New Super Mario Bros. U review

[hexxed]

I really like this, but you I also enjoyed the other NSMB games, this is more of the same, but exactly what I wanted really. Looks great in HD too.

[BIG EDD]

Must admit to enjoying this one love the colourful HD graphics plus using a good set of headphones with the gamepad makes the cavern levels a joy to the ear

[Goemon]

Really enjoying the time trail challenges, I love breaking down a level to do it as good as possible.

Anyone playing the challenges?

[gambit6613]

I have to agree i think this is a brilliant Mario game. I am enjoying it so much more than NSMB on Wii. It looks absolutely stunning in HD and some of the levels are genuinely a challenge.

[JSR]

My experiences with multiplayer in the previous "New" games isn't too great. I remember trying to work together in about five minutes before all the accidental bumping turns into genuine attempts at killing each other. Pretty fun, but very unproductive. Today I played this one with my brother. At first we were stumbling through the levels rather awkwardly, but after a while we seemed to hit a good rhythm. We naturally waited for each other at platform without being in each others way, automatically cared for each our area of the screens to collect coins or beat enemies. We worked together pretty harmonically, and for the first time, multiplayer in Mario actually made sense. Some situations - like boss fights - were still more easily tackled when alone though, but tremendous fun to play together nonetheless.

[Atticus]

I'm really liking this. But I liked NSMB Wii too. As classic Mario games go, nothing will come close to the experience I had discovering Super Mario World, the returns are bound to diminish as the years go by and the titles rack up. But graphical differences aside (for some of us modern visuals sometimes lack the character of old-school 2D - saying that, this is a very pretty game in places) I think Nintendo still have the magic touch and 2D Mario is still someting special. Especially here. Pretty much what I'd want from a 2D Mario game. It's relaxing, happy, challenging where it needs to be (the challenges are a stroke of genius). No complaints at all. Even trumps the very good Zombi-U as my fave launch game.

[wakka]

Really want to play this, but feel it will benefit from multiplayer. I played through all of NSMB Wii in 4P (including all Star Coins), only way to play it imo.

[Kieran76]

I love this game, so much so that it is keeping both Zombi U and Far Cry 3 waiting. It like video game Prozac, like most folks at the moment I leave for work in the dark and return in the dark, so the chance to play a wonderfully fun and brightly coloured video game is the perfect tonic. I love the way the koopas do a little dance, I often hold off jumping on their heads just to see it.

[crocky-chocky]

Happy to say I'm proper loving this too.

It doesn't knock your socks off in a Galaxy stylee, as they have stuck the more standard snow/desert stuff at the beginning. I mean, they're solid levels with some lovely little design touches, but from 'Soda Jungle' onwards it really takes off -I hit a streak of levels last night that were just pure Nintendo magic, and it's took a turn for the Super Mario World in the world I'm currently exploring. Some lovely backdrops, though admittedly one or two assets do look a bit ugly.

The haunted house levels and Koopa kid boss battles are ace, the later ones really monkey about with the standard formula and have a whiff of Galaxy's playfulness.

The challenges have also been great so far and massively satisfying during the head-bop challenges once those 1-up's start chiming. I particularly love the ones that use the squirrel suit and the time limit makes them feel like a kind of Pilotwings crossover. Tough too.

[teddymeow]

This is a great winter game for me. Easy to get into and play but there's real challenge if you want to go through and collect all the gold coins.

The little touches, too, show this game has some old school Mario and "soul". Things like when you get on a Yoshi and extra notes start playing in the music. Little layers that raise a smile as you play.

I love the integration of SpotPass and MiiVerse; posting hints and tips and thoughts about levels is fun. Seeing where other gamers have struggled or had most fun is brilliant!

[nakamura]

The little touches, too, show this game has some old school Mario and "soul". Things like when you get on a Yoshi and extra notes start playing in the music. Little layers that raise a smile as you play.

I still smile when it does that on the SNES game.

[BIG EDD]

Yes it's a week on from the launch and I'm still loving it

[crocky-chocky]

Aye, lots of nice musical motifs and touches to the audio in general. My favourite has to be the baby Yoshi's belting out a few choice notes whenever Mazza's carrying one. Bless 'em.

[crocky-chocky]

Flat-out sublime now, this is.

I've beat Bowser, unlocked

->Open Spoiler<-

star-road island or sommat

and am well impressed at just how many secret levels and areas there are. Mopping up all the star coins is ace fun, and a lot of them are collected in quite ingenious ways. As in all the best Mario's, awesome design touches are used sparingly and shine brighter as a result. Anyone who's dubbed this as more of the same hasn't quite looked hard enough or played for more than a few levels, I think.

It's flippin' well wick', and definetly the highpoint of the 'New' series.

[rmoxon]

What are the baby Yoshi's for? Earlier in the game one of them asked me to feed it. But I can't figure out how? They just appear in levels and cause me to die as I try to carry them about.