New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Mii want to play!

[Beau Skunky]

I got a new Nintendo Power magazine with the game on the cover, and after reading the arctical about it, it sounds alot better then I thought it would be.

Here's some info on it.
* NP describes the game as "hard," and possiblly the hardest 2D Mario game so far, so it sounds like the game isn't going to be "watered down" for the multiplayer aspect, as some people feared.
* Yoshis are in the game, but unfortunatelly unlike SMW you can onley use them for the level/s you found him in. (Not really that bad, if you consider Super Mario Sunshine was like that to. Besides, some levels might be more awkward with Yoshi.) When you beat the level you got Yoshi in he will have to leave afterwords.
* Returning items include Super Mushrooms, 1up mushrooms, starmen, (now called a "Rainbow star" oddly) fire flowers, and mini mushrooms.
(Mega Mushrooms, and the blue shell will not return from the DS game.)
* New items include an Ice Flower, (shoots ice, freezing enemies into ice blocks wich can serve as platforms, or a pick-up-able weapon) Penguin suit, (wich shoots ice, lets you slide on your belly, and increases swimming speed) and a propeller cap suit. (That lets you float with a shake of the Wii-mote.)
* The popular 7 Koopalings from SMB3 & SMW return, and you fight them twice in each world. Once in a midpoint fortress, and a second at the end castle of each world. (They become harder in the rematch.)
Bowser Jr. returns as well, and Bowser serves as the final boss.
* Fire flowers, this time around won't make boss battles to rediculouslly easy like the DS game. Apparentlly, it'll take alot more hits from fireballs to take out Koopaling bosses, so you'll likelly have to rely on stomping them.
* Kamek the magikoopa from "Yoshi's Island" makes a cameo in the game riding his broomstick. (Yes, he is refered to as "Kamek" in the magazine.)
* Map screens will be simular to the ones in NewSMB, (DS) but some will take new directions like vertical, and less-rectangular angles. Also hidden exits/paths/levels return to, offering alternate routes on the map screen.
* Haunted house levels & Warp zone canons on the map screens return to.
* The item system is more simular to SMB3, allowing you to keep an inventory of items at your disposal on the map screen, and use whenever you like while there. However the ability to hold a "reserve" extra item at the top of the screen in-levels like in SMW, and NewSMB (DS) is gone to compensate.
* Red houses on the map screen feature a card matching minigame simular to the one from SMB3 that allows you to win items for your inventory. There are also other minigames to.
* Music and graphics are simular to the DS version, but improved. (including more 3D effects from platforms, and enemies.)
* There are some items in some levels Mario & Co. can pick up SMB2-style and throw around. Some even serve a purpous for a level including a "light" block that scares away ghosts in the dark, and lights your way. Mario can also find, and roll barrels like Donkey Kong oddly, as well.

Also, y'know that much ballyhooed "demo/easy/auto" thing people are complaining/debating about? Basically this is how it works...

If you lose a bunch of lives on a single level, a special block will appear in the level. If you hit it, a demo will play showing you how to get past a certain part of the level. When the demo is finished (or cancelled) you will still have to complete the task yourself however. (So the game doesn't exactlly "play for you" as most people speculated.)
You can also ignore this feature if you wish.

[Mad But Happy]

Sounds good to me

As for the demo thing... It's optional, so people can baw haw haw all they want about it. XD

lmao @ Penguin suit

[FireHawk]

I must admit I'm much more excited for it now than I was when it was first revealed (especially after finding out it's more single-player-friendly than I thought). It's a shame about Yoshi only being usable in the levels you find him in, though.

Good to see the Koopalings back, too. I love those guys.

[Marshmellow_Center]

Koopalings, finally!!! I hope they don't ruin them!!

I'm really excited for this game!! I still need to get WarioLand, though...

[Beau Skunky]

How could they ruin them? And yeah, I'd love to play Wario Land for Wii, as well. Nice to see 2D coming back into style.

Here's an interesting interview with Shigeru Miyamoto himself.
I figured I'd post it sence some of it regards NSMBWii.
Apparentlly he likes goombas.

Also some screenshots to.

[Marshmellow_Center]

They could easily ruin them! It's a common thing now with cartons and video games

Awesome sreenshots!! I love GOOMBA TOO

[Beau Skunky]

I dunno, I loved the 2003 Ninja Turtle cartoon series personally. So not every "revival" cartoon/game is bad, I feel.
I admit, I will be a bit pissed off if they try to change, or retcon the Koopalings as something like "Bowser's neice & nephews," instead of his kids, or something. (Because of Bowser Jr. being established as Bowser's "onley kid" for the past few years...)

Speaking of stuff coming back Excitebike returns to WiiWare!
And this time, it's a perfect 3D recreation of the side-scrolling NES game. (Complete with racetrack creator/editor like the original game to.) I hear it has on-line play to.
I know, I'm getting a bit off topic, bringing that up, but I just had to point that out. Excitebike for NES was one of my childhood favorites.

[Mad But Happy]

Oh wow... I use to play that with my brother... I shall have to rent that!

[Beau Skunky]

You can't rent this new Excitebike, because it's going to be a WiiWare download-onley game.

Still, I'd gladlly shell out 10 bucks (1000 points) for it.
(Assuming that's what the price will be, it may be cheaper due to being based off an NES game.)

[Mad But Happy]

Awwww, that's lame... Maybe if I hear good things about it, then. XD

[Marshmellow_Center]

Sorry Beau, but I don't trust these companies that much anymore... They've raped so many of my childhood memories...

[Beau Skunky]

Well, Nintendo's had a good track record with Mario games, if you ask me.

Anyways, a li'l heads-up, THE GAME IS OUT TODAY! W00t!