New Super Mario Bros. (2006)

The last two games in this retrospective, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and Yoshi's Island DS killed me. Two games in a row where I did not enjoy myself.

So that made playing New Super Mario Bros. feel so good.

Nintendo before 2006 didn't have a 2D Mario game made from the ground up since Super Mario World. At the time, 2D Platformers were brushed aside since 3D was considered the new norm while 2D was a relic of the past. However, Nintendo made the bold decision to make a NEW 2D Mario game for their EXTREMELY successful handheld system, the Nintendo DS. This game... was HUGE.

It introduced many people to 2D platformers and brought back people who haven't touched Mario since his departure from 2D. This game went on to be one of the highest-selling video games ever made, selling over 30 million copies. It still holds up 16 years later

New Super Mario Bros. takes elements from older 2D Mario games while also reinventing the series.

The story and presentation are extremely generic but it does the job. Peach is once again kidnapped and Mario has to save her. Do you see? Generic! The most unique thing I can think of when it comes to the story is that Bowser Jr. is mostly the main villain in this.

The game looks pretty good. Obviously, it is a bit dated but the charm is still there. Is it kinda bland? Yeah. Definitely feels like a vanilla Mario world... But I understand why they would play it safe since it had been so long at the time. The music is also pretty generic but no track in the game is bad... Especially the Castle theme. This game does have mini-games and you can even play as Luigi if you hold L and R on the file select screen which I find really cool.

The game controls and feels great and I love how progression is handled. Each level contains 3 Star Coins. Star Coins can be spent on the overworld to reach Toad houses and bonus levels. Some Star Coins are super easy to find while others might take some time. Some levels contain secret exits which can lead you to bonus levels or even cannons that can allow you to skip one of the 8 total worlds in the game (6 are required)

There are also the power-ups you would expect such as the mushroom, the fire flower, and the star. However, New Super Mario Bros. introduces 3 new power-ups.

3 Power-ups I... Don't really like to be honest.

First, you got the Mini Mushroom. The Mini Mushroom turns Mario well... small... He dies in one hit like in his normal form but he can jump way higher, fall slower, and run on water. I don't like it. You never get excited when you gotta use it because you only ever will be using it to access secrets for star coins or exits. It's not an item I look forward to using.

The second item is the Blue shell. The blue shell gives Mario better movement while swimming and also allows him to get in the shell while running... Which is why I hate it. The shell ricochets off walls and is super hard to control. So you are forced to move slowly which really sucks

Finally, we got the item the whole game was marketed around... The Mega Mushroom. The Mega Mushroom turns Mario into a giant and allows him to speed through levels destroying everything in his path. The first time you use it is really cool but this is the definition of a gimmick. You hardly get to use it and I personally only ever used it during boss battles. The reason being is that the Mega Mushroom can destroy paths to star coins and other secrets. So using it is actually not practical in the slightest

New Super Mario Bros. is a game I actively enjoyed 100% and although it has a very generic (yet charming) presentation and underwhelming new items, this game is a triumph in what 2D games are capable of and it is one Mario game I would definitely play again

4/5

Would Recommend

This is the first Mario game I have played since Super Mario World in the 90s. Although New Super Mario Bros. is new to me, it's now just as old as Super Mario World was when it was released. Crazy!

My only real "complaint" is the animation of Mario's character. When walking, Mario flails his arms off to the side, which looks really bizarre. He also moves his arms and legs way too quickly for the speed he moves at. They should have kept a similar character model from the earlier games.

Otherwise, this is a solid 2D Mario game. It plays like a combination of Super Mario Bros. 1 and 3. There are tons of new obstacles you can interact with such as moving platforms, tilting mushrooms, and swinging ropes, which really add to the variety of gameplay. The game never gets boring and is just the perfect length. It's probably a little bit easier than the previous games, but it still offers a good challenge.

There is very little exposition in New Super Mario Bros. You really just pick up and play. This makes the game feel less "epic" or "grand" as Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World. The gameplay is certainly there, but it doesn't feel like you are on a big magical adventure like the older games.

New Super Mario Bros. isn't quite as good as Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World, but it's still a fun return to the classic Mario formula. I'm looking forward to trying out its sequels.