New Super Mario Bros Wii at E3 2009
The biggest and most pleasant surprise for me, waited at the Nintendo pavilion. I expected to see more of the Wii Motion plus, Wii Resort and a cadre of other new titles for their unique systems. What grabbed my attention lie towards the rear of the gargantuan booth. Nintendo, instead of making yet another sequel (which they also did with Super Mario Galaxy, incidentally), they went and did something of a remake.
That sounds like it could be a bad thing, but New Super Mario Bros Wii takes the game we all grew up on, a title that every gaming generation knows and brought it into the the new millenia. NSMBW is a side-scroller a la the classic Super Mario Bros, but with beautifully enhanced graphics and sound all the while keeping the core run, jump and stomp action intact. Goombas and turtles are still here, as are the end-of-the-level flag poles to slide down. What’s really new is that you’re no longer alone. Grab 3 more Wiimotes and you’ve got yourself a party. Mario can be joined by Luigi and two toad-people to cooperate and compete for points and coins tallied at the end of each level.
Power ups are a mix of classic and fresh items. Fireflowers still give you flaming projectiles with which to burn Bowser’s thugs, but others like the Propeller Hat help you to reach otherwise untouchable items and the Penguin Suit can freeze enemies, turning them into cubes of ice, handy for instant stair cases. Cooperatively you can stand on each others shoulders to reach taller coins or out of the way areas. Even Yoshi makes an appearance.
Though not a true remake, New Super Mario Bros. Wii will have older players squealing with flashbacks of Saturday afternoons on their NES. Younger players who experienced the title on the DS can instantly jump in and benefit from hi-def video and sound.
We played an early build, but it was more than enough to itch for more. Sadly, this looks like a December 09 release, but oh what a Christmas present this will make for the whole family.
Official Trailer
E3 Footage
