New Super Mario Bros. U review

[Shozuki]

Put this into the drive next after riding a wave of unexpected excitement with both ZombiU and Sonic Racing I was looking forward to Nintendo showing me how it's done...

...I couldn't be more disappointed really. It looks and plays by the numbers - and seems to lack a bit of charm for me. I want to inform people here I played 3D land recently and was really impressed by the game in general; Somehow finding a wonderful balance between old, new and creative.

This just feels like a remix but one we've had almost more then yearly. It's undeniably the game most will pick up with the machine - but doesn't really make any use of the machines capabilities or indeed the team behind it.

I'll try and play a bit more later, needless to say though it's easily the most disappointing game I've played on the WiiU so far...

[originalbadboy]

Not really surprising you feel that way, most of the NSMB games give me that feeling so I don't execpt this to be any different. Apparrently the last couple of worlds are a bit better than the rest.

Also there is quite a lot of 'after completion' challanges to do as well, so I think that's where the meat and bones of the game is supposed to be.

[rmoxon]

This is suprising to hear, all the reviews i have read say this nsmb game is a lot better than the others in the series and is a lot more creative than the others.

[gambit6613]

Yeah i cannot wait to play this. I do probably think it help that i have not played a 2d Mario game since NSMB on the Wii 3 or so years ago.

[Shozuki]

played a little more of this, still find it incredibly uninspiring. Nintendo are treating us like mugs. They've given us a rehashed game they've already rehashed to death AND charge us full-price for the privilege. I'm so pleased the WiiU has ZombiU otherwise I'd be bored of the system by now...

[wakka]

There haven't actually been that many NSMB games (4 in total over the course of ~6 years). I think it just feels like we've been over saturated because NSMB2 and NSMB U have come out in the same year. Not to say they don't feel soulless and far poorer quality than the 'real' Mario games - they totally do. I think after this one it'll probably be a little while before we see another. So far Nintendo have yet to release more than one on the same system.

[Shozuki]

There haven't actually been that many NSMB games (4 in total over the course of ~6 years). I think it just feels like we've been over saturated because NSMB2 and NSMB U have come out in the same year. Not to say they don't feel soulless and far poorer quality than the 'real' Mario games - they totally do. I think after this one it'll probably be a little while before we see another. So far Nintendo have yet to release more than one on the same system.

Could be right, but they have ALWAYS felt soulless - I was suckered into this one by the positive reviews - but it's same old... Looking forward to something fresh from the Big N though....

[Dogg Thang]

There haven't actually been that many NSMB games (4 in total over the course of ~6 years).

Have there ever been as many Mario games as similar before? I remember even being surprised that there was a second Mario Galaxy. Most Mario games are unique, building their own identities. I haven't played this NSMB U one but was shocked at the lack of any progression in NSMB2 (especially given there was a Wii title in between them) from what was already a fairly bland Mario title.

[Shozuki]

Yeah, that's thing Mario does tend to be unique 3D Land, Galaxy, Galaxy 2, Sunshine and 64 are of course all excellent. 2D ones prior to then were fantastic too and even the first NSMB on DS was cool, but a little tired by the end - now the novelty factor has completely warn off - which is a shame! I really want to see something new from Nintendo, a fresh Mario, Zelda and especially Metroid would make me a happy chappy.

For now though, there's ZombiU

[crocky-chocky]

Sad to hear this is more of the same, or mostly similar at least. I'll most likely pick it up for chrimbo as I really liked NSMB Wii, but an update of that is a disappointing introduction to HD Mazza.

If you lay out the original NES trilogy and see just how totally different they are, by comparison the New SMB's really do look a bit lazy. The leap from 1 to 2 on the NES blew my tiny mind as a kid, I remember being confounded when Mazza jumped on a shy guy and just stayed pirched on top of the fella without him getting squished!

I'd bloody love an NSMB in the style of Mario 2. Turnip tossing was the nuts!

[VR46]

...I couldn't be more disappointed really. It looks and plays by the numbers - and seems to lack a bit of charm for me. I want to inform people here I played 3D land recently and was really impressed by the game in general; Somehow finding a wonderful balance between old, new and creative.

I felt exactly the same buying and playing NSMB2 on the 3DS after playing the great MarioLand 3D extensively. They set the bar high, then the going back to 2D felt a real step back. Sorry for going off topic a bit.

[MisterBubbles]

Its exactly the syndrome the other consoles have to, no new innovation just COD 3 and BF3, because these sell, innovation doesn't really sell any more, it might, but if it doesn't then maybe your dev studio is finished. Pretty surprised to hear Shozuki say he's nearly bored of the system already, i guess that gamepad is still a gimmick just now, looks like ZombiU is the only exclusive good thing for WiiU.

[arcnas]

When mine arrives im already a bit comcerned, will i play these Wii U games above Far Cry 3 which is coming the same day, i doubt i will.

[Nu-Eclipse]

If you lay out the original NES trilogy and see just how totally different they are, by comparison the New SMB's really do look a bit lazy. The leap from 1 to 2 on the NES blew my tiny mind as a kid, I remember being confounded when Mazza jumped on a shy guy and just stayed pirched on top of the fella without him getting squished!

I'd bloody love an NSMB in the style of Mario 2. Turnip tossing was the nuts!

Rehashing classic gamer knowledge here, but it really does depend on how you look at it. After all, the SMB2 that we got in the western world was never really a true Mario as opposed to Lost Levels (SMB2 Japan), which was pretty much more of the same following on from the original SMB.

SMB3 was when the 2D Mario series really started to evolve, paving the way for many of the ideas and concepts that appeared in Super Mario World (SMB4) - arguably STILL the greatest SMB game ever, if not the greatest 2D Mario title ever.

[rmoxon]

Yeah, the real super mario bros 2 is actually the least original game in the series, to the point that when it was finally released here it was somewhat misleadingly sold to gamers as a collection of deleted scenes/levels from the first game. So even back then the series wasn't always original.

The western SMB2 is the most unique out of all the old school games but its not a real mario game when all is said and done so does not count.

when all is said and done even another nsmb game is probably more entertaining than a lot of games anyway, even if its not one of the best mario games.