Not So New Super Mario Brothers Wii

I am a fair weather fan of the classic video games. When I think back to games like Blades of Steel for the NES or Super Mario Brothers 3, and many other titles, a grin comes across my face. I am transported back to a time when things were simple. Where blowing in and slapping a video game system made it work. Where you didn't have to download a patch to fix a game. If a game had a glitch then you just dealt with it. No bitching, no crying, no nothing. Just take your busted game and like it. I say I am a fair weather fan of the classics because comparing games of the past to the games of present day is just impossible. Games today are like fucking movies. There are insane graphics on powerful machines that suck us in for whole days at a time. That is not to say that the same thing didn't happen to me when I was playing Nintendo, testing hand and eye coordination around every turn. Everything has evolved, including the controllers, to be so much better than when we were kids. So, when I play an old school game I am happy for a little while but usually bored about 30 minutes in. They are great for going retro for a little bit but the joy quickly fades and I am left with a feeling of "Holy crap how did I ever think this was a fun game??" Then there is a little bit of crying, while rocking back and forth in the corner, for a childhood wasted. Instead of trying to impress the fine ladies out there I was knee deep in Mario Brothers secrets (including that damn infinite life trick that I still can't do to this day!) Oh yeah I was super cool baby. Ice cold even! Anyway to get back to the point, I do think the retro idea is cool (and the Wii is beating this horse to death!) but at some point I think to myself "Hey didn't I do this about ten years ago?" So let us begin, Curtains please for New Super Mario Brothers Wii...

First off let me say that overall I do think the game is a great nod to older Super Mario Brothers titles. The graphics are not the best but they did a good job for the feel of the game. There are some new pieces thrown in here and there. I am not denying that you will have fun (and get a little frustrated) along the way when you play this game. The multi-player element adds something new to the mix for the game, but the idea of co-op is kind of a joke. There is a pretty good replay value if you are a treasure hunter and want to get all the star coins and find every secret. All those are really good aspects and I would definitely suggest to anyone that is a Mario fan to pick this bad boy up.

My only really problem is that I have done all this before. It is one thing to take such an iconic character such as Mario and reinvent the way you play his games (such as Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Sunshine) and it is another thing to just recycle the idea, slap some updated graphics on it and then think it is ok. I mean I am not mad at them for it because so many people do it but (and I can't believe I am going to say this) maybe it is time to kill Mario. Well, maybe not kill him but do something to give him a fresh new look. The formula has been the same for so long now: Peach gets kidnapped - Mario (and sometimes Luigi) go to rescue her - Bowser is the main bad guy (and sometimes his kids too)- You defeat Bowser - Peach gives you a kiss but never lets you get to second base and then you go and clean your own pipes. Obviously, there are variations here and there but that is pretty much the formula. And I know the phrase "If it ain't broke don't fix it" but at some point I would like Nintendo to show some balls and actually try something new and different. Yes it is a huge risk to do such a thing because there are people who have waited for and now love playing this game because they feel like it is a blast from the past. The game can be fun but I can't help feel like I have been down this path many times before. I am waiting for something innovative and different. Maybe some kind of dark and evil mushroom kingdom or something where Mario is tearing up the world around him. Maybe he is kind of the anti-hero (and yes I know that is basically Wario in a nutshell but still would love to see Mario in that role). I know that will probably never happen but just imagine. If you could get a Mario based on something like this:





A game based on a look like this would be amazing! A game that truly evolved along with me as I got older. Something with a little edge. Alas we will probably never get something like this. Instead I am stuck with the chubby little plumber duo and their tease of a girlfriend (by the way if Mario gets Peach then who the hell does Luigi get?).

I do think this is probably one of the Wii's better games this year. The levels have been updated and the fun of playing with friends is cool but after an hour or so I just felt like 'been there and done that'. Even with the multi-player option, which I have played with my wife, there just wasn't enough content to make me feel like this path has been walked one too many times.

We live in a world of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". There are many instances where this is the best option for people. Better to be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to your job, but sometimes I wish they would go out on a limb and do something a little different. For some people this tried and true path for Mario will be right up their alley. For others...well you got Super Mario Galaxy 2 coming out later on this year. Hmmmm why do I see a similar article coming out about that game as well?