New Super Mario Bros.

[GhaleonOne]

Has anyone picked this up? First 2D Mario since Super Mario World. I really want to get it, but will probably have to wait a week or two. From the reviews, it ranks up their with the classic 2D Mario's. Just curious if anyone around here is playing it yet?

[Kizyr]

I saw it last time I was at EB. I considered getting it, but at the moment I'm still working through all the old Lunars, so I have enough on my plate.

After that, when I think I'll realistically have time to play the game, then I'll pick it up. Looking forward to then, though.

Hell I even got a Mario-themed personalized license plate. If anyone should be playing this game... KF

[Werefrog]

I picked it up last Thursday. Loving it so far. I think it perfectly mixes the atmosphere of the new Mario games with the gameplay of the classic games. My only complaints is that it's a bit too easy. It's probably going to be too short as well. But then again, so were the NES and SNES Mario games.

[Katze]

I really want the game, but I've heard that the stages don't have a lot of variety...like you're going through the same exact thing, with just some changes here and there. Is that true?

[Kizyr]

I picked it up last Thursday. Loving it so far. I think it perfectly mixes the atmosphere of the new Mario games with the gameplay of the classic games. My only complaints is that it's a bit too easy. It's probably going to be too short as well. But then again, so were the NES and SNES Mario games.

The NES and SNES Marios were too short? Mario 3 and Mario World were real long! Particularly Mario 3: long and real difficult. It's quick if you take shortcuts through the Whistle or Star Road, but if you play through the whole game it's great.

Then again, Mario World is quite easy for me; now I do tricks while playing. KF

[Werefrog]

I picked it up last Thursday. Loving it so far. I think it perfectly mixes the atmosphere of the new Mario games with the gameplay of the classic games. My only complaints is that it's a bit too easy. It's probably going to be too short as well. But then again, so were the NES and SNES Mario games.

The NES and SNES Marios were too short? Mario 3 and Mario World were real long! Particularly Mario 3: long and real difficult. It's quick if you take shortcuts through the Whistle or Star Road, but if you play through the whole game it's great.

Then again, Mario World is quite easy for me; now I do tricks while playing. KF

Well, it depends on how define short. I think Super Mario World (3 was longer) was a bit too short with just the main game (no secret levels). I'm sure it's possible for people to beat the game within a day if they rush it. To me, this is long enough but compared to other modern gams it seems a bit short.

I think the biggest problem with the New SMB is the difficulty. When you get through each level on your first try, it seems a lot shorter.

It's still an amazing game and worth the money. So don't let my (small) complaints keep you from buying it.

[Kizyr]

Thanks for the clarification, Werefrog. Your point's making a lot of sense now.

Yeah, I think I'll definitely buy it, given how much of a classic Mario fan I am. Just, it's gonna have to wait 'til I finish some of these other things first {^^}. KF

[GhaleonOne]

I'm with you Kiz. I'll definately get it, but it may be a few weeks or so. I may break out Super Mario World though. That was my personal favorite Mario.

[Silver Phoenix]

New Super Mario Bros. is definitely a hybrid of Mario 3 and World. There are also hidden paths in the levels which allow you to gain entry to places not on the direct path. They aren't exactly secret because you see places where checkpoints should be. I haven't unlocked them all. You'll also use Star Coins to play minigames or get items in the mushroom houses. Anyone that plays the game will definitely like it because it's the first 2-D Mario platformer in a long time.

I just hope Super Paper Mario is an amazing platformer, and I'm interested to see how they use rpg elements in the gameplay.

[Kizyr]

New Super Mario Bros. is definitely a hybrid of Mario 3 and World.

Sold! That's all I needed to hear. Anything beyond that is just bonus at this point. KF

[YoshiMars]

I just hope Super Paper Mario is an amazing platformer, and I'm interested to see how they use rpg elements in the gameplay.

I hear that... After playing the other Paper Mario games I am anxiously awaiting this one.

[GhaleonOne]

I just hope Super Paper Mario is an amazing platformer, and I'm interested to see how they use rpg elements in the gameplay.

I'm picturing something similiar to Popful Mail maybe?

[Dunkleheit]

Paper Mario was good, but Mario RPG was by far the best.

[Silver Phoenix]

Kizyr, I want to be perfectly honest and say that while NSMB is a hybrid, it is nowhere near as secret and item heavy as Mario 3 and World were. I have no doubt that you'll enjoy it, because it absolutely has gameplay elements from both games during stages as well as the map screen. I haven't beaten the first world yet but I'm sure things get a lot more interesting as the game progresses. I already found some alternate paths in the stages, so anyone that is Mario savvy should be able to sniff them out as well. I will probably check out gamefaqs to see who has found what, and if we have an item like the whistle/flute at our disposal.

Here are all of the power-ups: Mega Mushroom (Allows you to become enormous and invincible while smashing through nearly everything until it wears off), Mini Mushroom (Mario becomes Minish ala LoZ:Minish Cap and can enter small slim pipes and small crevices. I don't believe he can kill anything while small, because I just bounced on the heads of goombas without damaging them), Fireflower, Starman, Blue Koopa Shell (Mario adorns a koopa shell and can perform a shell dash. I'm thinking it's similar to the shell attack used in Paper Mario).

You can access Mushroom Houses on the world map by spending star coins to unlock the blockade leading to them. The star coins are basically the sometimes hard to find secrets in the stages.

The biggest pet peeve I have with games like this and Castlevania, is that we always have to play them on a handheld system while they would be awesome console games. I'm sick of the small screen damnit!

[YoshiMars]

Paper Mario was good, but Mario RPG was by far the best.

That is absolute. Though I think that Paper Mario has it's own charm. I don't ever count the two together as while both are Mario RPGs they are very different (thanks mostly to Square... though that was not a bad thing at all!). Super Mario RPG still ranks as one of my favorite games of all time (right next to SSSC actually...) and I would love to see it make a return on the DS or something... Doubtfull it'll ever happen, and if it does I would like them to keep it as close as possible to the original... which too would be a long shot.

[Kizyr]

Here are all of the power-ups: Mega Mushroom (Allows you to become enormous and invincible while smashing through nearly everything until it wears off), Mini Mushroom (Mario becomes Minish ala LoZ:Minish Cap and can enter small slim pipes and small crevices. I don't believe he can kill anything while small, because I just bounced on the heads of goombas without damaging them), Fireflower, Starman, Blue Koopa Shell (Mario adorns a koopa shell and can perform a shell dash. I'm thinking it's similar to the shell attack used in Paper Mario).

Drats! No Kuribo's Shoe!?

When are they going to bring Kuribo's Shoe back? It was the best powerup in any game, ever. Nothing could stop the shoe. KF

[GhaleonOne]

I would have liked the feather or something similiar as well, but not that big of a deal. I'm assuming Yoshi isn't in the game (at least to the effect of what he was in SMW)?

[localflick]

I picked it up and can't put it down. It's not perfect, but it's really cool. No yoshi, no kuribo's shoe, and it's kind of easy. (Maybe there will be a really hard Japanese sequal... ) But there are fun surprises that will make you feel nostalgic as you realize how old you really are.
To me it feels like they made a new mario game to sell to people who remember (and miss) the old Mario games. If you fall into that category, it's safe to say that you'll enjoy it. If you want something completely new and different, look elsewhere. It has elements of all the mario games, but it's closest to the original considering the main 3 power-ups, level layouts (why they're all kind of similar) and NAME. Play the Allstars version of SMB and you'll see what I mean.
One of the coolest things they did was integrate older elements in a new way. Like Mario can do a lot of moves from Super Mario 64, and they work perfectly in 2D. All kinds of old enemies are back, and it's just fun. The "funfactor" seems like the most overlooked, underrated quality of this game. Why doesn't anyone ask about that? Who cares how long it is, or how innovative it is, or if the graphics look great... is it fun?
It's a minimalist Mario game, and it's really, really fun.

[YoungDyne]

Really, the elements I see in the new mario are 1 and 2 (Level design), 3 or Super (Variety of power ups and the way you move from level to level...plus a little level design), and N64 Mario (slam ability and voice). I'd say it most closely resembles Super Mario World of all the Mario games out there. Plus it includes mini-games from Mario 64 DS, some slightly altered and maybe a few different (I never played all SM64DS minigames).

[Silver Phoenix]

I agree that it wouild have been nice to have the leaf or the feather as a power-up, because there are certainly areas where they could have been used. Good ol' P-Wing where have you gone? I hope that they really whore out the power-ups and secrets in Super Paper Mario for GameCube.
NSMB is definitely a fun game and a definitive example of how great the sidescrolling Mario games were.