When I got my Wii U it came bundled with a free copy of New Super Mario Bros U, and to be honest I didn't care for it at first. The sheer amount of "New Super Mario Bros" games that come out in recent years and the fact that they all looked the same made me assume it was just a series of mediocre games that sell well because they appeal to a wide demographic. I'm happy to say that I was quite wrong as NSMBU is a very competent platformer and in fact it’s the first 2d Mario game I've played to completion. That does not mean that it is a perfect game though, for one it is very easy... like extremely easy. Most of the levels can be easily sprinted through on your first try without even raising your heart rate 1 bpm. By the time I completed the game I had built up a mass of 53 lives, making the whole life system pointless because never in a million years would I have hit zero especially at the rate that NSMBU gives lives away. NSMU is basically the Oprah of 1ups, everyone gets a 1up. And I will openly admit that I am horrible at Mario games as I was never able to complete Super Mario Bros 3, and I just quit on World 4 because there was no save feature and I kept dying.
The new and improved tonnoki suit is the best feature introduced to NSMBU. Whenever I get one, I try to hold on to it as if my life was dependent on it. Because it really is the most useful power up and it will save you from falling in to pits or missing jumps constantly. The designers were smart though and added a very slow fall rate causing Mario to be open to projectiles when in the air, so you have to be very careful when using the tonnoki suit. Of course there’s the standard fire, ice, and star power ups, but who cares, the tonnoki suit is where it’s at.
Other things NSMBU got right:
1. Coins in all levels will keep completionists busy and reward them with new levels. They aren't required to beat the game for those that don't care *cough cough*...Super Mario 3D Land…
2. The game is varied, introducing new mechanics at a consistent pace. From pockets of water floating in the air you can swim in, to skyscraper window washer platforms that you use to escape rooms filling with lava, and platforms that move like a snake that you must follow while dodging objects around you.
What else they got wrong:
1. Enemies are standard Mario fare, mostly things we've seen before.
2. Too many free star powers!! In this game they are practically useless, I hate them. So the game gives them away like hot cakes.
3. If you want to play multiplayer with friends you must have 2 controllers other than the Wii U tablet. I wanted to play with a friend, one with the tablet and one with the pro controller and it couldn't be done. That makes no sense!
All in all I was very happy New Super Mario Bros U, and getting it for free with my Wii U makes it even better. Given the choice though I’d say this game is worth about $25 so if you can find it for that price or less I highly recommend it.
