NSMB

Thursday, May 25, 2006 » gaming thought

Last night I got to the final castle of New Super Mario Bros., and I couldn't bring myself to go inside. It's taken a great amount of willpower to limit myself to about one world a day to make the game last this long, but I guess today will be it. I've still got a few star coins and secret exits to collect, but it's sad to think that after a little more than a week, I'll have seen everything. Still, while NSMB doesn't come close to offering the amount of content or level intricacy of Super Mario World or even Super Mario Bros. 3, it's one of the most fun and addictive games in recent memory. The level design starts out kind of simple (maybe to let you refamiliarize yourself with controlling a 2D Mario), but later on just about every other stage throws something new at you. It's probably optimistic and definitely not in character with the series, but it would be nice if they could take a nod from Castlevania and start putting out one of these a little more often.

Oh, and another thing: While the Super Mario 64 DS-inspired minigames are fun, the Mario VS. Luigi mode is a huge surprise. The rounds I played with Morgan have all been unbelievably frantic and have involved a lot of screaming. It's probably the most intense multiplayer on the DS, and you can play it with only one game card, too. Make an effort to play it as soon as possible.