Mid-Review: New Super Mario Bros. Wii

If you are old enough to have held a controller anytime between 1985 and now, there is no doubt you've played a Mario game. And unless you are younger then 10, you've probably played a side-scrolling Mario game. If you fall within this demographic and either own or have access to a Wii, then you are obligated to play this game. Just the nostalgia factor along is worth the price of admission. Add on some multiplayer and new costumes and you have a must-buy, solid game.

At the moment, I am on World 3 and just finished the first castle (or fortress). I have been playing through the game in cooperative mode with my wife, and the first thing that should be mentioned is this game is hard. Not Lost Levels hard, but no stroll down Koopa Lane either. You will lose lives in this game, a lot of lives. And the penalty for getting to 0 lives is steep. You start over at the beginning of the level or last castle beat, with 5 lives and none of the power ups you just spent the last few days accumulating throughout the other worlds. It sucks. But it is better then having to start the game over from the beginning so I guess it could be worse.

As for the cooperative multiplayer aspect, it works very well, and is a hell of a lot of fun. That being said it can make some parts of the game easier, and some parts make you want to hurl the controller. It's not because there are multiple players, it because the game was made with a little competition in mind and one character accidentally jumping on another can cause them to spiral to a pit, or get hit by an enemy, or a thousand other things that can cause instant death. But don't get me wrong, it's a hell of a lot of fun and I would definitely suggest playing with someone else over solo.

So far New Super Mario Bros. Wii is exactly what you want from a side-scrolling Mario game, plus some. Out of all the shovelware out there for Nintendo's little system that could, this is a gem, and one you should own for sure.