One of the biggest draws for this iteration comes in the form of the new coop play modes. You can opt to play the entire game with four characters, Mario, Luigi, and two Toads', or play against each other in two other modes, like Coin Battle. Either way, each player controls a single character on screen, and you all occupy the same space, so there's no split screen style action going on. If one player moves ahead faster than the others, they'll be left to their own devices, typically dying when they go off screen, so the pace can be pretty frantic. There's allowances made to keep everyone in the game, like the power-up blocks that'll spit out four power-ups instead of a single one, or the ability to come back in a bubble after you die, so that friendly players can bring you right back into the game. It's a really great addition to the game, but thankfully the single player experience doesn't suffer from its inclusion. In fact, the level design still seems to favor one player over four, but there are a few instances, most notably the stage coins that you can collect, that would definitely be easier to gather with additional people in tow. I'd say you'd have one hell of a challenge on your hands if you're trying to finish the entire game with four players, it gets surprisingly hectic and crazy, with people bumping into each other or inadvertently causing the death of their friends. Having two players together is a far more manageable scenario though, and it's a great way to experience the entire game. Like I mentioned, the game is just as fun if you opt to play by yourself, and the level design definitely favors one player.

One thing worth noting about NSMB Wii is that while it does seem to rely on its roots quite a bit, with plenty of obvious throwbacks to Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World, it still comes off as a more inventive venture than NSMB on the DS was. You get a lot of familiar elements; the Koopa Kids make a return, along with Baby Bowser. There's the use of Yoshi's, right down to the fruits that you can eat and eventually transform into power-ups. There's the Lakitu's that you can knock out of their clouds and ride around in for a limited amount of time. Even the mid-stage boss levels have that vertical auto-scroll thing going on that requires you to constantly be on the move. It's a ton of familiar stuff for long time fans, but the game isn't purely cashing in on a trip down memory lane. The level design is really great, with some interesting mechanics and enough hidden stuff to uncover that it really adds some life to the game past just finishing the level. It's a difficult thing to put into words without actually experiencing that part if it, but it's remarkable to me that there's such a clear-cut difference between a run of the mill licensed platformer and NSMB Wii. It's easy to see why most consider Nintendo to be the king of this particular genre, and NSMB doesn't do a thing to dispute that thought.

I'm not entirely sold on the dismissal of traditional 2D pixel sprites for the characters and world of NSMB, even thought I realize it's a cheaper alternative to render this stuff differently now. It lacks a little bit of a charm and detail that I feel shines through in the older Mario titles, but at the same time the game is a solid looking platformer that doesn't suffer from any technical issues at 480p. The worlds you'll visit are bright and vibrant, the framerate stays steady, and there's enough animation cues to the enemies and characters that let you know some time went into bringing everything to life. So while I'll lament the loss of pixel art for the series, I can't say that the transition to rendered visuals is a complete loss.

Control wise I do wish the game had some support for the Classic Controller accessory, I find the D-Pad on the Wii remote to be a little small for my hands, but that was a minor annoyance too. The motion control stuff feels like something that could have been easily excised from the game, but I figure that the developers are supposed to give players a reason to play this on a Wii remote and nothing else. Besides that, the controls feel really responsive, as they should in a platformer, the additions of a wall jump and triple jump are pretty handy to have in the game. The new suits, the Propeller and Penguin, are good additions to the series. I found the Penguin to be a little useless outside of World 3 and the swimming stages, but the Propeller suit has plenty of uses to it. The need to shake the controller to kick the Propeller function into gear isn't nearly as troublesome as it might sound at first, but it'll take a use or two before you get the timing of it down.

If you've ever been a fan of the Mario platformers, then there's no reason why you won't enjoy New Super Mario Bros. Wii. On the flip side, if you're a little new to the whole gaming thing, and you've picked up a Wii as a device to play Wii Sports and Wii Fit, I still think you'll find some simple enjoyment with NSMB. It's certainly one of the easiest "hardcore" games to get into, but there's a lasting challenge to the design that'll keep you coming back for more, regardless of how many times you fail out at a level. It's very generous with the extra lives, and the new Super Guide (which gives a you a hands free run of a difficult level by the AI) will obviously be a big help in getting new players over the harder material. It's certainly the most accessible Mario adventure yet, but still manages to provide a huge amount of entertainment to long-time fans. Well worth picking up, and definitely one of the highlights for Wii owners this year.

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