3. GameCritics - New Super Mario Bros Wii
Perhaps one of my greatest childhood memories is running around colourfully imaginative worlds as Mario, punching curious yellow boxes in hopes of flowers and stomping Goombas. The sides-scrolling world of Mario is something that any true gamer can admit is simply perfect in its design, and irresistibly addictive. This trend has continued in nearly every Mario game, from the first Mario Party to Mario Kart, and Paper Mario to Mario 3D Land. Once Nintendo announced the release of their groundbreaking Wii, fans around the world knew that another Mario side-scroller was in store. Nobody could have predicted the success and pure beauty of New Super Mario Bros Wii. With the newly added multiplayer function that brings Mario, Luigi, and blue and yellow Toads together to help find the desired Princess Peach. Of course, you cannot help but stumble across a review that seems to find the negatives in an entirely positive experience. In this case, we can turn to Game Critics's reviewer Trent Fingland. Fingland essentially just calls the game a reboot. He bashes the powerups, the storyline, the development, the gameplay - everything. I think this is something that needs to be understood by anybody who calls themselves a gamer:
Mario and his friends will never change. Nintendo is known for continuing franchises without changing anything. They have proven themselves successful by sticking to the same roots, but changing their presentation. The plants my look different, but the seeds are the same. That is what Nintendo does with the Mario series. It's this way with Mario Party, Mario Kart, Super Mario Bros - all of the like. Fingland, in short, appears oblivious to Nintendo's intentions - they are not trying to create a completely new, mind-boggling video game. They are simply expanding the Mario universe into a new era, a new console, and a new experience. Yes, the story is the same. Who cares? The game is fun, nonetheless. Nintendo made a bold move in branching out into a multiplayer story mode, allowing four players to progress through the universe. Were there some issues with it? Without a doubt. Was it a ballsy move and did it ultimately succeed? Absolutely. All in all, New Super Mario Bros Wii is a fantastic creation and another addicting addition to the series. Nintendo should commend themselves for their ability to continuously reanimate the same story without ever getting dull. You can
read Trent Fingland's review of New Super Mario Bros Wii here.