|
A lot can happen in 15 years. I was 10 years old when Super Mario World came out. While many of my friends were enamored, I recall the flat look and inconsistent level design leaving me less than enthused, not to mention the arrival of Sega's seductive new competitor, Sonic the Hedgehog. Yet, had I known that Super Mario World would have been my last chance to enjoy the classic arcade-inspired Mario platforming that I loved, I probably would have taken the time to cherish every minute. As the pages of gaming history filled, the SNES series derailed, spinning off into the sublime Yoshi's Island, the handheld games morphed into the hardcore puzzle-fests of the Wario Land series, and eventually Mario himself settled into the alien model of Mario 64, which might have captured nothing of the Marios of old, but maintained no less legitimacy in the hearts of fans.
Sometime around the release of the Gameboy Advance things began to change. Suddenly all those old Marios were top-selling hits again thanks to the Super Mario Advance ports. And it wasn't just the nostalgic old farts like me, but a whole new generation learning to love these games for the first time. It seems the time was perfect for a new 2D Mario in the classic tradition. But the golden years of the GBA came and went, and it never came to be. Alas, Nintendo seemed content to repackage our childhood memories at the price of a brand new game. But now the DS is here with its philosophy of delivering fresh content, and at long last, Nintendo has stepped up to the plate with a Mario revival sure to please the most die-hard purist.
In fact, New Super Mario Bros might be more of a throwback than many were expecting. It's key to note that it bears the "Bros" moniker and not "World." While not devoid of influence from its 1991 ancestor, there's a conscious effort to return Mario to his 8-bit roots. You'll still find ghost houses – albeit in less maddeningly cryptic form – and the ability to save up a power-up has been carried over, but the classic world structure, maps littered with prize-dispensing mini-games, and leaps for the top of a flagpole make it clear that Mario wants to relive the youthful days of his NES adventures.
And boy, does he ever. Mario's latest is so stubbornly old-school it's refreshing. While a dozen or so incremental but all-too-similar iterations in-between might have ruined this effect (see: Mega Man) the decade and a half recess makes NSMB a breath of fresh air for a public suffocating for lack of a true-blue platformer. Things are as arcadey as ever, with loose, floaty controls and linear level design that keeps the "hop" in "hop 'n' bop." Level design is wonderfully varied both in gameplay and theme, and the difficulty balance is right where you remember it. The abundance of lives makes the game less than daunting, but you're going to be hearing that familiar death jingle more than a few times before defeating Bowser once and for all.
Sadly, that moment comes all too soon. Although this quest packs 80 levels to plow through in eight worlds, they are small morsels in the 8-bit tradition, and most gamers won't take more than a few days to topple the final stage. Many levels are hidden (indeed two entire worlds exist as alternate paths) and each level contains 3 large "star coins" that can be collected and spent, but even taking the time to explore every path and collect every coin won't occupy many for more than a week. It seems a simple level-editor might have been the god-send feature to keep this cart from ever leaving my DS, but alas we will have to be satisfied with another brilliant yet brief outing.
Multiplayer extends the shelf life of the New Mario experience for a bit longer. Rather than dusty old alternating 2-player action of old, Mario and Luigi put brotherly affections aside for some inspired competitive play. This really makes for a great Mario skill and the best multiplayer platforming this side of Sonic Rush. There's also a host of touch-screen mini-games of the solo and 4-player varieties. Many of these also appeared in the DS port of Super Mario 64 and while some of them prove amusing, they're very much an afterthought, and won't easily draw attention from the Main Event.
There's a reason Mario sold millions of Nintendo consoles to a generation of new gamers. There's a reason why his games continue to entertain both nostalgic grownups and their young children 20 years after he saved his first princess. New Super Mario Bros is an inspired bit of fan-service that proves that the formula still works. It makes all that was old new again, and has been handled with all the delicate care and attention to detail that it deserves. Indeed, it may be the aging plumbers finest hour; a rare opportunity for a mascot past his prime to relive his glory days once again. Hopefully it won't be his last. |
