Dungaree'd-up fun on-the-go!

It's over twenty years since Mario made his side-scrolling debut as Jumpman in the old Donkey Kong Game & Watch titles, and still a heck of a long time since we last saw a proper 2D Super Mario platformer. Nintendo, it seems, has finally twigged that gamers want to see Mario in all his retro glory - but, typically for the Big N, they've put an unexpected spin on things.

Cue New Super Mario Bros. on DS. The title is apt for a number of reasons. Sure, this is a good, old-fashioned Mario Bros. game… but it also boasts brand new design, gameplay and graphical sensibilities.

The DS Difference

Put your fears away, plumber lovers; this, unlike the DS remake of Mario 64, completely ignores the stylus control option and opts instead for a traditional D-pad/buttons setup. What that means is more left-to-right movement and butt-bopping, goomba-squashing action added to the same genius level design we've come to expect from the Myamoto-created series.

It's not entirely old-school, however. Mario's established 2D conventions are presented here in parallel with some striking 3D visuals, fluid animation, an added array of moves, and a horde of novel new abilities. In fact, throughout the adventure you'll see the moustachioed maestro run, bounce, flip, fly, wall-jump, kick, punch, and, using one power-up, even grow to fill pretty much the entire screen (!). The touchscreen meanwhile is used to house spare power-ups, and sometimes the action will even transfer to it Sonic Rush style when the dungaree-wearing hero goes down one of those famous green pipes.

If that's not enough, there'll be a bunch of minigames, and a novel wi-fi multiplayer mode where Mario and Luigi race to be the first across a level, using Mario Kart style power ups to foil each other's plans. In all, that rounds off what can only be labelled a stellar DS package, designed to sate the truly discerning Nintendo fan.

Of course, it's still familiarly Mario at heart, so New Super Mario Bros may seem a bit basic to hard-nosed Nintendo haters; but for everyone else the the mix of old gameplay and new ideas makes New Super Mario Bros. amongst the best handheld games around.

GAME's Verdict

• Classic Mario gameplay with an added DS twist
• Pretty darn attractive mix of 2D and 3D visuals
• Fun multiplayer mode to boot

• If you don't like old-skool Mario, this won't be for you
• Doesn't reinvent platformers with a bright new control system (though some would say that's a good thing!)
• The odd iffy boss battle

Review by: Mark Scott
Review Published: 06.07.07