scrolls with you enough that you don't get blindsided by any enemies or traps.

Alas, you cannot look up or down. As there are vertical levels, and levels where there are pits which may be bottomless but you can't be certain, this is a little annoying.

I'd like it if the directional pad utilised the up and down buttons so you could move the camera up or down slightly to get a better view of vertical areas. There could be a short delay between crouching and the view scrolling down a little, to allow for instances where the player may just want to crouch or ground pound an enemy.

In case you were wondering how to reach the mysterious super-coin, a pair of disembodied hands show you how.
(Source: Hooked Gamers)

Controls

The controls are very simple to use; you have the directional pad to move around with, button '1' to fire projectile (if the power-up allows) and button '2' to jump. There are other controls which utilise the Wii Remote, such as tilting the Wii Remote to tilt platforms, or shaking the Wii Remote to fly or grab objects; these are accurate and easy to pick up.

I have to admit, the tilt control to move platforms is a little frustrating to use; it suffers from 'pat your head and rub your tummy' syndrome, as when you tilt the Wii Remote, you automatically try to move it back as you use the directional controls to leap off the platform. As you usually need to tilt the platform so you can reach another ledge, this is a wee bit annoying. It's fun, but can lead to unnecessary deaths.

Perhaps if you were able to 'lock' a platform into place by holding down the '1' button or an equivalent, the tilt function would be a little easier to use.

Don't fall, don't fall, don't fall... Multiplayer fun. Or multiplayer terror, depending on how you look at it.
(Source: Hooked Gamers)

Ideas

This game has lots of fun features. In the first world alone you are introduced to abilities such as flying, swimming, shooting fireballs, throwing snowballs that turn enemies to ice, picking up and throwing blocks, riding Yoshi who can eat enemies; that's a lot of things to keep you entertained. On top of this, you get bonus levels that are actually meaningful. They largely involve matching card pairs by pulling them out of the wall, or shooting yourself into 1UPs, but they're still fun and suitably different from the main game. As you win extra lives and power-ups you can use in any level, you feel as though they are worth playing. Some of the mechanics are fun, such as multiple rotating blocks you have to keep running on so you don't fall into bottomless pits, but also jump across to progress. In later worlds, there are sand geysers where you have to time your jumps carefully so as not to plummet and die. You are given incentives to return and reply levels, such as to collect the mysterious super coins, or to rescue Toads who have been trapped in power blocks; this gets interesting as you cannot use certain abilities whilst carrying Toad, so you have to put him down every so often in safe places to clear certain hazards. There is also a decent multiplayer mode, where up to four players can compete in a race to the goal flag, but also help each other out in order to reach items.

Some of the Wii controls did feel a little gimmicky. You have to shake the Wii Remote to use the propeller power, which kind of makes sense; when you have to hold a button and shake the Wii Remote to pick up a block? It just seems pointless.

When it comes to using the Wii Remote, I'd really like to see the gyroscopic features being used sensibly, not just because they can. Shaking the Wii Remote and holding down the '1' button just to pick up an item seems like overkill, as you could just press the '1' button and you wouldn’t lose any of the features. 

Be the penguin, Mario. Live your dream.
(Source: Hooked Gamers)

Memory

This is definitely a game you would want to play again. It's fun and addictive, but easy to pick up; the short level structure allows you to play the odd quick level without having to invest half a day into playing. The overall art design is super cute, from the characters to the worlds - even the 'scary' castles. One thing I thought was terribly cute was the fact that the enemies bop along to the level music. The power-ups are also utilised well; the fact that you can win them in the hub world and equip yourself with a single power-up before entering a level is interesting, as often this allows you to reach areas you couldn't by just accessing the level with no special powers. There's a lot of replay value in returning to levels and seeing what havoc you can wreak with new power-up items, as well as trying to rescue Toads; this adds a new element to the levels, as you have to play with limited abilities and with any power-ups effectively disabled until you put Toad down anywhere.

I really don't enjoy being chucked out into the map/hub world when you lose a life, however. That is annoying and you spend a few precious seconds tapping futilely at the '2' button while Mario whimpers a bit at having been hurt. Also, some of the graphical choices make it a little confusing as to whether you are faced with a bottomless pit or a vertical level. Oh and Peach? You need better security. This getting captured every single game is getting old, lady.

As previously stated, returning to the hub world should be a choice, not automatic. One thing I would dearly enjoy is if they poked a bit more fun at their paper-thin game premise. Clearly we're supposed to just enjoy the game and not really care about the story, and in a landscape where story is an increasingly important part of the experience this stands out. So make fun of it, self-reference it; it'd be entertaining without treading near the depth the game deliberately wants to avoid.

Barrels in a desert level. Because everyone loves barrels and pyramids.
(Source: Hooked Gamers)

Overall this is a fun platformer with lots of neat gimmicks set out in a way that allows the player to invest hours or minutes into a gaming session. If only you didn't keep getting thrown back into the world map.