Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Highly addictive"

The last time we saw a Mario game released at the same time as a new Nintendo console was back in 1996. Since then most of the more recent games in the series have been released in the beginning, or close to the end of a new console. But that all changed on November 18 th, with the release of New Super Mario Bros. U.

The game seems (to me anyway) to be a nod to Mario world, and Mario 3. You have the world map that holds it's secret paths. The new suit (which looks very similar to the raccoon suit from the third game) that helps you float like the cape in World. Plus the inclusion of baby Yoshi is just the cherry on top. Yet all this nostalgia isn't all that Mario U has to offer. The game makes great use of the Mii Verse, letting players draw or write about how they feel about levels they have played. This makes for a great sense of community while playing the game. I never really felt alone when I played by myself.

Game-play in New Super Mario Bros. U is basically the same as any other side scrolling Mario game. If you played the first "New" game on the Wii you'll feel right at home here. Like in the first game you can play the game with three other friends. This time though you can add a fourth friend to make it a great five player experience. Four players play the game onscreen, while the fifth player uses the touch pad controller. While using the touch pad the player can draw platforms for everyone on screen to jump on. This can be a bad thing, as the tablet player can draw platforms to prevent other players from proceeding....

The only down fall I saw while playing Mario U was that the HD, wasn't used to its full potential. Sure everything looks good a crisp, but I just felt that the Mario makers were just playing it safe graphically. A few area's look fantastic and have a different art style not seen in the series before. Yet others look like levels we've already seen in New Super Mario Bros. 2 for the 3DS.....

All in all New Super Mario Bros. U is a must have for Mario fans, or new WII U owners. Its a great start for a new console, and really shows off the features of the Mii verse and the new tablet controller. Go out and get a copy today!