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New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe Review


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756794696_NSMBUDboxart.png.d351c075fa687293fcaf2976ab7a4a98.pngThe Switch's collection of Wii U ports has officially worked its way backward all the way to the beginning of the Wii U's library with New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, a port of the Wii U launch game and its Luigi-centric add-on. Although the core 2D platforming remains as charming as it was in 2012, whether or not this game truly earns the "Deluxe" addition to its title is debatable.
 
NSMBU was, like all of the New Super Mario Bros. games, a return to form for Mario: a side-scrolling platforming adventure that harkens back to Mario's glory days on the NES and SNES. There are themed worlds, Koopalings to contend with, and a princess in need of rescuing. The New Super Mario Bros. series as a whole has taken some flack over the years for being too cookie-cutter in its audio and visual design, and granted, the presentation in NSMBU feels overwhelmingly safe and catered to the broadest possible audience. But there's no denying that Nintendo still knows how to cook up solid platformer gameplay. No matter what the graphics and music are like there are still plenty of great platformer moments to enjoy here, and an excellent variety of level designs as well. Amidst the classic themed areas of deserts, underwater stages, and lava-filled levels there are inventive ways to use power-ups, Yoshis, and Baby Yoshis that ensure you're always tackling something a little different and honing your platforming skills all the while.
 
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Add in the four-player co-op element and things become absolutely chaotic—in the best way possible, of course, up until your friends start to intentionally mess with one another by tossing each other around. Regardless, multiplayer adds a nice bit of frantic energy to the game, but if you still want more single-player challenges there's the New Super Luigi U mode which remixes every level of the game into a fast-paced dash to the flag pole. Stages are redesigned to be fresh and a bit more challenging, plus you only have 100 seconds to reach the goal, so sharp reflexes are key. The Luigi mode is a fantastic "hard mode" for a Mario game, one that experienced players will surely appreciate.
 
What about inexperienced players you ask? Well, that's where most of the Deluxe's additions come into play. Deluxe doesn't add anything like new stages or worlds—the major addition is actually a new playable character, Toadette. In her normal form she plays mostly like Mario, Luigi, and Toad, aside from slight differences in her movement and swimming that make her a little easier to control. What makes her truly unique is the new power-up, the Super Crown, which transforms her into Peachette—a Princess Peach doppelganger with the same floating abilities. The ability to slow your descent is a huge help in a platformer obviously, but even the original game had a similar power-up with the Super Acorn, giving players the Flying Squirrel form. What makes Peachette unique is that, if you fall into a pit, she will automatically spring up and save you—only once though. Peachette isn't a complete "get out of trouble free" card, since it's still easy to fall right back into that pit, but overall Peachette makes a nice easy mode for new players. Even if her abilities aren't overwhelmingly easy she is still a far more forgiving character to use than the classic plumbers and caters to players that aren't as adept with the kinds of platforming challenges Mario and Luigi handle on a daily basis.
 
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Of course, if you really do need an overwhelmingly easy option, there's Nabbit, the rabbit(?) thief that first appeared as an enemy in the original game then became a playable character in New Super Luigi U. In Deluxe he is now playable in both modes, and he truly is the "walkthrough mode" for a Mario game. Immune to all enemies, Nabbit's only real concern is falling into pits. Granted, Nabbit is clearly meant for the truly inexperienced players that are learning how to play, but removing most of the challenge from the game is kind of disheartening for anyone with a bit of platforming acumen. Thankfully players that don't want to use him can avoid him entirely.
 

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is made for newcomers—both the players that missed out on the original games on the Wii U and players that are new to Mario or platformers in general. Peachette and Nabbit can make even the game's most challenging moments more palatable for novice players, even while playing solo, and by the time you get to the New Super Luigi U levels there are plenty of nail-biting platformer challenges to enjoy. There's not much reason to double dip on Deluxe if you've already played the Wii U games, but if you missed out the first time there's a whole lot of side-scrolling Mario gameplay to dive into on a single Switch cartridge.

 
Rating: 8 out of 10 Super Crowns
 
For posterity, below are my original reviews for New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Luigi U from 2013—enjoy, and thanks for reading.
New Super Mario Bros. U
Spoiler

The inaugural Mario game for the Wii U, New Super Mario Bros. U is another old-school inspired side-scrolling platformer: taking its world map cues from Super Mario World, Mario and company once again traverse themed levels to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser. It would be a mistake to write this off as just another Mario game though, as NSMBU exhibits some excellent level design, good challenges, a more helpful multiplayer feature in Boost mode, and some surprisingly fun mini-game challenges. Whether alone or with friends, Mario's side-scrolling adventures continue to entertain.

The fundamentals of the New Super Mario Bros. games remain wholly unchanged: the gameplay is familiar side-scrolling platforming in eight themed worlds, complete with special star coins to find, power-ups, etc. The concept of the series might be a little old by now, but Nintendo proves they still know how to make a compelling platformer with this game. The genre hasn't quite run dry yet as the level design and challenges are surprisingly varied, even when they reuse certain elements; in fact NSMBU might have the most imaginative levels of the NSMB series yet. The whole game provides a great balance of difficulty, particularly in finding all star coins and secret exits, which is still challenging to veteran gamers but also has enough breathing room for new players. And even if the challenge gets a little too rough, NSMBU retains the super guide to help the player after several deaths.

It's not all rehashed ideas here though. New features include baby Yoshis and a new power-up, the squirrel suit which allows Mario to glide like a flying squirrel, hang onto walls, and can give a slight aerial boost. Compared to past items the squirrel suit is a little underwhelming: it doesn't let you fly as freely as a raccoon tail or cape feather, nor does it give the same massive vertical boost of the propeller suit. It's an in between kind of item which makes it a little more versatile but not quite as effective as its predecessors. Still, the game gives you some good opportunities to put it to use and the gliding can be a life saver when you might otherwise miss a ledge. Baby Yoshis, unlike their Super Mario World forebears, don't grow into adult Yoshis but instead have their own special abilities such as floating or turning enemies into coins. The fact that you can carry baby Yoshis from one level to another makes them a great resource, but since you have to physically carry them through a level they are more restrictive than normal power-ups. In any event they're a lot of fun to use and adorable to boot.

The absolutely insane multiplayer of New Super Mario Bros. Wii is back and it's just as ridiculous. It's fun to mess around with friends but if you really want to finish a level it's probably best to play solo. However, you can also use the Gamepad in Boost mode which allows one player to place blocks on the screen by tapping the touch screen. This can be a huge help to struggling players but be sure to communicate while using it--it can be just as harmful when a block is put in the wrong place. NSMBU also introduces a number of bonus mini-games separate from the main adventure, including challenges such as time trials and a competitive coin battle mode. The challenges are surprisingly a lot of fun and prompt the player to master the finer details of Mario, such as bouncing on enemy heads to earn 1-ups or practicing efficient dodging. Whether you use these challenges as practice or to earn high scores, they provide a great break from the main game while still being just as much fun to play.

NSMBU keeps the controls simple with the standard run and jump buttons as well as one extra button--or shake of the Wii remote--for spinning. The only real complaint in the controls is the fact that if you're doing normal multiplayer you have to use Wii remotes--in multiplayer the Gamepad is used for Boost mode only. This is kind of annoying but hopefully won't prevent you from enjoying the mayhem of multiplayer.

For better or for worse Nintendo is sticking with the distinctive NSMB art style which is nice but doesn't exactly take any chances artistically. The game does look amazingly smooth in crystal clear HD though: both characters and backgrounds have never looked better from a technical stand point. Additionally, there is one level that shirks the usual art style and it is just absolutely gorgeous, a fantastic mix between impressionist and surrealist paintings. If Nintendo were able to commit an entire game to a more esoteric look like that it would be amazing, especially on Wii U. As it is, NSMBU takes it safe artistically but still looks good. The music is even less imaginative though, and frankly the NSMB theme music is getting old now. Very little of the music is memorable at all, most of it sounds far too generic and lacking in personality.

Don't be fooled by how easy it is to quickly breeze through the first couple of worlds: later levels will have you retrying again and again, giving NSMBU a good solid length for a platformer without feeling drawn out by ridiculous challenges. Finding every secret will add plenty of game time, and the challenges provide great replay incentives even if you've already found everything in the main game. The amount of content in the game makes the price well worth it.

New Super Mario Bros. U is a perfect blend of well executed old elements and just enough new ones to make the game familiar but with enough surprises to entice any range of players. The classic platforming is done superbly to create challenging and enticing levels that are fun to explore while the challenge stages and Boost mode help make the experience feel fresh and unique. No matter what kind of gamer you are, New Super Mario Bros. U is a great start to the Wii U.

Rating: 9/10

 

 
New Super Luigi U
Spoiler
The year of Luigi rolls on with a huge DLC offering for New Super Mario Bros. U. The aptly named New Super Luigi U ditches Mario in favor of his green-clad brother and gives Luigi a chance to shine with eighty-two new levels that remix elements of the original game. With Luigi's higher jump and slippery feet, this platformer boasts a much stronger challenge than the original game. But does a retread of the entire game warrant a $20 price tag? 
 
Luigi's adventure begins in exactly the same manner as Mario's, the only difference being that Mario is mysteriously absent. It's a bit of a missed opportunity that this is never actually addressed in the game--this DLC primarily offers new levels to play and doesn't change much about the story or presentation, aside from a hidden Luigi easter egg in each stage. The new levels are a blast to play, though. There are three main differences here: Luigi's controls are more slippery, the stage design is more treacherous, and you have less time in each stage. Any one of these would have made the game challenging, but all three means even experienced Mario players will find themselves replaying levels often to overcome these obstacles. It's a perfect hard mode which draws upon all the design elements of the original game to offer something that feels like a genuinely fresh challenge. Plus the game is rarely frustratingly difficult--abundant 1ups and the chance to collect and store items means the player is rarely overwhelmed, but always pushed to perform perfectly. Anyone looking for a more demanding Mario bros. platformer should be well satisfied. 
 
The other big addition is Nabbit as a playable character. In the original game he was a pesky thief that Mario had to track down to recover stolen power-ups, but now he's a special character that takes no damage from enemies, which makes him an appealing crutch for struggling players. The downside is that he can't use power-ups, and of course he can still die from falling into a pit or lava. With Mario gone Nabbit rounds out the four-player roster, or can be used in single-player by holding ZL when selecting a level. Nabbit seems like a great opportunity for weaker players to keep up with their more experienced friends, but the reality is Nabbit isn't much fun to play as. Removing a massive portion of the challenge as well as the fun of using different power-ups only serves to cheapen, weaken, and overly-simplify the game. With friends, Nabbit sticks out since his presence throws off the balance of multiplayer, and while he can be useful to reach the occasional difficult star coin, he's just not very satisfying to use.
 
Although it has the same amount of levels as the original game--including secret exits and bonus stages--the game may seem a little shorter. The levels themselves are smaller since you are given less time, which makes them feel a little abrupt. To balance this, you're more likely to replay levels over and over to overcome their trickier design, particularly if you want to collect the three star coins in each stage. Still, not ever level is going to take several attempts, and the game can feel perhaps too small.
 
Luigi's spotlight DLC is a perfect way to retread familiar territory with new challenges that truly test the player's platformer prowess. Even with so many new levels $20 feels a bit pricey, but the remixed levels which push players to master Luigi's ungainly movements still makes it a worthwhile investment for anyone eager for more Mario-style platforming.. Alternatively you could wait a month for the $30 disc version, which can be played without owning New Super Mario Bros. U and comes in a snazzy green case, but the DLC version is still well worth it for a short but satisfying return to the Mushroom Kingdom.
 
Rating: 8/10

 

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MY COMMENTARY ON THE GAME:

 

I owned the WiiU version and the SLU DLC.

 

To get NSMBU and SLU it would have been $60 + $30 on the WiiU.  To get that same pack here, its just $60 and a lot more portable.  That alone, especially if you never owned it, is an exceptionally good value at first glance.  At second glance, a game that old, with DLC included or not, should have been $50 and maybe arguably down to $40 because of very few changes made to the game.

 

I bought this game because my GCU @ BBY ends in March and I had a $10 rewards coupon to burn.... so basically I knocked this game down to about $35.  The discounts assisted my decision to purchase.

 

<<<<  GAME ITSELF IN THIS FORM >>>>>

 

I predominantly played (and beat) this game as Toadette because I found her new mechanics the only reason to replay the game.  I did  not like her swimming mechanics and so I went with Luigi for those.  Toadette's normal jumping is fine.  The weird thing about the Super Crown Peachette transformation power up is while I LOVED the jumping improvement I thought it was kind of weird that Toadette changes to Peachette and it counts as its own power up so if you get a fire flower or a ice flower or acorn or ....  you go from Peachette back to said power up.  Maybe if Toadette didn't fully change to a different character I would be less upset about it but it does feel odd experiencing that.

 

I found the jump bump was easier to do in the U version than here.

 

I am a fan of the world map design, in that it hearkens back to Super Mario World's interconnected design and also gets into hidden paths and shortcuts through the overall world.   I think this game has one of the best map screens since SMW.

 

I liked the fact that the Koopalings went back to better individualized attack patterns like they had in SMB3.

 

I will say that the NSMB style of graphics is very plain to me.  This game is sharper than the WiiU version but the style in general, of the NSMBU series as a whole, seems and feels underwhelming.  I mean, take for instance those 8bit Mario levels found in Odyssey... those felt more modern and looked better in a lot of regards than what was in NSMBU.  I do think that they have some good ideas floating around in this game like the lighting with fire/lanterns areas and the alternating glowing blocks areas, the dropping lava fireball destroyer levels, and bringing back some of the SMW nuances like the snake elevators, the crawling on fences, and the rotating platforms.

 

I really think for this series to continue it needs an overhaul to the design of it.  There is a market and a need for 2D Mario Platformers but they need to look like they belong in the modern graphical era of games and hardware capabilities.  They have the characters, they have the power up ideas, they have some unique inspirations, they just need to modernize the style.  In that same vein I think there are several routes to take on my thought: 1) do a game that looks like the 2D 8bit levels from SMO, 2) Go back to Subcon/SMB2 for worlds and fight Wart again, 3) come up with a way to maybe do the alternating graphical styles of SMM.

 

 

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I definitely think it's time to drop the cookie cutter visual/audio design of the New Super Mario Bros. games, though I wonder just how much Nintendo is willing to experiment with their flagship IP. The gameplay, at least, remains solid, so at least it's always fun to play even if the graphics have gotten uninspired over the years.

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10 minutes ago, Eliwood8 said:

I definitely think it's time to drop the cookie cutter visual/audio design of the New Super Mario Bros. games, though I wonder just how much Nintendo is willing to experiment with their flagship IP. The gameplay, at least, remains solid, so at least it's always fun to play even if the graphics have gotten uninspired over the years.

 

But think about it...

 

SMB1 > SMB 2 > SMB3 > SMW > NSMB

 

All advancements in style and graphical representation of levels.  The entire NSMB games all look the exact same...  just higher res as the series showed up on nicer hardware.

 

I'd say graphical advancement wouldn't be messing with their IP.

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Oh I didn't mean advancement in general—certainly the graphics should advance in some way. I'm just wondering how they could do it in an inventive way, instead of using the NSMB style yet again. I'd love a Mario game that is entirely like that Van Gogh-inspired swamp level in NSMBU, or maybe a game where each world has a unique visual style.

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14 minutes ago, Eliwood8 said:

Oh I didn't mean advancement in general—certainly the graphics should advance in some way. I'm just wondering how they could do it in an inventive way, instead of using the NSMB style yet again. I'd love a Mario game that is entirely like that Van Gogh-inspired swamp level in NSMBU, or maybe a game where each world has a unique visual style.

 

 

Look at the details that got put into Tropical Freeze.  Or heck, Warioland Shake It.

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Nice review, Eliwood. I've always found New Super Mario Bros to be pretty bland, myself. Cookie-cutter is a good word to describe it. It just kind of fails to assert its own identity. Compared to other modern platformers like Tropical Freeze, Sonic Mania, and MegaMan 11, there's precious little variety in the levels, aesthetically and mechanically. 

 

In terms of the aesthetic, the series is totally homogenized. In the world of production art we talk about keywords when designing- target words that encapsulate a design that describe the mood or feeling meant to be conveyed to the audience. Descriptive words like creepy, grand, or serene. If the designer isn't aware of the effect their work will have on the audience, elements might conflict and give the player mixed perceptions. But the NSMB games seem to be deliberately planned to be aesthetically generic, and for the life of me I can't understand why, especially when so many other successful games are remembered for their fantastic use of aesthetic - the slow burn horror of Super Metroid, the cartoon cyberpunk of MegaMan X, the living, breathing ecosystem in Donkey Kong Country. You could sit me down with two levels from across the three games in the NSMB series and I'd believe you if you told me they were the same level. As for keywords... Blue sky, green grass? I guess every now and then you go underground or enter a lava castle, but it's all stuff we've seen a million times before, and NSMB does nothing to try and imbue old ideas with new life.  

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