Mario tries to jump the pit between casual and hardcore.



Mario is back on the Wii, but hardly in the fashion we expected him to. With each successive console platforming release, from the majestic open-world of Mario 64, to the inventive water-based action of Super Mario Sunshine, to the physics-bending universe of Super Mario Galaxy, we've expected each of the mustachioed plumber's adventures to break the mold. Forgive us, then for being a bit taken aback when the next console adventure was announced--New Super Mario Bros. Wii seemed at first to be a souped-up port of the top-selling DS platformer. Once we had our hands-on, however, we learned that this could be the most important and accessible Mario game yet.





It's-a us, two Toads!

Our demo consisted of a variety of levels--all series staples like ice, dungeon, and standard overworld stages, with the Koopa Kids returning as bosses after an extended hiatus taken after Super Mario Bros. 3. The four of us chose from four characters--Mario, Luigi, and a yellow and blue Toad, and tackled each stage together. Played with the controller held NES-style, the game felt very similar to the DS' New Super Mario Bros (which mixed moves from Super Mario World with certain 3D-inspired moves like wall-jumping and ground-pounding). In order to keep the pace up, when characters die, they quickly enter back into the stage, floating in on a bubble that another character must pop. There is still a certain amount of lives allotted to each character, so too many deaths will keep a character out for the remainder of a level.







Power-up Yours!

The levels, by and large, felt equal parts cooperative and competitive, as we'd just as soon steal a power-up from a partner than pop their bubble to get them back in the game. With new power-ups like Helicopter Hats (shake the Wii remote to fly!) and Penguin Suits (slide on your belly and throw ice balls!), as well as the glorious 2D return of Yoshi, we found it extra difficult to share. One vertically-oriented stage was extra sinister, as we raced up with little regard to characters about to drop off the screen into death. Regardless of whether you've got Mario or Wario's morals, there's no denying that this four-player fast and frenzied take on the series is serious fun.
We're still a few months away from getting the final version, so hopefully some small tweaks can be made. The highly-publicized "Demo Play," which allows the game to take control from less-experienced characters will help younger players from getting frustrated, but we'd love to see more "natural" measures to keep them playing, rather than watching. An infinite lives difficulty, perhaps? Also, the current lineup of characters needs to be expanded. We're all about the Mario Bros, but TWO Toads? Despite IGN's clever attempt to characterize the Toads, that's just unimaginative on Nintendo's part. How about giving us the Princess, Wario, Donkey Kong, Waluigi, Baby Mario and Luigi, Miis... do we really have to go on? The game definitely has a near-flawless foundation, and is just a few power-ups away from being the biggest and best multiplayer Wii game yet.