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New Super Mario Bros. U
Wii U
Not So Much New, but Still Quite Fun
4/5 stars
I admit I wasn't as excited about New Super Mario Bros. as many people. I found it fun, but I hardly ever played it on my own. New Super Mario Bros. U follows much in the same footsteps, though playing it with friends was a lot more fun (and at times quite a bit more challenging) than I would have expected. So if you're a die hard Mario fan, or just want a game to pick and play with friends or family, this is probably a good choice for you.
Presentation: Although built for next generation graphics, NSMBU still shares that Mario throwback look. No 3D here - it's traditional 2D fun - colorful, vibrant, somewhat cartoonish - but classic Mario. Classic enemies return, the four-player action (and one extra for the game pad) returns and locations - fire, ice, forest, swamp - are all present and accounted for. There are some new powerups and Yoshi powers, but it's all kind of familiar. Some level designs show improvements (especially the van Gogh Starry Night-inspired background found in the swamp) with the HD upgrade as well. The game isn't perfect - you can still find jagged edges here and there, but overall, it looks pretty good.
The music is classic Mario as well - though at certain times enemies decide to dance along to the beat and on more than one occasion has led to disaster and hilarity. The soundtrack, overall, has that same classic feeling and belongs with the game. Voices are pretty much limited to one-liners, various hoots and yells and whatnot, so it's not like they had to spend a lot of time on the dialogue.
Story: Typical Mario - Bowser crashes the party once again and seals off Peach's castle and calls in his Koopa kids to guard the various levels. Let's face it, if you've played one Mario game, you pretty much know what's in store (story-wise) - they don't really change things up that much. Sure, you can bring your brother and some toads along with you this time, but it's still "save the damsel in distress".
Gameplay: This is the bread and butter of NSMBU - the four player action is back, complete with being able to totally mess up your fellow players. The powerups, from the Acorn suit that lets you fly to Yoshis who balloon up, shine a light or spit bubbles, add to the variety. You can even get a Super P hat by catching the wiley Nabbit who pops up on random stages. Some may consider it cheating, but the hat was integral to getting through some of the hairier stages of the game.
Speaking of hairier stages - those thinking a Mario game is all kids play forget that "Nintendo hard" is still applicable. It's way too easy to earn extra lives, but some of those later stages (not to mention the extra Star Road stages for those brave enough) certainly take their toll. But playing with three or more people is all about working together (and, in many cases, doing the exact opposite) and I think this is a game that should be played with friends and/or family. That's pretty much the whole point.
We didn't really get to explore the use of the gamepad that much, but for those who don't want to play as one of the four characters, it provides a different experience by being able to create platforms and save the day. It's an interesting concept and a novel use for the extra "controller" such as it is.
Overall, this is a pretty fun multiplayer game. It's not too long, not too short. It offers come challenges, even for seasoned gamers and a variety of levels and powerups to try out. For those invested in the Mario franchise, it's pretty much a must-play game.
Presentation: 4/5
Story: 3/5
Gameplay: 4.5/5
Overall (not an average): 4/5
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