If they released that same game as an N64 launch title it would have been seen as a weak effort. When it came out we hadn't played a game like that in years. Part of the appeal of NSMB was that it was a throwback. This is just what I've observed from videos and general impressions. I'm not shooting down NSMB 2 - in fact, the recent preview on NWR has enthused me a lot more about the game. However, whereas NSMB 2 seems to be a step back from NSMB Wii (I can't say for sure because I haven't played it that's just my perception), NSMB U looks like it's going to be a good step up from the Wii title. Let's be relative here: it's still a 2D Mario game, so it's never going to deviate too far from the tried-and-true. Aside from that, the Wii U game has new environmental themes, new enemies, more moving parts in the levels and what seem like the most interesting power-ups of the NSMB sub-series. The step up in presentation and production values counts for a lot, in my view. Has there been anything in terms of gameplay that has been shown to indicate that NSMB U will be substantively different? Really? What, other than more complex scrolling backgrounds and sharper graphics, have we seen from that game that makes it seem more progressive than the previous NSMB games? The only thing I remember sounding cool was that some journalists had pointed out that the overworld actually made up the backgrounds (so that a mountain on the overworld would be a background in a level). It won't set the world ablaze (though it might set sales charts ablaze), and it won't have the impact most 2D Marios do.Īt the end of the day, though, I'm just excited to see 2D platformers become a big-time genre again, and comparing the 2006 landscape to the 2012 landscape highlights what a great time it is to be a lover of old-school platformers. My early opinion is that it is a sequel to the original, improving on certain aspects and adding new and more interesting content. That doesn't make NSMB 2 any better or worse. And that's likely why everyone is so critical of NSMB 2. The genre hasn't seen this much love since the industry went to 3D in the '90s.
#Old super mario bros 2 3ds series
series helped kick off a 2D platformer renaissance. In the interest of time, I'll just skip over the multitudes of quality 2D platformers littering Steam, XBLA, and PSN. I haven't even touched on the cadre of downloadable 3DS platformers ranging from Mutant Mudds to VVVVVV. Ubisoft released Rayman Origins in 2011, and its follow-up, Rayman Legends, almost stole the show from the next Mario game, New Super Mario Bros. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Wario Land: Shake It, Klonoa, and A Boy and His Blob, which all flew in under the radar before NSMB Wii.
Wii brought four-player mayhem to the masses in 2009, followed up by Kirby's Epic Yarn, Donkey Kong Country Returns, and Kirby's Return to Dream Land in the ensuing years. Here's what happened since then: NSMB was stupidly successful.
I might be missing one or two, but in that time, 2D platformers were mostly doomed to portables, and in the three I mentioned, I only think one of them (Mega Man) is a good game. Most people dug this game a whole lot in 2006.īut look at the competition in 2006: Yoshi's Island DS, Kirby Squeak Squad, Mega Man Powered Up (PSP). Nintendo World Report's Michael Cole gave the game a 9.0 when it released. The game's MetaCritic rating stands at an impressive 89. The first game is not something I'd call a classic, but I recall enjoying it in 2006. That's not a bad thing, mind you, as the original game was a competent Mario game, and after completing roughly half the game's content, NSMB 2 seems much better. This isn't a sequel to the Wii version this is a sequel to the 2006 DS release. on DS."Īs I play it, it makes more sense to know why it's called NSMB 2 and not NSMB 3DS. 2 (review coming later this week) and one thought is coming to mind throughout it: "Wow, this feels awfully similar to New Super Mario Bros.
I'm in the early stages of New Super Mario Bros.