New Super Mario Bros. Wii Review

9.0 out of 10

In all the gaming sphere there is and will never be any shortage on the number of nostalgic gamers longing for a chance to to re-kindle the glory days of everyone's favorite Italian plumber.

Finally, after nearly 20 years Super Mario has returned to a new two-dimensional adventure on a Nintendo home console in "New Super Mario Bros. Wii."

However, "New Super Mario Bros. Wii" feels less like an original title and more like 2006's "New Super Mario Bros." for the Nintendo DS on the Wii.

Certainly, Mario and Luigi return to their natural form in classic 2D side-scrolling action featuring levels reminiscent of "Super Mario Bros. 3" and "Super Mario World," but that same style was originally mimicked in the Nintendo DS version of the game.

The same visual palette, world map overview, and general feel of the DS is nearly identical to the new Wii iteration. Call this a bad thing? No way.

Fans of classic Super Mario festivities who do not own a Nintendo DS but have a Nintendo Wii in their household will delight in the nostalgic charm of the game.

Additionally, returning power-ups from the original series and DS installation are met with new surprises from a helicopter-propelled hat, ice "fire" balls, and a penguin suit each adding an new layer to gameplay - and a comical twist as well.

Most notably - however - is the multiplayer gameplay. Never in a 2D "Super Mario Bros." adventure have two (let alone four) players played at the same time creating chaos on the screen and adding a new level of cooperation and competitiveness to the series.

"New Super Mario Bros. Wii" may not win any awards for an amazing story, groundbreaking visuals, or revolutionary gameplay, but it does what it is supposed to do perfectly - revive exactly what made the "Super Mario Bros." series so successful classic, 2D gameplay.

Too bad the cruise down memory lane ends a little too abruptly. Here's hoping for future installations of the series and a revamp in other classic Nintendo series.