The Mario Brothers go back to their roots in this side-scroller for Nintendo DS
The game-play features all the classic elements that a Mario fan could ever want to see. Once again, Mario can power himself up by obtaining items such as super mushrooms, fire flowers, and invincibility stars. The bulk of the game consists of walking to the right, smashing overhead bricks for power-ups, and defeating the many enemies that inhabit each level. Speaking of enemies, the game features a multitude of familiar foes such as goombas, koopas, and those annoying hammer brothers.
As he travels toward his goal, Mario visits a variety of different lands, including several that are themed after those from his previous adventures. Each land has a sub-castle at its midpoint, and a main castle at the end. In each sub-castle, Mario must face Bowser Jr. as his adversary. Pummeling Bowser's version of "mini-me" gets to be old after a while, but thankfully, the main castle of each world has a unique boss who waits to end the Mario's adventure once and for all.
Even though New Super Mario Bros places a lot of emphasis on nostalgia, there are also new elements to be acknowledged. In addition to the original power mushroom, there is now a gigantic mushroom that makes Mario grow to a Godzilla-like size; those who played Bowser's levels on Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door will be familiar with this. Another addition is that it is the first side-scrolling Mario game to include moves from Mario's 3D adventures, such as the butt-stomp and wall-jump.
Many of the game's levels include multiple paths, which can lead to multiple exits. By finding such exits, it is possible to unlock completely new levels on the map. The game's world map features item houses (like from Super Mario Bros 3) in which valuable power-ups can be obtained; some of these houses can by unlocked by paying five special coins and others can only be reached through secret paths. Searching for each world's secrets definitely give the game a lot of replay value.
The game's music is peppy and really upbeat -- like one would expect from a Super Mario Bros game. Not surprisingly, the game includes a few remixed versions of classic tunes from the series' earlier titles. The sound effects are well-done and in perfect sync with every animation. Some may even appreciate classic sounds such as the unmistakable chime that occurs with each coin collected, or the "boing" sound that accompanies each of Mario's jumps.
Graphically, the game is absolutely gorgeous. The 3D character models are smooth and jaggy edges are kept to a minimum. Each world's background is colorful and highly detailed. Even with the graphical detail, the animation runs smoothly and without a hint of slowdown.
In short, New Super Mario Bros takes the game-play from Mario's glory days and fuses it with the graphical prowess that new technology has made possible. The result is a solid platformer that is sure to please. Fans of the first Super Mario Bros should surely check this out.