New Super Mario Bros. U wins IGN's Platformer of the Year!

It's strange that the most recent post was a review of New Super Mario Bros. U where I gave it an 8.5/10. Sure, it's not a score to be scoffed at, but it really isn't Game of the Year material. Still, the folks over at IGN placed the game before other great platformers such as Fez and Spelunky, and gave it the title of Overall Platformer of the Year.

This is a great achievement for Nintendo. Though, what's even more amazing is the Overall Puzzle Game of the Year, which was won by Crashmo. Crashmo, the sequel to Pushmo, is an excellent game, and I have praised Pushmo enough to make any sane person go mad.

Though, sadly no Nintendo game scooped up the Overall Game of the Year, which went to Journey. Strangely enough, I finished Journey yesterday, and the game really is a marvel. If you have a PS3, I recommend you pick it up right now!

The Mini New Super Mario Bros. U Review

When New Super Mario Bros. Wii released in 2009 I was excited to be able to play a new Mario game with up to 3 others and I thought it could be THE game to play with friends. However, the it proved too hard for any casual players and today I find myself coming back to the Wii with friends to play games such as Mario Kart Wii and Super Smash Bros. Brawl instead. Sure, the game wasn't in any way bad, but it was easily trumped by single player experiences such as Super Mario Galaxy.

And, while New Super Mario Bros. U has no competition for platformer king yet on the Wii U, it's updated visuals and new suits are just not enough to make me love the game in the same way that Super Mario Galaxy did.

First, the gameplay of New Super Mario Bros. U is identical to that of its predecessors. You run, jump and grab onto enemies, items and whatever else you can think of. It is typical 2D platformer affair, and will appeal to anyone who enjoys this sort of game. Like all Mario games, the platforming is very polished and the level structure seems perfect for playing single player. However, there are many issues to the game's multiplayer. For instance, the game is actually quite difficult, especially for those who don't play often, and it's not the sort of pick up and play game that Nintendo Land is. Furthermore, it is really easy to jump on other's heads, which may seem fun at first but is frustrating when you're jumping over a gap only to have your friend land on your head, pushing you into the gap. This can cost countless lives and makes it really hard just to make it through one level!

There are actually a few different types of Yoshis

However, despite being so similar to other Mario games, there are a few things that make this game worth the purchase. First, there's minor changes such as the ability to play as your Mii and boost rush mode, which lets you help other players using the gamepad's touchscreen. But my favourite change is that this game re-introduces Yoshi, who players can ride on to gain extra jump power and the ability to swallow countless enemies. If you've seen my list of favourite Mario side characters, you'd know that I love Yoshi and that having him in this game is awesome! Also, the squirrel suit, which lets players glide and cling on to walls, is actually quite fun to play with. A whole new game mode is also in this game in the form of challenges, which can range from jumping on as many goombas as possible in a row to Coin Rush games, which means the level automatically moves forward at a speed which increases depending on how many coins you collect. These challenges are great for veteran players and adds longevity to the game.

The amazing squirrel man!

As far as graphics go, New Super Mario Bros. U looks much better than any Mario game previously released thanks to some nice level art (such as a Van Gogh inspired level), the Wii U's graphical power and, of course, HD graphics. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the game's music, which is smooth and enjoyable, but repetitious, especially considering the how same-ish all the songs are. Mario and friends sound like you'd expect, with plenty of "woo-hoo" and "yippee"to go around. Still, in the game my Mii has an irritating high-pitched voice, similar to an Alvin and the Chipmunks movie.

New Super Mario Bros. U is a game that is simple and fun to play. Excellent level design and new features make it a great addition to the game library of anyone looking to play a platformer on their Wii U. However, if you're looking for a game to play with friends, Nintendo Land is certainly a better option. 

8.5/10

2013's releases for the Wii U and 3DS

Today, or yesterday, (actually since I live in Australia I have no idea) Nintendo released new Nintendo Direct clips for Europe, North America and Japan. Lots of new gameplay footage has been revealed in these videos, but probably more importantly we have found when many games are releasing for Europe and the USA!

Now, I know that Paper Mario: Sticker Star is already out, but surprisingly (even though it is a Mario game) I actually don't like Paper Mario games much, so I've pretty much ignored the game. Sorry if you're an RPG fanatic, but you'd probably prefer the Mario and Luigi series anyway.

We've been waiting years for a new Luigi's Mansion game!

Still, the new game Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is coming to the 3DS soon, and is joined by games such as Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Fire Emblem: Awakening and Castlevania: Lord of Shadows to make for an impressive year of 3DS releases. Though, the Wii U isn't forgotten with Pikmin 3, Wii Fit U and LEGO City: Undercover coming soon. Here's an overview of the release dates:

• Fire Emblem: Awakening - April 2013 (EU), February 4th 2013 (NA)
• Brain Age: Concentration Training - February 10th 2013 (NA), March 8th 2013 (EU)
• Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon - March 2013 (EU)
• Wii Fit U - 1st half of 2013 (NA)
• Animal Crossing: New Leaf - Q2 2013 (EU)
• Pikmin 3 - Q2 2013 (NA & EU)
• Lego City: Undercover - early 2013 (NA)
• Castlevania: Lords of Shadow- Mirror of Fate - March 2013 (EU)

Personally, my most anticipated games are LEGO City: Undercover, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Pikmin 3. Unfortunately, I wont be getting these games for a while. Still, it's nice to know when they're releasing!

I got my Wii U (and Nintendo Land)

Well, I haven't posted anything in a week or so, and hopefully you'll understand that it's for a perfectly valid reason- I got my Wii U.

I was going to do the typical Mario fan thing and just get Nintendo Land and New Super Mario Bros. U with my new console, but I then I found an awesome deal that got me Tekken Tag Tournament 2 half price! Unfortunately, I have only really played Nintendo Land enough so far to forge an opinion on the game, and that opinion is- it is AWESOME!

Nintendo Land may only have 12 attractions in it, but those attractions are insanely fun and actually each have quite a few stages, improving longevity. While my favourite attractions may be Animal Crossing: Sweet Day and Metroid Blast!, this IS a blog about Mario, and i've played Mario Chase to death! For those of you who don't know, Mario Chase is a minigame which is essentially a form of tag where four players chase down Mario, who is playing off the gamepad. As the chasers can't see the Gamepad, they have no idea where Mario is and have to hunt him down and catch him themselves. While Mario Chase is fun, it only has three stages, and you can probably see all the attraction has to offer within half an hour. Still, I have played it well over that amount of time, and it is incredibly addictive. While new players can pick this up quickly, it takes a long time to get to the point where everyone can co-operate to a point where they can corner and capture Mario together.

That is just one of twelve attractions in Nintendo Land, and the rest are just as great! Although, it is important to remember that only 6 attractions are multiplayer. Still, it is a game that I would definitely recommend alongside New Super Mario Bros. U, which I may do a mini review of later.