Uninvited pushover.
Koopalings have their own airships this time around.It's no secret that I'm a huge Super Mario fan and if you haven't figured this out already, then shame on you. The 3D installments blow me away in terms of innovation but 2D Mario is still king for a quick, fun romp through the Mushroom Kingdom. The New Super Mario Bros. games, however, seemed subpar. They failed to enthrall me. That is until New Super Mario Bros. 2 released. Nintendo upped the ante in terms of level design and expanded longevity through Coin Rush mode which directly complemented the game's primary gimmick of collecting one million coins.
The company appears poised to redefine platforming once more later this year on the Wii U by combining the best of the series' past and present in crafting a convincing future. It's no surprise Nintendo should do this either. The DS original thrived on the nostalgia of being the first 2D Mario in 15 years, the Wii game added a cooperative mode, the most recent 3DS title ushered a new era of DLC compatibility for Nintendo. New Super Mario Bros. U is doing just that and more, in obvious and subtle manners which this thread will endeavor to explain.
The first minor difference you'll notice is rather than abducting Peach from her castle, Bowser's giant airship hand dispenses of the Mario Bros. and places Toadstool under house arrest. This may not seem like much but these minor differences eventually add up to create a genuinely "new whole". During this same introductory scene we see the Koopalings have airships of their own to boot. This suggests that perhaps the final world castles are used as mere stopgaps prior to propelling into the sky much like Super Mario Bros. 3. In fact, we are shown a scene where Mario, Luigi, and the two Toads climb the castle ramparts with Roy Koopa's airship zooming overhead.
A...a connected overworld map?!
If an eccentric start isn't enough to justify the zany nature of this installment, then the throwbacks to some of Mario's freshest should convince you otherwise. Contrary to what mainstream media claims, the Squirrel suit is more similar to the Bunny than Raccoon Suit in its ability to allow Mario to glide towards the ground in a slow descent. The familiar connected overworld map from Super Mario World returns once more.
Bazooka time!
Perhaps this insinuates that certain hidden pathways will breed a new speedrun culture. If you knew the right way, only 12 levels out of SMW's 96 needed to be completed to topple Bowser, after all. Speaking of Super Mario World, Yoshi's return brings both new and old with the drunk and overstuffed variations. Perhaps another hint will be taken from the SNES hit and the green dinosaur may be taken with Mario outside of its original level unlike in NSMB Wii. On top of the World 2 Fortress we also see Boom Boom as he appears in Super Mario 3D Land. Does this imply his newly engaged boomerang wielding girlfriend will rear her face once more as well? Koopaling design is fresh as well with Roy Koopa wielding a bullet bill shooting bazooka. For once the fights actually appear to be challenging.Boom Boom
looms overhead.And of course there are the new Boost and Challenge modes to boot. These won't make or break the game but much like Coin Rush in NSMB 2 add extra replay incentive. The first appears to be frantic fun for the entire family to enjoy whereas the latter will challenge Mario players to the edge of their sanity, a cruel mode so to speak. The Nintdndo Network logo on the cover art suggests that downloadable stages will be available at a later date.
That's my view on how NSMB U melds the old with modern gameplay elements to deserve the "new" prefix for the first time in eight years since the DS game. What are your thought on New Super Mario Bros. U? Are you fond of the numerous throwbacks included? Which new element(s) excite you most? Feel free to add anything I may have forgotten!
