New Super Mario Bros Wii Preview: Bridging the Gap

By Dave Rudden
June 24, 2009 12:58 PM PST
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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.

New Super Mario Bros: Bridging the Gap Preview

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.