New Super Mario Bros
I have been playing video games since the Atari 2600, and was a kid during the Nintendo Entertainment System era. Some of my fondest memories involve one iconic set of characters: Mario, Luigi, Toadstool, and Princess Peach. Over the years, games have changed (some changes for the good, and others...Not so much), but I love that the Mario series have stayed true to their roots. Every Mario game that I can think of has stood the test of time, and has served as a model to countless other games. However, despite being one of the best game franchises around, one component was always missing: multiplayer. Sure, previous SMB games had a "2 player" option, but all you were able to do pass around the same joystick, or take turns using 2 joysticks. The idea of 2 characters on screen at the same time seemed strangely impossible for these games... And why Nintendo wasn't able to make this happen sooner than 2009 boggles the mind. However, having spent 7 or 8 hours playing New Super Mario Bros yesterday, I don't care why, or how they were able to do finally it...Because this game is an absolute blast to play!

When the game starts, you start to get an idea of just how great this game is going to be... Especially if you have played Super Mario games before (and cmon...Who hasn't?!?). Everything looks very familiar, but in a good way. The game really feels like they took some of the best ideas, bosses, levels, and music from each of the Mario games and retooled them for NSMB Wii (New Super Mario Bros Wii). In fact, it feels mostly like Super Mario World and Super Mario Bros 3 rolled into one, with a little bit of Super Mario Galaxy thrown in as well... And that, my friends, is an AWESOME combination! Like I mentioned earlier...I have played hundreds...Maybe thousands of video games in my time. And this game rank right up there with the best of them. It is, in my humble opinion, on par with Super Mario Bros 3, which has been rated by numerous gaming cites as the best game of all time. Playing the game for the first time, there were lots of "oohs and ahhs," plenty of mischievous giggles, lots of punching and name calling (see multiplayer), and even several times where one of us paused the game just to point out how great this game is. I hate to gush over this game, but it really is a work of art. It's easily one best game, I have ever played, and certainly one of the best available on Wii.

Here is my personal rating for the game:

Gameplay: 10/10
Presentation: 9/10
Sound/Music: 9/10
Multiplayer: 9/10
Difficulty: 10/10
Lasting Appeal: 9/10
Overall: 10/10

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