New Super Mario Bros. | 
| From: Nintendo
List Price: $34.99
Buy New: $24.40
You Save: $10.59 (30%)
New (33) Used (17) from $19.99
Rating:  316 reviews
Sales Rank: 23
Platform: Nintendo Ds
Genre: Adventure Games
ESRB: Everyone
Media: Video Game
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Age: 5 - 20 years
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 0 x 0 x 0
MPN: NTRPA2DE
Model: NTR P A2DE
UPC: 045496737313
EAN: 0045496737313
ASIN: B000ERVMI8
Release Date: May 15, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Features:
| • | Run, jump, and stomp your way through raging volcanoes, tropical islands, snowcapped peaks, and unimaginable challenges! | | • | Grab a Mega Mushroom and grow to incredible proportions, or smash through your foes in a blue Koopa shell! | | • | There are two multiplayer modes in New Super Mario Bros. -- Mario vs. Luigi and Minigames. In Mario vs. Luigi mode, it's brother vs. brother in a race for Stars. | | • | New Power Ups! You'll find classic power-ups like the Super Mushroom and the Fire Flower in the game, and there are some all-new power-ups that let Mario explore the Mushroom Kingdom like never before. | | • | New Moves! New Super Mario Bros. expands Mario's arsenal of moves to include some very powerful advanced techniques. If you want to uncover every secret in the game, you'll have to master them all. |
|
| Accessories:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
New Super Mario Bros. for the DS lets you play an updated version of the classic Super Mario Bros. world, with all-new moves taken from other hit Mario games. When Mario and Princess Peach are taking a walk, a bolt of lightning hits Mushroom Castle. Mario goes off to investigate, but he returns Bowser has kidnapped Peach! He'll track down Bowser on the classic, original Super Mario Bros. map with all the moves he's picked up in the other games. Throw turtle shells, butt-stomp to crack open floors -- you can even use the tanooki suit from Super Mario Bros. 3. Use the DS dual screen to see where you are on a map & play fun minigames. Also includes a two-player mode where Mario and Luigi race and compete for coins.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 311 more reviews...
 A Classic Plumber Really Reborn May 16, 2006
Michael Kerner (Brooklyn, New York U.S.A.)
207 out of 237 found this review helpful
There are sometimes where you look at classic video games, and how much they've impacting the gaming industry. While there are great games out there that have been well-receieved like Halo, Doom, Madden '06, and others that've really shown a great depth of universal appeal. That has definitely also been the case with Mario. Since 1981, as Jumpman in Donkey Kong, Mario has been the most universal of all the video game characters and personas ever, and continues to develop with the times. That also has been shown with the Nintendo DS as well. The breakout success of Nintendo's latest handheld system has really been a great transition to how we play video games on hand with the stylus, and appeal of the dual screen action. Now, Mario is set to have that classic feeling all over again.
New Super Mario Brothers for the Nintendo DS brings a updated appeal to Mario, loosely based on the classic 2-D games he has been widely known for from Super Mario Brothers 1, 2, 3. and Super Mario World from the Super NES era. The object is just like the object from before, as you play Mario or Luigi, and try to go after Bowser and Bowser Jr. from stealing Princess Toadstool a.k.a. Peach. The game features over 80 different levels of exciting, and enjoyable gameplay. The game includes the classic moves from previous titles like the ground pounding (Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine), and the carrying turtle shells to defeat Koopa Troopas and Goombas (Super Mario Brothers), as well as new features like the mega mushroom which can turn Mario into a King Kong size, to really pound and knockout your competition. The graphics and the gameplay are just absolutely breathtaking and amazing, and really delivers what had been done from the early Mario titles before, while the sound is just purely classic. The control also is percise and in tune to each movement of Mario and company.
All in all, this is the second full length Mario adventure title to really deliver well for the Nintendo DS. Like what happened with Super Mario 64 DS did to showcase the brilliance of the DS, New Super Mario Brothers delivers the fun and appeal of a classic game, to a whole new generation of gamers. I definitely think this is one of the most definitive titles available for the Nintendo DS, and I really definitely think it should be a standard to your Nintendo DS library.
Graphics: A
Sound: A-
Control: A+
Fun & Enjoyment: A+
Overall: A 1/2+
Fun for kids and adults alike! May 25, 2006
Charles Evans (Monroe, North Carolina)
133 out of 158 found this review helpful
I need to warn everyone that my wife and I are both old enough to have been fans of the orginal Mario... but we are still young to love the newest version in the series.
Sometimes you just have to get back to the basics - and that is exactly what happens with this newest Mario installment. Nintendo has taken the best features of the first three Super Marios (with some new features too!) and blended them into one great game.
Pros-
- All new version of an great favorite
- Interesting twists
- nice graphics for a hand held game
- Decent game length
- very fun mini games
Cons-
- Game isn't too challenging for your average gamer
- Most of the mini games are repeats
As a whole - the game is well worth the $35 and will supply many hours of great game play.
Great Enhanced Remix of Classic Games July 1, 2006
Lisa Shea
30 out of 32 found this review helpful
Super Mario Brothers was one of my favorite games when it first came out. With New Super Mario Bros DS, you get the game fun gameplay - enhanced - in a nice portable system.
This isn't just a remake - it is sort of like how the Wizard of Oz starts out in black and white in a gritty, quiet town and then turns into multi-color, sparkling larger than life song-filled splendour. You get the NES versions of the game with similar - but not exactly the same - levels that have been updated from 2D to 3D. You get extra features like ground pounds, and mushrooms that make you SUPER large - you don't have to jump to break blocks any more, you can just walk and crash into them. Other mushrooms make you incredibly tiny, to reach places you could not before.
The combination of old style classic gameplay and updated graphic, sounds, and features is really quite good. These games were stellar in the first place, with their addictive levels that were just the right balance of challenging and fun. Add in the easy to carry with you DS gameplay, the new features and hidden things to look for, and I really found this just about perfect for an arcade game.
Yes, you could complain that you can zap through the game in a full day of gameplaying. However, this game series wasn't ever meant to be a "month long role playing complex adventure". It was always meant to be short, easily playable sessions that you could fit in while you waited for dinner to be ready. You could save and exit when you had to run to school, and then pick up again when you had time the next day without having to review 8 pages of storyline notes.
This makes the game PERFECT for carrying around in your DS. If you end up waiting in line for 20 minutes, you get through another section. If your bus gets stuck in traffic, that's another level you can get through.
Plus, there is replayability here, while you try to track down the hidden items and coins.
I enjoyed the minigames as well. Certainly you wouldn't buy this game FOR the minigames, but heck, if they're going to throw them in for free, you might as well enjoy them! I'm not usually one for DS multiplayer games, but it's nice that they did include that as well for those who want to play with a friend.
In general I was quite impressed with this, and recommend it heartily!
 New isn't always a good thing. November 25, 2006
A.N. Roman (Hillsboro, OR)
24 out of 51 found this review helpful
Nintendo fanboys are the worst kind out there. How so? Well, I'll bet you anything they vote 'no' on this review immediately just because I said that, and the score I gave this game. The problem with them is that they think anything Mario, Zelda or Metroid-related is good just because they have fond memories with the classic installments of each respective franchise. Some are also stupid enough to like something like Super Mario Bros. 2 because it was their first Mario game, as if something being first warrants such praise. When the DS came out, they all went along with it being "innovative" because of the touch screen. Nevermind that the forgotten Game Com handheld had the same feature a good 7 or so years earlier, because the DS is by Nintendo, and that automatically makes it better. I'm getting this out of the way to show you that when I play a game, I don't care who it's by. Just because Nintendo makes another Mario game doesn't mean I'll like it for that reason. And that's something that I'm convinced most people don't understand, as New Super Mario Bros. is being praised by countless sites and gamers alike, too afraid to say what they're actually thinking. The fact is, New Super Mario Bros. doesn't offer much new, and what it does offer new...has been done before, and done better.
The story is like any other Mario game's- Princess Toadstool/Peach has been kidnapped yet again. This time, it took place right under Mario's nose as he was walking with her, only to see the Mushroom Kingdom get attacked by a cloud that shot lightning. When he runs off to investigate, Baby Bowser runs off with her and Mario goes after 'em. Anyone who's played an action game with Mario sure won't be playing it for the plot, so it's not like the story here really matters. Once this opening cut scene takes place, that's all there is regarding the plot, and nothing else ever surfaces. As Mario, you'll jump, swim, run, shoot fire and stomp your way through each world until you get the Princess back. If you haven't played a Mario game before, shame on you, but it plays very easily. You run right toward the end of the level, jumping on enemies or throwing turtle shells or fireballs at them if they stand in your way. Collect coins for extra lives, and gain power ups from blocks scattered through the level. At the end of each world, you'll face a boss, each one just as easy as the last in this game. New to this game are a few moves found in more recent Mario games, though not as useful as they once were. First up is the triple jump. In Mario 64, if you jumped three times while running, you'd hit a very high jump on the third one. It was very useful for reaching high places in open areas. Here? There's little to no use for it given that blocks are above you every couple of feet. Really now, try and argue with me that the triple jump is useful. I dare you. Mario's infamous ground stomp is here as well, and can be useful at times. If there's a question block on the ground that you can't get with a turtle/Koopa shell right then, just stomp it while still holding down, and you'll be raking in coins like it's going out of style. Last is the one skill you'll use the most- the wall slide/jump. By jumping toward a wall and holding that direction, Mario will slowly slide down the wall. You can jump from here and repeat the process, saving yourself from bottomless pits more often than not.
While levels do play out like the traditional Mario games, that's where the classic feel ends and the new, rushed things kick in. Instead of retaining some of the suits from Mario 3, you get all of 2 new power-ups in addition to the super mushroom and fire flower (and every once in a great while, the invincible star). These are the huge mushroom and mini mushroom. The huge one does what its name implies- makes you huge, about 10 times the size you usually are. Mario can now easily stomp through levels without taking any damage unless he somehow falls into a huge pit. He can walk through blocks and bricks with ease, and even earns extra lives if enough things are gained during this transformation. The sick thing is, you can actually get these mushrooms from "secret" houses on the map, and save them for later use- even boss fights. This enhancement makes levels much less fun after the novelty wears off (usually the second time you use it), and gets old pretty quickly. The mini mushroom turns Mario into about 1/3 the size of a Goomba. He can jump high, float, and even run on water during this phase. It's a great ability to get, but you only get to use it a few times- usually in levels that are obvious and have tiny pipes scattered about. There's also one new sort of power up, but I rarely used it- the purple Koopa shell. If you throw this on, you can bump into enemies like a Koopa shell does when kicked. This power is only activated when you duck while running, and you can't jump, or control it easily. You're better off never using this power aside from the first time to see how it fares.
Ok, so there were a few minor changes that weren't needed. No big deal, right? Nope- there's more. The over world map follows the design of Super Mario World and Mario Bros. 3, only dumbed down. It's obvious where "hidden paths" are, and power up/extra live mushroom houses are EVERYWHERE. You can access these areas by finding Star Coins scattered in each level. There are 3 to collect, and when all three are gathered, you gain an extra life, and the coins are added to your inventory. If you have 5 coins, you can unlock one special path. The Star Coins aren't anything special though, as they don't require much skill to get most of the time. They're usually high above you, yet easily reachable with a simple wall jump. How hard would it have been to hide them in the way the DK Coins were hidden in Donkey Kong Country 2? The fact that they give you an extra life when all 3 are gathered is inexcusable too- lives are pretty much used as currency in this game. It's hard NOT to run into an extra life or two...or five in every level. By the time I finished the first world, I had a good 25 lives- none that I really tried to get. You still get an extra life for collecting 100 coins, the 3 Star Coins, taking out a certain number of enemies in a row without stopping, and now by collecting 8 red coins. By jumping on a switch in any given level, 8 red coins will appear, usually right next to you. Snag 'em all and get another life. Really now, what's the point? If you ever see the Game Over sign in this, then you are either horrible at games, or blind...which wouldn't make a lot of sense. Even worse is that power ups such as mushrooms and fire flowers are plentiful in each level as well. If you ever get hit by an enemy and turn into regular-sized Mario, don't worry, as you'll find a power up within 10 seconds. Halfway points in almost every level takes away even more challenge, as do the pathetic boss fights where they have one pattern they constantly follow. And Baby Bowser? You can take him out in one hit if you've taken a mushroom and do a ground stomp on him- it's that stupidly easy. Really, there's almost no challenge in this game, and it was made more as a fan service to the self-proclaimed old school Nintendo/Mario fanboys so they had something similar to the older games. This one could've used much more time in development, or been skipped altogether.
Visually, the game looks pretty good. Characters are done in 3-D, but it's set in traditional 2-D side scrolling fashion. Unfortunately, the advancement in graphics seemed to have made Nintendo think they can give every possible move more animations than they should. Mario is sliding all over the place, especially when walking. Even after you stop moving the d-pad, he'll walk a few steps. It took me a few minutes to get a hold of controlling him after he lands from a jump too. It reminds me of the NES MegaMan games and how he'd do the same thing. Some of the effects are cool though, like how water looks when lowering, and the cement monsters from Mario 64 that try to fall on you. There's not a whole lot that shows that the game couldn't have been done on the GBA though- especially since the second screen is barely used aside from a map (a staple in DS games that have no real use for the second screen, usually RPGs), and you can tap a reserved power up when you want to use it. On the world map, you can access previous worlds by tapping them on the bottom screen, but honestly, how often are you going to be doing that unless you want 100%? The music isn't very memorable- the same track is used for a good 85% of levels. I know most old Mario games had the same thing, but when you're turning the volume off, that's not a good sign. And finally, there's not much vocal work, thank god. Mario was a lot cooler before he could talk, like when he'd make a sound whenever he'd jump in Mario 64 and the GBA ports. He doesn't have much to say here aside from clearing a stage. Thanks for giving me something to be happy about here, Nintendo.
If it sounds like I absolutely hated this game, that's not true. I just didn't like it much. Seeing almost perfect reviews for it gave me high hopes, but I'm convinced these people were all paid to do so. If this is any sign of where the more traditional Mario franchise is going, I'll keep away from it, thank you very much. If anything, I suggest you borrow or rent it if you can before buying. It only took me barely 3 hours to beat the first time, and maybe 5-6 to get 100%. What happened to spending almost entire days just to clear the last two worlds of Mario Bros. 3 and finding the REAL secret levels in Super Mario World? At least this one had some tolerable mini-games and multi-player features. But even then, I'm glad I paid about half the regular price for it.
Fun even if you suck (like me) July 29, 2006
J. Peplinski (Michigan)
15 out of 25 found this review helpful
I have several strikes against me in the gaming world: I'm female and over 30, plus I never even played much as a kid. I remember Mario from my brother's original NES, so I wasn't totally unfamiliar with gameplay, and yet I still am no good at it whatsoever.
Several reviewers have noted how easy it is, for me this is not true but it is still fun. Honestly, it challenges the heck out of me. But, unlike many other games that challenge me (which is most of them) I still find this fun and I'm still drawn to trying again and again.
Honestly, even if the minigames are repeats (I was not aware that they were, but that's what I see in other reviews), they are FUN and there are LOTS of them. I've barely scratched the surface of the single-player minigames and I think they'd be worth the $35 all by themselves! Very fun, very addictive, and great to play if you just have a few minutes to burn while waiting in the doctor's office or something.
I can't speak for anyone who's actually an accomplished gamer, maybe it would be boring even though Nintendo has added some fun new twists and incorporated the DS touchpad and even the microphone in unique ways. If you are not that great at games and just looking for something fun to keep you occupied until the end of time, this should fill the bill nicely!
|
|
|
