Mario platforming at its best. If you liked NSMB on the DS, then you must play this. It certainly raises the standard.
Graphics:
IMHO this is not the highlight of the game. The graphics are very good, but not great. Up close and personal you get to see a more jagged appearance that doesn't seem to be using all of the Wii's capabilities. Fortunately this is the worst I have to say about it. The use of colour is fantastic and there is always something going on. So you barely notice the any lack of detail. It seems the dev's put the effort into the little touches more than the graphics, and it works marvellously.
Game play:
The story line is predictable. The objectives are predictable. The bosses are predictable. But somehow none of that matters. The ability to get the little plumber from start to end, collecting all the goodies on the way, without dying is fun and addictive. And quite a challenge after world 1. From what Ive read it should take 8-10 hours to finish. But a lot longer if you want to collect everything, which i recommend as its a great challange.
You see, it's all about the physics. And this is where the game shines very brightly. The little guy bounces around so well. I absolutely love the physics in this game. The momentum he gains at just the right point to make that jump is great. No matter how many times I don't make the jump, I just want to get back in there and do it again.
There are so many different surfaces that alter the environment's physics and just as many powerups that alter Mario's abilities too. With so many different options, you'll love the freedom to complete the level the way you chose.
It can be crazy hard too (esp if you want to collect all the items); luckily you get plenty of lives. You even get an auto walkthrough if you die a certain amount of times just to complete that level. It might defeat the purpose, but it also might save some people throwing their Wiimote through the screen. I think it's a good addition and you don't 'have' to use it.
Multiplayer:
What a great feature to have. Playing with 3 other friends at the same time is a godsend. Fantastic. Adds longevity to the life of the game too. (Even more of reason to get this latest addition to the other 228 Mario games.)
But a word of warning be prepared for them to get into your way sometimes, and vice versa. Multiplayer actually makes it harder to finish the level, as you bounce off & bump into one another sending you or a friend of a cliff. But if you can handle dying quite a few times, then this is sooo much fun. It really is.
Overall:
If you enjoy crawling down sewer pipes and kicking turtles around ;-), you can't miss this game. Great presentation, good graphics and superb addictive game play with or without your mates. So many different levels and abilities, plus items to collect throughout. This game is an absolute joy to play.
Although at times it can get hard and a tad repitative, the amount of lives you collect make up for this. Once finished, go back and do it again with a friend for laughs. Don't miss giving this gem a go.