New Super Mario Bros. U

I think there is 66 or 67 levels in the game or so, can you get to Superstar Road before fighting the final boss (SMW) or do you need to beat bowser/collect enough star coins)?(NSMBW)
 
SuperNick3DLand said:
Defiantly more than 53 levels now, how many levels are in "Superstar Road"?
And then the defiant levels marched right out of the game. And everyone burst into applesauce.
 
One review I have seen listed its only con as "the games difficulty being too hard for young or casual players". I'm starting to see more 9.0+ scores show up. Game Informer 9.25/10
 
Just finished the game, so time for some more reflections. Spoiler tags are awkward, so if you don't want to be spoiled, don't read my posts from here on out:



-Final world was disappointing and generic; those who told us that the game saved its "best for last" obviously didn't have World 8 in mind (World 6 and 7 are pretty fantastic). Several somewhat challenging but run-of-the-mill lava/meteor stages, with only a few highlights. On the plus side, there are some great post-apocalyptic Mushroom Kingdom backgrounds

-Final boss fight was good fun, although on the easy side

-There appear to be eight Superstar Road levels, one unlocked for each world you completely finish (i.e. get all the star coins). I've only played Stage 8 so far, but... man, it's hard Even better news, there are Mushroom Houses in Superstar Road that give you powerups from past NSMB games! Gotten Penguin and Propeller suits so far; there's a chance more exist

-Some of these star coins are ingeniously placed. The ghost houses are wtf hard

Final Verdict: 9.5/10. Strong Super Mario title and easily the definitive NSMB game. Arguably series-best level design, nice graphics with some beautiful backgrounds, absolutely perfect mechanics, and tons of replay value. Could be damn-near perfect if the music wasn't rehashed and the final world was a little more satisfying (although Superstar Road seems to be making up for that quite a bit!)
 
I'm actually kind of surprised that people are giving it high scores. So far, I haven't heard the 'being more of the same' complaint from reviews I've seen. I think one of them said it was a good thing that the gameplay stayed like it was.

I think I'll try this out after Nintendo Land though.
 
Quick question about the rehashed music: did they at least rehash the NSMBW castle theme? That's the best castle theme by far.
 
Legault said:

Nice to hear some in-depth impressions. What's your impression of the boss battles (beside the final one) and the complexity of the world map, in comparison to SMW?
 
Why are there 3/21 reviews that give this game a 7/10 or less. It's G4, a guy with a stupid last name, and some Canadian website. They should be ashamed, anything less than a 7.5/10 I think is unreasonable. Seriously I think there are going to be a lot of people who UNDERRATE this game, I mean NSMB2 score is 78% and NSMBU is 82%, I swear if the average gets below NSMB2 average, the world WILL end.
 
Brad Shoemaker is one of the worst reviewers I have ever seen, he needs to quit. NSMBU 6/10, Nintendo Land 8/10
 
Glowsquid said:
Legault said:

Nice to hear some in-depth impressions. What's your impression of the boss battles (beside the final one) and the complexity of the world map, in comparison to SMW?

Mario games have never been known for their creative boss battles, but among the 2D games at least, NSMBU has the best, most consistently fun bosses by far. Most of the Koopalings have entirely new attack patterns, and many integrate their world themes into the fight itself. Wendy, for example, is fought in the snowy World 4: while she still has her trademark rings, she bounces them around towards the ceiling, where they cause icicles to fall down; it's your job to avoid the icicles and try to land a hit on Wendy as she skates below. Ludwig, as another example, is fought in the skies of World 7, and he fights from above, levitating and splitting himself into three before he shoots a barrage of magic attacks at you. It's a nice touch, and makes the bosses feel refreshingly thought-out.

The mini-bosses are also a big step up from previous outings. Boom Boom is back, and he's got his more expanded arsenal (wings, etc.) from SMB3. There are also three new mini-bosses: Baby Bowser is fought in his clown copter underwater, Magikoopa is defeated by jumping on platforms he creates, and there's even a giant Sumo Brother from SMW. All three are highlights.

The complexity of the world map is, unfortunately, something of a step down from SMW. Gone are the more natural transitions from world to world; instead, you'll jump from grasslands to deserts to frosty peaks to jungles, and it's sort of jarring. Not a huge deal, especially given how lush and vivid each world looks. There are a few hidden exits, but most branching paths are simply a matter of picking which direction you want to go. The Soda Jungle's take on the Forest of Illusion is also relatively straightforward, which is a shame.
 
SuperNick3DLand said:
Why are there 3/21 reviews that give this game a 7/10 or less. It's G4, a guy with a stupid last name, and some Canadian website. They should be ashamed, anything less than a 7.5/10 I think is unreasonable. Seriously I think there are going to be a lot of people who UNDERRATE this game, I mean NSMB2 score is 78% and NSMBU is 82%, I swear if the average gets below NSMB2 average, the world WILL end.

I can think of several reasons to rate it that way...

Legault said:
Glowsquid said:
Legault said:

Nice to hear some in-depth impressions. What's your impression of the boss battles (beside the final one) and the complexity of the world map, in comparison to SMW?

...The mini-bosses are also a big step up from previous outings. Boom Boom is back, and he's got his more expanded arsenal (wings, etc.) from SMB3. There are also three new mini-bosses: Baby Bowser is fought in his clown copter underwater, Magikoopa is defeated by jumping on platforms he creates, and there's even a giant Sumo Brother from SMW. All three are highlights...

That's Bowser Jr, no Baby Bowser.
 
Going to start telling a couple facts: the game has at least 92 enemies (there were 20 or so fewer in NSMB2 and about the same in NSMBW), the total enemies could still go up though. This game has 10 different forms of Mario. SMW had about 78 enemies and 80 or so levels (less enemies, more levels).
 
Completed the game 100%. Total of 76 levels, so I assume the "goal total" is around the same as SMW's. Not bad in terms of content, and many of these levels are very long. Opening up secret exits interconnects the worlds in rather humorous ways (roller coaster, pipe stairs, etc.), and I have to say the world map looks badass when fully completed.

Superstar Road didn't live up to NSMBW's excellent World 9, but it was still pretty damn good... that is, until the final level. Which is the stupidest pile of steaming garbage I've ever had the misfortune of experiencing. Remember The Perfect Run from SMG2? Remember 8-Star from SM3DL? None of those can compare to the epic challenge that is Superstar-9. Bow in awe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzDICWEXALw

Talk about unsatisfying. Jesus Christ.

You can get file stars as follows:

Star 1 -> complete the game
Star 2-> beat every level up to the final boss
Star 3 -> get every star coin up to the final boss
Star 4 -> unlock Star-9

Still the best NSMB game, but I have to lower my score to 9/10 for the disappointing final world.
 
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