When Bowser Jnr grabs the princess and legs it across town, Mario gives chase across an array of worlds and challenges. The plot is just that simple and it marks a return to the 2-D Mario games that many of those buying the game will have grown up on to at least some degree. For me personally I was always going to get this game as my gaming experience started with the 8-Bit (which I still own!) and Super Mario Brothers. This was followed by the SNES and the N6 although I had "grown up" by the time the Cube came out. The DS drew me back in with Mario Kart and then this game though as both of them capture what I loved about the originals while also bringing enough to the table to mark them out as more than just reruns or copies.
Those used to the games will get into it in about 10 seconds, with the old controls flooding back and the new ones being very easy to pick up although a bit trickier to master. The first levels lets you get the excitement of "Big Mario" out of your system and then it is onto the game. Those used to the Mario games will not be surprised that it is nicely layered and developed. On a very superficial level it is probably far too easy and blocking a good 2 days out in your diary when you buy it will most likely see you completing it without too much trouble. To hear this it may put you off but, by the time you finish the last castle, you'll have twigged that you have not finished at all. The hiding of different worlds and the collecting of the 3 gold coins in each level means there is plenty here to try and work out and it is pretty satisfying to do it giving challenges long after Bowser is gone.
Visually the game recalls the classic Mario games but also uses the DS well. The touch screen is useful and holds information that would clutter the top. The 2-D look is cool but it has more than enough detail to remind you that you are playing a powerful little machine. The edges are nicely rounded and the characters are mostly colourful. The old characters are all there and some of the nice aspects of recent games are here while some of the weaker ones are not! The new touches are mostly clever although the "Koopa shell Mario" is annoyingly difficult to control with little actual benefit am I the only one that gets hit just to get rid of it? The mini-games are amusing but they don't offer any lasting interest; it is nice to have them there but they are very much a curiosity. I haven't played the multiplayer games so can't comment on them, but I hear good things from others in this regard.
Superficially then, it is far too easy and it might disappoint those used to the linear approach of some games because the finish line is not that hard to reach if that is all you want to do. However the lay out of levels and worlds, along with the challenge of the three coins makes for a lasting challenge that anyone who has enjoyed a previous Mario outing will easily enjoy. The limited save point thing is a bit of a pain if you're looking to take your time and play in small bites or if you really want to build up the perfect "game" but it isn't that limiting until you've been on one game slot for quite a while. Overall it looks great and has a nice difficulty curve (in the wider challenge). Fans of Mario will love it as it does great work with the characters, feel and sounds of the Mario world. Well worth a purchase and, for fans, pretty much worth buying a DS to own!
