New Super Mario Bros. Wii

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Ingenious remake is a classic for both old, new fans.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that New Super Mario Bros. Wii offers fun cooperative gaming for players of all ages. While this "E-rated" game has some light cartoon violence, it is of the jump-on-top-of-baddies variety. The game encourages group play on the same television (perfect for siblings or kids and their parents). There is no online interaction with strangers.

  • The game encourages people to work together in order to accomplish goals. Players can break open others trapped in bubbles, toss them up to hard-to-reach places, or work together to solve puzzles. But some might not like the cliched "damsel in distress" storyline in which Princess Peach is, once again, kidnapped at the start of the game.
  • Mario and Luigi are presented as the good guys who can work together, as well as with the two Toads (but the game doesn't develop the backstory of these characters). Some might frown on the brothers' strong Italian accents and stereotyped phrases, such as "Mamma mia!" or "It's a me!" In this world, Princess Peach is always getting kidnapped and needs rescuing.
  • New Super Mario Bros. Wii is quite easy to play. Gamers simply hold the Wii Remote sideways to control their character, pressing the 1 and 2 buttons to jump or shoot, and shaking the controller to float around. But adding/droppping out players and selecting various worlds is a bit more tricky.  
  • As with past Mario Bros. games, the protagonists can jump on enemies to destroy them, toss a turtle shell at them, or throw a fireball. But this "violence" is quite tame and cartoon-like.
  • Not applicable.
  • Not applicable.

What's it about?

What better way to reinvent one of the most popular video game franchises of all time than by adding simultaneous multiplayer fun? This is precisely what Nintendo has done with NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII, the first game in the series to let up to four players jump, climb, fight, and fly through the vast Mushroom Kingdom -- all at the same time, on the same television. Featuring more than 80 colorful levels, this new "platformer" game has you running from the left side of the screen to the right -- just like the past games -- to collect coins, bounce on baddies, and reach the flagpole at the castle. But this time around, you can share the screen with up to three friends, each of whom holds a Wii Remote sideways to play. At the start of the main mode, gamers select a character to play (the mustached Mario, his brother Luigi, or one of two Toads), each with their own unique abilities, and attempt to rescue the kidnapped Princess Peach (on her birthday, no less). Worlds range from lush green towns to cloud-filled skies, dry deserts to icy levels, dark  dungeons, and so on.


Is it any good?

 

This game is absolutely fabulous. If any game this year can bring together family or friends in front of the same television, it's this "Everyone"-rated title that's easy to pick up but hard to put down. Of course you can play New Super Mario Bros. Wii by yourself if you want, but the game was
designed primarily for group play with its handful of cooperative and
competitive modes, along with minigames. In fact, some actions require
more than one player to pull off, such as hopping up and down on a
seesaw to reach high areas. You
can also pick up other characters and toss them into the abyss, ride
Yoshi (and use his tongue-lashing attacks), or don special suits that
let you fly, slide, or freeze baddies. As with its predecessors, this
game includes many well-hidden secrets and surprises as a reward to
those who explore. It could be extra coins and power-ups, underground
caverns or the ability the warp to future worlds. Arguably the
finest Nintendo Wii title of the year, New Super Mario Bros. Wii is an
extraordinary game that should yield many weeks and months of
multiplayer fun.


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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about how Nintendo went from last place to first in the multibillion dollar "console wars" by reinventing how we play games -- namely, motion-sensing control, social interaction, and appealing to a wide audience. Obviously this formula worked, so did Microsoft and Sony miss out with its Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, respectively? Or do you, in fact, prefer the more intense, high-definition experiences on these two platforms?

  • Do you prefer playing a Mario game alone or with others? Why?

  • What is it about Mario and the Mushroom Kingdom that is so appealing? Why do you think this franchise is so popular?


This review was written by Marc Saltzman
Kid, 10 years old
March 7, 2011
 
Fun, Fantastic, Mario game amazing for kids and family -
New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a fan favorite for family and kids around the world.Over here, the violence is mild and tame, although you kil non-creatures, but it's without blood.They jump on enemies though and can kill enemies with other enemies of power-ups.Of course, there are a lot of positive sides about this game.It's pretty easy to play, 2 to jump, control pad to move, shake the wiimote to spin, hold 1 to sprint.It's pretty simple to play, and newcomers get the controls very easily.Mario and Luigi, and the two toads, are the goods guys, trying to save Princess Peach who is (and always) kidnapped by Bowser, or his Koopalings.Mario is the most popular Nintendo character so that's noticable.Great Game, great detail, great role models, and if you want a family game, get this game.

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Kid, 8 years old
April 2, 2011
 
i can not get on it

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Teen, 14 years old
March 1, 2011
 
NEW Super Mario Bros. Wii
This game brings the fun of the old game and adds amazing graphics to the story. The violence in this game is on the classic Mario violence its just cartoonish and fun. I recommend this game to everyone who owns a Wii, it's a very fun experience.

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Kid, 11 years old
April 18, 2011
 
GREAT GAME!
This game is a lot like other Mario games, but more fun! This game is really fun and good for kids who've never really played Mario before. In my opinion, you should buy it! So do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Teen, 14 years old
December 18, 2010
 
New Super Mario Bros. WII
New Super Mario Bros. is a very addicting game. I will sometimes stay up to midnight playing it. The game does have the classic mario violence like jumping on koopas and bowser, but its nothing violent for kids over 6. There is nothing else to say about this game other than its alot like the original and has a very fun story line. I would recommend this for any Mario fan over 6.

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Kid, 12 years old
May 2, 2010
 
Even Adults are Excited
New Super Mario Bros Wii is one of the best Mario game on the planet. It's such a fun game to play, especially when you can be Mario, Luigi, Toad, or Toadette. You can play with family and friends and have a great time. No violence except Mario is able to throw fireballs at anyone and kill them. Really the only bad thing about this game is that its$49.99.

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Kid, 13 years old
April 10, 2011
 
Very fun, clever, and challenging
This game is as fun as any Mario game should be. Like the game before it it is a sidescrolling platformer and 3d gameplay is not in this game. However thats not to say that it isnt fun. This game is very fun. As with all Mario games you have to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser and his various friends who have planned a nice little kidnapping of the princess for the umpteenth time, and as usual its Mario's job to save her. Dont you think Mario would just at least be a bit annoyed at the fact that Peach is constantly being stolen? Anyways you collect various items and your goal is to get to the flag to the next level before the time runs out. Like most other Mario games you have several suits to wear such as a suit that enables you to fly, a penguin suit, and a suit that allows you to throw fireballs. Also like most other Mario games you defeat your enemies by jumping on top of them and they will die. There is no violence in this game, as its all very cartoony and there's no blood or anything. The game looks good, though not great, but it looks like a Mario game should. The controls work almost perfectly. Holding the wii remote on its side and using the D pad to move your character was a clever idea and works well. You can play the game alone, or other people can join you on your quest to discover where Bowser has hid Peach. Its relatively new for Mario games to allow multiple people to play the single player game, but this game allows it and it works. The only issue is that you will accidentally jump on your friends a LOT to the point at which you should count on it. The playable characters in the game are Mario, Luigi, and two different kinds of toads. Also there are some levels where you can ride on top of Yoshi and use him to defeat enemies and get to the next level, but the game could have used just a tad more of Yoshi in my opinion. The levels were clever. They had you doing a lot of different things, and so the game wasnt boring. I liked this game and although it isnt quite perfect, its definitely worth buying.

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Kid, 11 years old
May 17, 2011
 
Way Easy
I beat it so many times. I have all the levels from 1-1 to 9-8! I just wanna say, It's fun and epic.

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Teen, 15 years old
August 30, 2010
 
This is a great game for kids.

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Kid, 13 years old
June 17, 2010
 
Fun!
I LOVE THIS GAME!!!!!!! it's amazing!!!! it's VERY addicting! and your kids WILL get into fights, but my friend and i finally said, instead of yelling, laugh, and then you start to laugh at yourself that you were going to fight over a VIDEO GAME!

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This review was written by Marc Saltzman
Platforms:Nintendo Wii
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Action/Adventure
Developer:Nintendo
Release date:November 15, 2009
Price:$49.99
ESRB rating:E for Comic Mischief

This review was written by Marc Saltzman

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ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
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