These New Super Mario Bros. U Screenshots Give Me Hope

39 responses to “These New Super Mario Bros. U Screenshots Give Me Hope”

1. 

   McGarnical

   September 10, 2012 at 1:36 pm

   Those screens are powerfully reminiscent of SMW.

   Reply
   1. 

      Leeroyw

      September 10, 2012 at 8:48 pm

      Agreed. I saw a home video of me opening my super Nintendo at christmas in 1991 and literally hugging the whole thing.
      Oh yeah. You were there too mcgarnical. Just a lot younger.

      Reply
2. 

   NegativeZero

   September 10, 2012 at 1:39 pm

   Remember back when Nintendo doing a 2D Mario game was an awesome novelty? :\

   Reply
   1. 

      DonnyKD

      September 10, 2012 at 2:30 pm

      You mean like right now?

      Reply
3. 

   Reign

   September 10, 2012 at 1:40 pm

   I’m not having a dig, especially since I played Super Mario World for ages when it came out.

   But why does no one give Nintendo a hard time for rehashing stuff almost two decades old? I can’t stand Call of Duty for similar reasons, but Nintendo does it expertly.

   Have they just given up on making an innovative platformer? Or have they replaced creating ‘what is fun and innovative’ with ‘what is easy to develop and sell’?

   Reply
   1. 

      Leigh

      September 10, 2012 at 1:46 pm

      Read any ‘enthusiast’ site’s article about Nintendo’s games circa 2006.

      Reply
   2. 

      Michael

      September 10, 2012 at 2:19 pm

      Super Mario Galaxy was pretty innovative.

      Reply
   3. 

      Thom

      September 10, 2012 at 2:22 pm

      I have major issues with the direction the recent 2D Mario’s have taken. So lazy.

      Reply
4. 

   bjergi

   September 10, 2012 at 1:42 pm

   Oh wow, that looks terrible imo.

   It reminds me of early cgi, with overly rounded shapes with dodgy shadows cast on them. And everything looks like a sprite, not actually in the world.

   What happened to the awesome visuals of Super Mario Galaxy? Or Hell, even new super mario bros wii looks better than this.

   Reply
   1. 

      starchild Killer

      September 10, 2012 at 1:48 pm

      yeah but……

      donkey kong country?….I dont know, I supsoe the artstyle also affects how good it looks

      Reply
      1. 

         frycook48

         September 10, 2012 at 3:43 pm

         Yea, looks pretty damn bad. Nintendo is making faaar to many unoriginal crappy 2D Mario games. Stop this crap, and work on a good 3D game like Galaxy!

         Reply
   2. 

      DonnyKD

      September 10, 2012 at 2:31 pm

      Are people looking at a different game?

      Do you even have eyes?

      Reply
      1. 

         Bjergi

         September 10, 2012 at 4:26 pm

         Take a look at mario and yoshi. A good solid look. Do you see texture? Do you see shape given by anything other than the light flare coming from the top right? Look at yoshi’s head for god’s sake.

         They look geometrical and soul-less, and the world, though better than the characters, looks flat and dull. The snes Mario’s had more depth and life than this. This ain’t no art people, it’s cheap and nasty “HD”. Take a look at literally any other 2d platformer for a better style than this.

         Reply
         1. 

            plmko

            September 10, 2012 at 4:45 pm

            My thoughts exactly, 2D is no excuse for poor visuals, you only have to look at ‘Dust: an Elysian tail’ to know that 2D can mean business.

            Reply
5. 

   Leigh

   September 10, 2012 at 1:42 pm

   Did you get anywhere with Super Mario Galaxy 2 Mark? That was as much a 3D Super Mario World as we’re ever likely to get.

   My opinion.

   Reply
   1. 

      Mark Serrels

      September 10, 2012 at 2:19 pm

      Yeah, I loved SMG2. Loved it. One of my favourite games ever!

      Reply
6. 

   Jake

   September 10, 2012 at 1:43 pm

   Yep, looks completely like SMW. The amount of levels in that game was crazy.

   I’m fine with rehashes, but I do feel this is becoming an annual thing, and I’ve yet to see an annual series where the quality doesn’t drop or stay stagnant. This looks the exact same as NSMB2, which looked the same as the Wii one, and the DS one….

   If it has some inventive ideas, I’m game. But introducing old powerups while taking away others? Rehashing the core design is fine, but let’s see some original level designs and aethestics, and either add new powerups or add most of the old ones, don’t pick and choose from a set of 3 we’ve already seen a million times before.

   Reply
   1. 

      DonnyKD

      September 10, 2012 at 2:32 pm

      “but I do feel this is becoming an annual thing”

      If by annual, you mean being released EVERY FREAKING TIME A NEW CONSOLE’S RELEASED…

      “This looks the exact same as NSMB2”

      Are you blind?

      Reply
7. 

   rikku45

   September 10, 2012 at 1:44 pm

   One thing i dont like in the new mario games is the 3 gold coins

   Reply
   1. 

      The Stills

      September 10, 2012 at 2:09 pm

      That was in Super Mario World, and there it was five.

      Reply
      1. 

         Jake

         September 10, 2012 at 2:17 pm

         Not important though, it was just a 1-Up. These are necessary to advance.

         Reply
         1. 

            N0NEoftheAB0VE

            September 10, 2012 at 9:01 pm

            Actually I don’t mind that aspect – I remember when Yoshi’s Island came out and you had to get 8 red coins on every level, 3 flowers (or was it five?) and 30 stars for a perfect score to unlock the bonus stage in that world – that was hardcore collecting!

            The thing I don’t like is the multiple Toads, why not throw in Wario or have a playable Peach like in SMB2

            Reply
8. 

   Danny

   September 10, 2012 at 1:51 pm

   same old sh*t! same old sh*t! same old sh*t!

   Reply
9. 

   Danny

   September 10, 2012 at 1:53 pm

   Have a hundred lives before you leave World 1, oh and no doubt that awesome pussy feature of dying too many times so you’ll be given invincibility will pop up… and which ancient power up will return and be spammed to death? Come on Nintendo!

   Reply
10. 

    Dire Wolf

    September 10, 2012 at 2:13 pm

    Having re-played Super Mario World over the weekend I’d definitely be happy if this turned out to be a successor to that. Such a great game.

    Reply
11. 

    Stu

    September 10, 2012 at 2:22 pm

    I’m always keen for an original 2D platformer – but one which is like, but completely unlike, something I’ve played before. I’m thinking of Trials, I’m thinking of N+, I’m thinking of – most recently – Sound Shapes. As much as I love Mario’s 2D adventures (or, at least USED to), I’ve got serious “Mushroom Kingdom fatigue”.
    Mix it up a little and I’ll jump right in, but if it’s just NSMB 3, I’m leaving it out.

    Reply
    1. 

       N0NEoftheAB0VE

       September 10, 2012 at 9:05 pm

       N+ is brilliant but imagine N+ with a Trials Evolution style sharing service – I’ve made some great levels on N+ and I’m an idiot – it’s that easy to use the level editor! Some of the creations I’ve seen on YouTube with N+ are insane but there is no way to share them, another example of M$’s pig-headedness on these issues. (sorry completely OT)

       Reply
       1. 

          Stu

          September 10, 2012 at 9:21 pm

          Sounds like a solid idea, the more N+ there is to play the better, as far as I’m concerned. Community sharing of levels seems to be a relatively recent addition to gaming in general – at least, streamlined and easily accessible ones are, anyway.

          Reply
12. 

    Stevorooni

    September 10, 2012 at 3:04 pm

    The screenshots do have a Mario World feel to them. I’m looking forward to it anyway, especially after replaying through NSMBWii (Which I didn’t think much of the first time through but have grown to enjoy now )

    Just get the price right Nintendo…

    Reply
    1. 

       DansDans

       September 10, 2012 at 3:15 pm

       $99.95 for the next 6 years – DONE!!

       Regards
       Nintendo

       Reply
       1. 

          Stevorooni

          September 10, 2012 at 4:23 pm

          I meant on the console, but I think that’s an accurate prediction of the game price!

          Reply
13. 

    Grayda

    September 10, 2012 at 3:53 pm

    Oh holy hell I’m so playing Mario Galaxy when I get home.

    But say what you like about the 2.5D Mario games — I love them and so does my wife. It’s a throwback to our childhood when the only thing we had to worry about was when school started again. Paper Mario was a good 2D retake on the old platformer as well and NSMB U looks like something I could really get in to — as long as there were tons of levels to keep me playing for a long time — We finished NSMB for the Wii in almost one sitting.

    Reply
14. 

    ajr

    September 10, 2012 at 4:18 pm

    I don’t care if they’re rehashing their 2D game designs, I still enjoy them, I just want them to make a more challenging 2D Mario game. NSMB 1&2 were incredibly easy, the NSMB Wii version had a few challenging levels towards the end.

    Reply
15. 

    Ramonia

    September 10, 2012 at 5:19 pm

    The argument against these types of games is a classic fallacy: a false dilemma. People seem to be thinking that because Nintendo are making these games that they are not going to be making new and innovative games. In fact, they will do both. The fact is, that these games sell better than your Super Mario Sunshine and Galaxy, and it makes sense that Nintendo should launch the Wii U with a solid title, one that is likely to move more consoles. They can make a more innovative title after the initial launch period, but it is and should be the second priority, because what is the point of making an innovative game if people don’t have the console to play it on?

    Reply
16. 

    Blake

    September 10, 2012 at 6:29 pm

    I loved SMBW. If we have coloured yoshis, an overworld map and (dare I say it) the cape, I’ll love this game.

    Reply
17. 

    Major Beauner

    September 11, 2012 at 12:14 am

    I love you Nintendo! I love the Wii U, and I cannot wait for Launch day!

    Let the naysayers keep naysaying! Wii U domination is at hand!

    Reply
18. 

    Sean

    September 11, 2012 at 10:56 am

    I love it, I recently got hold of a 3DSXL and NSMB2, it’s delightful!

    Reply
19. 

    Dan

    September 11, 2012 at 2:47 pm

    The problem isn’t so much the rehashing of old ideas, so much as that they’re usually worse than the originals – maybe not as games overall, but certainly in the details.

    For example, try playing NSMBWii, then go back and play SMW – even if you play SMW under emulation, you can immediately feel that the Wii version controls horribly by comparison, with less responsive controls and more ‘floaty’/’slidey’ physics. What is arguably the core fundamental mechanic that made Mario *THE* platform game to beat, has been made noticeably worse – and for no discernable reason.

    Similarly, look at the way the various powerups have been bastardised in the SMG games – they reduced the fireflower to a frickin’ timed lock puzzle, for crying out loud! The powerups used to be enhancements to the existing game – an extra layer of variety and complexity on top of the existing gameplay, not a requirement to progress past the next area, and then abandoned. Likewise, many of the new powerups have been poorly used – while the Ice Flower was admittedly awesome in SMG (discovering you could skate across the water was amazing!), the Boo Suit was barely used at all (a severely missed opportunity in my eyes, as it was probably the most exciting new powerup we’ve seen in a while), and the Bee suit was basically useless in general play, except where the level design made it a requirement and not an option.

    I don’t hate these games (hell, I’ve finished all of them, aside from the 3DS ones), or Nintendo, and I certainly don’t consider myself a fanboy (on either side of the argument), but I think there’s plenty of real, demonstrable evidence that Nintendo has become an increasingly pale shadow of its former self, and it saddens me to see it. 🙁

    Reply
    1. 

       Pylgrim

       September 12, 2012 at 1:13 am

       I agree with the “floatiness.” :/ I played SMBWii right after playing Donkey Kong Country Returns and man , the difference between the tightness, responsiveness and realism between the platform mechanics were almost unbearable. It wasn’t until world 5 or so that I finally started getting used to those small falls, slow acceleration and feeling of weightlessness.

       Reply