I dont see the content issue. It is generally inline with what 2D marios have always had on content. 80 levels isnt light on content. Then there is DLC Challenge levels. We have all just aged and gotten exceptionally good at mario and Nintendo insists on making the games accessible to a wide audience.
NSMB 2 Review Thread
- Thread starter Nirolak
- Start date
MasterShotgun
brazen editing lynx
The main tune is good, but it still has that godawful BAH sound.
To Far Away Times
Member
I've come to the realization that we probably won't be getting an amazing 2D Mario game for a while. The greatness of the 8-bit and 16-bit Marios seems to have rubbed off on the 3D games, and the 2D ones just kinda play it safe and go through the motions.
eighty(one)
Member
I agree. I'm looking forward to the game because it looks to be great fun. I haven't played the other 2 NSMB games, so this will be pretty "new" to me.
Every one else seems so down on the game
Which leads to my gamer finger pointing:
**cue crotchity voice**
when did videogames become all about innovation? When did Mario become "innovative"? Since when was "refinement" considered less than "innovation"? Aren't "innovative" things for the sake of "innovation", gimmicks?
I'm really confused.
**end voice**
Mario was about level design and playability. Mario 2, changed things up, had turnips and shit. Mario 3 refined Mario's original formula and added mechanics, which ebbed with new level design....the list Goes on and on.
In Mario's storied history, haven't the games been about building solid mechanics which work within level design? Allowing for different paths/discoveries and play styles?
I don't get how Mario HAS to innovate - if it lacks innovations, then it's rudimentary and rehashed - which to me, goes against the core of Mario; which is really about refinement.
Sidenote: this game seems to innovate with a new mode, a new campaign "coin" focus, first portable Mario co-op...
I must not be jaded enough to know an enjoyable game when I see one.
End rant.
I've got to admit, before GAF I had no idea there were so many people who hated the "bahs". I don't think I've ever read a review that so much as mentioned, let alone expressed disdain for them, and the same's true among my friends, or anyone else I've spoken to about the games.
They're kind of just... there. They have a perfectly neutral impact on my enjoyment of the game/music.
I always thought it was cute, however, when the enemies danced. That was about the extent of notice I took.
They're kind of just... there. They have a perfectly neutral impact on my enjoyment of the game/music.
I always thought it was cute, however, when the enemies danced. That was about the extent of notice I took.
POWERSPHERE
Member
How much will this sucker be on the US eShop?
IrishNinja
Member
i still gotta finish 3D land when the XL drops, so unless i see a really good deal on this, i think i'll wait.
Poimandres
Member
I only played a few hours of NSMBW, but the issue I had with NSMB was that in a direct comparison to its predecessors (SMB3 and SMW) it just wasn't as good.
The presentation was less pleasing, the music wasn't as good, it didn't feel as good, the level design wasn't as creative, it didn't have as much variety.
You don't need gimmicks to make a good Mario game, but people do want something exciting. If it's using a similar style to previous games, you need to hit it out of the park with level design to please the people (eg; Mario Galaxy 2). Does NSMB2 have that?
And honestly... I know it was a different time and place, but there's no reason why a 2D platformer in this day and age shouldn't be able to beat an 8-bit title!
basically consensus seems to be "more of the same, but when 'the same' is 2d mario platforming goodness can you really complain?"
I definitely have my complaints with some aspects of the game--recycled music and world themes, the very safe and sterile aesthetics (give us back sprites!), the fact that it really doesn't seem to be pushing the system graphically, and of course it's disappointing the coin collection aspect isn't better integrated. Unlocking special challenge levels intermittently before the 1 million mark would have been great, among many other things they could've done.
Coin rush, at least, is a nice addition and I hope it's expanded upon in future games. I love the concept of a challenging one life speed run mode, online leaderboards rather than streetpass only however would've been much better.
Petty complaints aside, I'm sure the gameplay itself will be as fun as ever with fantastic level design and tight, responsive controls. It may not re-invent the wheel, but it'll be a damn solid platformer.
I definitely have my complaints with some aspects of the game--recycled music and world themes, the very safe and sterile aesthetics (give us back sprites!), the fact that it really doesn't seem to be pushing the system graphically, and of course it's disappointing the coin collection aspect isn't better integrated. Unlocking special challenge levels intermittently before the 1 million mark would have been great, among many other things they could've done.
Coin rush, at least, is a nice addition and I hope it's expanded upon in future games. I love the concept of a challenging one life speed run mode, online leaderboards rather than streetpass only however would've been much better.
Petty complaints aside, I'm sure the gameplay itself will be as fun as ever with fantastic level design and tight, responsive controls. It may not re-invent the wheel, but it'll be a damn solid platformer.
Glorified G
Member
Yeah, I was really surprised how good & varied the levels looked. But having the exact same music as the Wii version is so lazy. I'm only buying it because I got it pre ordered for $29.99, & it will rarely if ever become cheaper than that.
eighty(one)
Member
... In the 80's of my NES childhood, 8bit Mario was NEW. The tricky prick of the past for the today: Mario isn't new anymore. You cannot and never will recapture nostalgia. You can't take the first experience with something (a first thrill, first cigarette, first love, first kiss, etc.) and surpass it. Doesn't happen. NSMB2 might be somebody's first, who are we to rob them of enjoyment, by deploring its root?
Nintendo was clever to name something old, with the annointing of "new".
You could have inventive Mario titles, dreamy and whimsical and it won't sell. It might. But it won't. People will complain that it's not Mario; That the soul of Mario belongs in the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario went on a vacation once....to Delphino and he capsized. People wanted Mario in a Mushroom Kingdom....enter the NSMB series. Made for people of tradition.
Seems like a bit of a disappointment. I hope this means NSMB Wii U is the A team. Of course, Mario 3D Land got wedged between the NSMB releases. Mario 3D Land is a great game while also being very inventive, so a 2D rehash with little innovation won't hold as much attention.
Still buying it.
Still buying it.
Velcro Fly
Member
I'm not dismayed by any reviews for a few particular reasons.
First, I have a friend who just got a 3DS and he will be getting this game. He's more of a casual gamer but he loves Mario so keeping him interested in the 3DS and in the game is a huge plus. I know when we meet up to streetpass 3-4 times per week that we will be able to coin rush against each other and maybe even do some co-op playing.
Second, I never owned a Wii so I never played NSMBW. I haven't seen the Koopalings in a 2D Mario game since SMW. I've seen quite a bit of video and the level design seems better than NSMB DS. I've played NSMB DS to completion quite a few times, even getting 100% star coins multiple times.
Third, I always go back to 2D Mario games. Once in a while I get that itch and just decide to fly through a few 2D Mario games, whether it's SMB3, SMW, or even NSMB. Sure I'll probably plow through and beat the main game quickly enough the first time. But I've never played a Mario game to completion just once. I always go back and play more.
Finally, I hold out hope that Nintendo may possibly listen to what people are saying about the game when they do DLC. I know that may be asking a lot, but if Nintendo wants to milk this for all they can they are going to want to deliver some difficult levels. It's a shame they will be coin rush only as adding levels to be played in the main game as a sort of practice for coin rush would be really cool.
Either way, bad reviews are not scaring me away. I got it for $30 from newegg in a deal they had at the end of June. In two weeks it will be arriving at my house and I'll be completely engrossed in collecting coins and stomping on Koopalings.
First, I have a friend who just got a 3DS and he will be getting this game. He's more of a casual gamer but he loves Mario so keeping him interested in the 3DS and in the game is a huge plus. I know when we meet up to streetpass 3-4 times per week that we will be able to coin rush against each other and maybe even do some co-op playing.
Second, I never owned a Wii so I never played NSMBW. I haven't seen the Koopalings in a 2D Mario game since SMW. I've seen quite a bit of video and the level design seems better than NSMB DS. I've played NSMB DS to completion quite a few times, even getting 100% star coins multiple times.
Third, I always go back to 2D Mario games. Once in a while I get that itch and just decide to fly through a few 2D Mario games, whether it's SMB3, SMW, or even NSMB. Sure I'll probably plow through and beat the main game quickly enough the first time. But I've never played a Mario game to completion just once. I always go back and play more.
Finally, I hold out hope that Nintendo may possibly listen to what people are saying about the game when they do DLC. I know that may be asking a lot, but if Nintendo wants to milk this for all they can they are going to want to deliver some difficult levels. It's a shame they will be coin rush only as adding levels to be played in the main game as a sort of practice for coin rush would be really cool.
Either way, bad reviews are not scaring me away. I got it for $30 from newegg in a deal they had at the end of June. In two weeks it will be arriving at my house and I'll be completely engrossed in collecting coins and stomping on Koopalings.
The problem isn't just innovation or lack thereof, it's the sense that the franchise's prestige is being slowly sacrificed in favor of its sales potential. There's something that feels very desperate with the manner in which Mario is being deployed the last several years.
And, yeah, the game isn't mindblowing. And that is sort of a big deal. I understand that you made the "nostalgia" argument, that these games will never excite us in a way they did when we were kids, but I respectfully disagree. I grew up with SMB3, World, and 64... I remember these games vividly. And you know what? Galaxy managed to tap into that childlike feeling of wonder as well as any of those three did.
Since then, it feels like the Mario series has been cynically turned into a cash cow. Which, from a business standpoint, makes perfect financial sense. And it's not like the quality of these games have suffered. But there's a certain freshness and excitement that's been missing from Mario the last five or so years, where it feels like we're just going through the motions.
And I wonder if this game (and NSMBU) are where that reality is starting to seep in with some people.
You're listing bulletpoints. That doesn't mean that they are necessarily well thought-out, fully explored, or even well-integrated into the game design.
StreetsAhead
Member
I agree. It's a good start. I hope they improve upon the ideas further down the line.
Having played 4/8 worlds so far, I have to say this is fun. I enjoy it. That's what I look for in games and that's what this supplies. Would it be nice if it looked like Rayman Origins, with online leaderboards and an amazing unlockable for 1,000,00 coins? Sure. I'm not saying they wouldn't be, but the game and the gameplay is still fun. It's like season four of a good TV show; everything works well, there's good ideas, it's comfortable, interesting and enjoyable, but not necessarily fresh, and I want to keep watching.
Poimandres
Member
But I think even without considering the element of "newness", NSMB just didn't stack up to the old games. I'd played a little SMW back in the day, but only fully played through the game on a GBA and was very impressed. A year or so later I played NSMB on the DS and was unimpressed. It wasn't nostalgia clouding my judgement, it just wasn't as good.
The games don't even need to be super inventive. The "freshness" of Mario Galaxy and NSMB had worn off for Galaxy 2 and NSMBW, but those games were praised because they were better than their prequels. If people thought this was better than NSMBW, well, the mood here would be more enthusiastic.
The thought of a sprite-based, SMW-inspired answer to Rayman Origins/Legends is too much for me.
TheBaronOfNA
Banned
It seemed better than I tought in the gametrailers review. Yeah, probably I will buy along the road.
eighty(one)
Member
I'm hoping they'll follow up a sequel to 3D Land, taking cues from the SNES iteration:
Super Mario 3D World
*fingers crossed*
But people comparing the Wii iteration NSMBW against the 3DS NSMB2:
When have portable Mario (sidescrolling) titles ever been better than console counterparts?
*Had to add in sidescrolling^, 3DLand is the only exception...because really, we're comparing sidescrolling Mario. 3DLand was the first portable, original Mario 3D based title.
CookedChocobo
Member
Um, I dont understand your point clearly. You said there's a certain freshness and excitement that's been missing from Mario games in the past 5-6 years...but you also stated an example of a certain freshness and excitement in a Mario title in the past 5-6 years (Super Mario Galaxy).
Are you just referring to the New Super Mario Bros franchise? Because I agree then.
Perhaps it was a bit poorly phrased, but Galaxy came out five years ago. Since then, I really haven't felt that sort of creative drive in the Mario series.
I'm mostly speaking of their NSMB-NSMBW-NSMB2-NSMBU run though (however I might add SM3DL there too, on some days).
CookedChocobo
Member
Oh okay, I agree then. And what did you think of Galaxy 2?
Also, I'd say SM3DL is notches above the NSBW series. It's one of the most exciting Mario games I've played in some time.
TheNatural
My Member!
Best analogy is the New Super Mario Bros series has basically turned Mario into what happened to Mega Man after Mega Man 3. The core gameplay elements are still there, but a lot of cut and past with the same assets and few innovations in gameplay or level design.
Nintendo is hurrying these out to save themselves fiscally though, but it may burn them in the long run, including the appeal of the Wii U game.
Nintendo is hurrying these out to save themselves fiscally though, but it may burn them in the long run, including the appeal of the Wii U game.
Velcro Fly
Member
Well the original Super Mario Land on the GB was short and really different.
Super Mario Land 2 might have the most creative world themes of any 2D Mario game. It even had some memorable music.
Super Mario Land 3 is technically a Wario game but it plays just like a 2D Mario platformer. It does the coin thing right and even has incentive to replay some levels to find all the hidden treasures for the best ending.
While not as deep as the NES/SNES games, the last two Super Mario Land games are definitely great. I'd probably put their gameplay above SMB1/LL/SMB2US for sure. The fun and originality of those two GB titles cannot be understated.
CookedChocobo
Member
Oh that's a good 1.
Still fun tho.
The X series is also faulty of this. (Well some of them are.)
I think Galaxy 2 is great and squeezed whatever was left out of the Galaxy formula.
However, I'm not sure I agree with some of the GAF consensus here that its level design was superior to the original (maybe some levels mechanically were, but overall, it felt like it contained more filler), or that the green star quest was brilliant (for all its cleverness, it went on a bit long).
Neuromancer
Member
SO MANY COINS
Agent Unknown
Member
True but SMS being higher than SM3DL is the real eyebrow raiser.
if you live in an area with people that have 3DS' and play them a lot, sure. Nintendo should have thought ahead and given the ability to Streetpass randomly with the people on your friends list.
Kai Dracon
Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
I feel Galaxy 2 had a distinctly different bent than Galaxy 1. It wasn't just random additional levels. After the way NSMB Wii exploded, they definitely wanted to make people think of NSMB / 2D Mario when playing Galaxy 2. More linear stages, NSMB checkpoints and flags. A an overworld that reflected the stage select of 2D Mario.
As a result, Galaxy 2 feels a lot different from Galaxy 1 and that includes the level selection on the whole. The first game feels a little more laid back and contemplative in pacing. It has more stages that invite exploration, or attacking them in different ways. It arguably feels like a bigger, grander game.
To be honest, I like this, as it means that Galaxy 1 and 2 are different experiences. They're not as interchangeable as some folks see them and there's a purpose to having both around, and replaying one over the other.
walking fiend
Member
Journalists: "Hey, let's troll Nintendo and fans by using 'used to' as if Nintendo has been only making sequels to NSMB since SM64 and there hasn't been any SMG, SM3DL, or NSMB Wii which have all been great and innovative games"
These stupid remarks make me wonder what parts of their complains are not biased and just for the sake of giving a 2D Mario low score.
TheFLYINGManga_Ka
Member
I can understand the criticisms of playing it safe, but I honestly don't like reviews that overly criticize sequels for that reason even though the game is equally good or better than the previous games in the series.
Good thing for Super Mario bros. games, reviews don't matter. I know I'll still love it and enjoy it.
Good thing for Super Mario bros. games, reviews don't matter. I know I'll still love it and enjoy it.
walking fiend
Member
The problem I have with some reviews, is that it seems they just want to attack NSMB series, as if the formula is not good enough to have more than two games based on it in 10 years (and NSMB Wii is so much better than the DS one that is practically a new game and not a sequel with more levels)
I mean:
Just in what planet Super Mario needs revival? What is he talking about? I remember in one of the NPD threads of past months, NSMB DS charted @100K; after more than half a decade
The_Darkest_Red
Member
Well to be fair, the game should be reviewed for what it is, not for its sales potential.
ElectricBlanketFire
Member
All I want to know: Is there an option to turn the coin-get noise off?
9s and 10s across the board of course!
like how jim sterling gave mario kart 7 a 5/10 for being "an unadventurous and predictable retread" and then turned around and gave the newest call of duty a 9.5/10 stating that it "treads familiar ground and focuses on tweaking rather than reinventing, and that's just fine."
TheNatural
My Member!
Videogame "journalists" need to make better effort to articulate their complaints, because more of the same can be used as a compliment and a detraction at the same time.
I've never played Call of Duty and have no interest in it. But I have played a shitload of Mario and it seems to me that the New Super Mario Bros series when it was new was a lot of hype about Mario returning to 2D, then returning to 2D on consoles with multiplayer. And now we have ... another one, in the same exact style, level design, etc.
Like I said, NSMB series seems like a good comparison is Mega Man. You know what you're getting, it's Mario, it's new levels, and it's in the same style as the past two entries in the series with little change or expansion of scope.
And lets be honest, Nintendo needs to make money this year. This is easy to make. NSMB U is easy to make. They're pushing Mario hard this year to save their ass and bottom line and they seem to have some orginizational problems and being spread too thin with resources lately.
lazybones18
Banned
Snowden's Secret
Banned
I picked up NSMB back when I was a "casual" and loved the ever loving shit out of it. It was a good number of years before I "met" (online) anyone who had anything but shining things to say about it.
Ignorance is bliss I suppose.
BTW, anyone know if NSMB2 has an assortment of mini games like the original? My nieces and nephew spend more time playing those than the core game.
Ignorance is bliss I suppose.
BTW, anyone know if NSMB2 has an assortment of mini games like the original? My nieces and nephew spend more time playing those than the core game.
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