New Super Mario Bros Wii (Wii, 2009)
Graphics-6.5 Sound-7 Control-7.5 Challenge-7/7.5* Story-4
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-6.5/8* Fun-7.5/7* Originality-5
Overall Score-7.5
*2-player
+
Re-uses and updates some previous mechanics (triple jump from SM64 and the stomp from YI for example)
Some new level design gimmicks and mechanics (ship vs. ship fight against baby bowser in world 6, zoom out/in during multiplayer, you can share the Starman power up if the starred person picks up another player, run on water in mini-form, keep enemy fire shots in Yoshi's mouth and fire them back, save captured toads in levels for an extra item (need to carry them to the exit), spin hat, spinning platforms, wall jumping etc.)
4-player co-op (new players can also jump in every time you load a saved game)
Improved bosses overall compared to previous games (pre-Yoshi's Island)
Some nice background visuals and minor details
Shows you how many star coins are left to get in a level as well as their order cluing you in on where they are hidden
Good final boss (faux ending after the first phase)
+/-
Can't swim faster
Easier memory mini-game than in SMB3
Need to pay with star coins to view hint videos
Quick-save (works like a one time save state between levels - unfortunately you can't keep playing after quick saving; instead you're taken to the main menu)
Can't shoot fire/ice balls while riding Yoshi
Super guide (NPC plays the stage for you if you lose 8 lives (optional) - could've been more flexible and there could've been an option to turn it off completely)
No blue shell/mega mushroom/cape
Levels don't change in multiplayer (except for item blocks containing more items)
Yoshi no longer carries over to the next level
Playing with 2+ other players is very chaotic
Can only save properly after every beaten castle or airship (though you can also re-beat earlier castles to save?)
Stolen clouds disappear very quickly
Can't speed up underwater?
Can't jump down from a climbing position on a background ledge
Instant death from lava/goo
Credits segment rips off Altered Beast
Unlockable star world levels (need to get every big coin in a world to unlock the corresponding star world level - basically coin tolls)
Can't scale one wall while wall jumping (unless there's wind)
-
Some control issues (somewhat harder to tell when Mario will slip off a platform edge due to the animations/polygon models and Mario feels a little bit less nimble than usual, can't choose not to bump into each other in multiplayer, some wiimote mechanics are gimmicky and clumsy (shaking the controller to pick up certain items/NPCs or to do spin jumps, super loud sfx coming from the wiimote when doing certain actions), loose scrolling when moving upwards (can't look up?), sluggish controls while in mini-form, gameplay still pauses shortly when picking up most power ups (gets more annoying in multiplayer) and when someone dies, can't stop the screen from scrolling when another player moves right under water in multiplayer)
Can't give lives to other players?
"bah-bah!" (the enemies dancing to it adds insult to injury and can even screw up your timing since they stop moving at certain points in the music)
Bland hub world and art direction overall (pretty much the same as in the DS game - plastic looking models)
Hint videos while a good idea don't actually tell you how to pull off new moves
Captured toads are often put in already beaten levels
Repeats some tutorial messages over and over
Some trial & error (some late game hazards, giant bullet bills only getting frozen for a moment then breaking free again, boss patterns (for example the moving platforms in the world 7 fight which can't be wall jumped on), can't look up/down, some shots from off screen (at least you can hear them)
Can't play as the princess (a second toad replaces her)
No online multiplayer or level editor
No classic controller or gamecube controller support (forced shaking and tilting controls)
Some tedious parts (2-4)
It takes nearly 15 seconds to get back into a castle level after dying (~8 in normal levels)
Can't skip any cutscenes?
Annoying how you exit to the hub world if you go into a bubble right before the other player(s) die
Can't redirect the wiimote sfx to the tv itself?
Can't steer away from other players when in a bubble (so as not to distract them in difficult parts)
No giant or blue shell forms
Sometimes unintuitive hit detection (at times forgiving like with bowser's fireballs
Other times unforgiving like when jumping on a bigger enemy and it tilts its head to the side)
No difficulty options
Can't turn off the voices
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-6.5/8* Fun-7.5/7* Originality-5
Overall Score-7.5
*2-player
+
Re-uses and updates some previous mechanics (triple jump from SM64 and the stomp from YI for example)
Some new level design gimmicks and mechanics (ship vs. ship fight against baby bowser in world 6, zoom out/in during multiplayer, you can share the Starman power up if the starred person picks up another player, run on water in mini-form, keep enemy fire shots in Yoshi's mouth and fire them back, save captured toads in levels for an extra item (need to carry them to the exit), spin hat, spinning platforms, wall jumping etc.)
4-player co-op (new players can also jump in every time you load a saved game)
Improved bosses overall compared to previous games (pre-Yoshi's Island)
Some nice background visuals and minor details
Shows you how many star coins are left to get in a level as well as their order cluing you in on where they are hidden
Good final boss (faux ending after the first phase)
+/-
Can't swim faster
Easier memory mini-game than in SMB3
Need to pay with star coins to view hint videos
Quick-save (works like a one time save state between levels - unfortunately you can't keep playing after quick saving; instead you're taken to the main menu)
Can't shoot fire/ice balls while riding Yoshi
Super guide (NPC plays the stage for you if you lose 8 lives (optional) - could've been more flexible and there could've been an option to turn it off completely)
No blue shell/mega mushroom/cape
Levels don't change in multiplayer (except for item blocks containing more items)
Yoshi no longer carries over to the next level
Playing with 2+ other players is very chaotic
Can only save properly after every beaten castle or airship (though you can also re-beat earlier castles to save?)
Stolen clouds disappear very quickly
Can't speed up underwater?
Can't jump down from a climbing position on a background ledge
Instant death from lava/goo
Credits segment rips off Altered Beast
Unlockable star world levels (need to get every big coin in a world to unlock the corresponding star world level - basically coin tolls)
Can't scale one wall while wall jumping (unless there's wind)
-
Some control issues (somewhat harder to tell when Mario will slip off a platform edge due to the animations/polygon models and Mario feels a little bit less nimble than usual, can't choose not to bump into each other in multiplayer, some wiimote mechanics are gimmicky and clumsy (shaking the controller to pick up certain items/NPCs or to do spin jumps, super loud sfx coming from the wiimote when doing certain actions), loose scrolling when moving upwards (can't look up?), sluggish controls while in mini-form, gameplay still pauses shortly when picking up most power ups (gets more annoying in multiplayer) and when someone dies, can't stop the screen from scrolling when another player moves right under water in multiplayer)
Can't give lives to other players?
"bah-bah!" (the enemies dancing to it adds insult to injury and can even screw up your timing since they stop moving at certain points in the music)
Bland hub world and art direction overall (pretty much the same as in the DS game - plastic looking models)
Hint videos while a good idea don't actually tell you how to pull off new moves
Captured toads are often put in already beaten levels
Repeats some tutorial messages over and over
Some trial & error (some late game hazards, giant bullet bills only getting frozen for a moment then breaking free again, boss patterns (for example the moving platforms in the world 7 fight which can't be wall jumped on), can't look up/down, some shots from off screen (at least you can hear them)
Can't play as the princess (a second toad replaces her)
No online multiplayer or level editor
No classic controller or gamecube controller support (forced shaking and tilting controls)
Some tedious parts (2-4)
It takes nearly 15 seconds to get back into a castle level after dying (~8 in normal levels)
Can't skip any cutscenes?
Annoying how you exit to the hub world if you go into a bubble right before the other player(s) die
Can't redirect the wiimote sfx to the tv itself?
Can't steer away from other players when in a bubble (so as not to distract them in difficult parts)
No giant or blue shell forms
Sometimes unintuitive hit detection (at times forgiving like with bowser's fireballs
Other times unforgiving like when jumping on a bigger enemy and it tilts its head to the side)
No difficulty options
Can't turn off the voices