After much delay and hesistance, I decided to play NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII and loved every minute of it. Although it didn't take very long to beat the game, it was a fun experience that reminded me of the polished gameplay of the 2D Super Mario Bros. games.

Going into playing the game, I really did not want to like it. I was unimpressed with the safe and generic graphical style. I also was extremely disappointed with the difficulty and lack of originality found in the NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. DS game. Fortunately, the Wii's sequel's smart level layouts and variety did an excellent job of creating nostalgia for memorable levels from previous Mario games while adding some new nuances to the classic platforming experience that reminded me that there were still plenty of new ideas to explore and introduce to the 2D Platforming game.

The one thing that I liked about the DS Super Mario Bros. was that it went back to the most essential platforming elements from the first Super Mario Bros. Every power up in that game contributed to the fundamental Mario gaming premise of jumping from platform to platform. This Wii sequel builds and refines that idea with the addition of the propeller hat power up and wii-motion controlled platforms.

The multi-player aspect was a smart marketing point, but I still prefer playing the game as a singler-player experience. The game's difficulty was reasonably challenging for an experienced Super Mario player (as I consider myself)... but nothing in the game forced me to use the computer controlled Luigi Assistance that Nintendo included in the game for more novice players.

Any quibbles you may have with challenge are quickly answered in the 9th World (Star World) that opens up after beating the game. Each of the 8 levels in Star World opens up after you have found every hidden large coin in a Numbered World (there are 3 large coins in every level). I was able to open up the first Star World and it was frustratingly difficult.

Overall NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII is a fun game and, despite the boring artistic style, a great sign that 2D games are alive and still capable of challenging and entertaining gamers.