Topic: REVIEWS: New Super Mario Bros. Wii

[Mop it up]

Shoulder buttons are placed differently from B. B is intended only for when you hold the controller in one hand.

Tell that to all the games that successfully utilize B in sideways mode.

Define "successfully". Can the button be pushed? Yes. It is comfortable to do so? No.

[D_Average]

Though hitting B is awkward, its still not as awkward as shaking the damn thing.  In addition, with waggle there is always some delay before the game figures out that you're waggling as to the opposed immediate response of a button press.  On top of that, my older wiimote is losing its ability to waggle while all the buttons and IR still work fine.  If I want to play this game with it, I've got to really go at it to get the thing to register.  Luckily, I have a newer wiimote handy.  But if someone else wants to play, they're screwed.

Had they followed the lead of Kart and Smash, and programmed in the classic, both the issues of using waggle or resorting to the B button could have been easily avoided.  But the point is obviously moot as New Mario Bros is already "using up all of the Wii's processing power", which is why the classic configuration just couldn't fit.  Maybe we'll see it added to the sequel on next years Wii HD thats coming out.

[TheYoungerPlumber]

Would I have liked a classic controller option where shake was replaced with X or something? Sure. But I don't think NSMB's control scheme detracts from the experience. It's certainly not broken as some posts in this thread would imply.

[D_Average]

Would I have liked a classic controller option where shake was replaced with X or something? Sure. But I don't think NSMB's control scheme detracts from the experience. It's certainly not broken as some posts in this thread would imply.

Yeah, even for a guy like me, with thumbs the size of golf balls, its not broken, just annoying.

[Ian Sane]

So I played it with my brothers this weekend.  We blasted through it and are now on Bowser's Castle which I assume is the last level.  (I didn't need to spoiler that, did I?)

I told them nothing regarding any of my complaints about the controls.  They didn't complain about any slipperiness compared to Super Mario World so I guess that's just me sucking.  They hate the waggle though and accidentally set it off WAY more than I do.

While it was a lot of fun the game actually doesn't seem like it was really designed for multiplayer.  It feels a lot like this is a single player game with multiplayer shoe-horned in.  It still works and it's still fun but it really feels like a predominantly single player game.

Worst thing in the world?  You're on a boss and you die and while you're floating in a bubble towards your brother his thumb slips and he accidentally pushes "A" putting himself in a bubble and ending the level ON A BOSS FIGHT!  FUCKING MOTHERFUCKER!!!  My brother has a tendency to be a figgity idiot at the worst times and I just lost it at him when he did this.  This happened like three times though thankfully only once on a boss.

[MegaByte]

While it was a lot of fun the game actually doesn't seem like it was really designed for multiplayer.  It feels a lot like this is a single player game with multiplayer shoe-horned in.  It still works and it's still fun but it really feels like a predominantly single player game.

Miyamoto has said in interviews that this is exactly what it is.  The levels were designed for single player, and then they added multiplayer.

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

While it was a lot of fun the game actually doesn't seem like it was really designed for multiplayer.  It feels a lot like this is a single player game with multiplayer shoe-horned in.  It still works and it's still fun but it really feels like a predominantly single player game.

Miyamoto has said in interviews that this is exactly what it is.  The levels were designed for single player, and then they added multiplayer.

A clever move and to the game's credit. I will say that there's an important distinction to make between adding multiplayer afterwards and "shoe-horning it in". Two different things entirely and in the case of NSMBW, it's definitely the former: a worthy addition.

[vudu]

Can you pick up without shaking in single player?

As there's no one else playing the "accidental team-mate pick up" problem wouldn't exist, no?

No, you  have to hold the 1 button and shake the remote even in single-player game.  And while that problem doesn't exist in single-player it would be a bit awkward to have the game controls differ depending on the number of players.

[KDR_11k]

Yeah, last man into a bubble is retarded and should've been caught in usability testing (if there's no way whatsoever that the user could want to do X then he shouldn't be able to do X). A particularly memorable multiplayer moment for me was (vs the first midboss) when I accidentally jumped on my ally in mid jump and got thrown up really high while the boss jumped up and I hit him on the head at the apex of his jump.

By the way, NSMBW is harder than previous Marios due to less forgiving jump collision, in previous Marios as long as you were moving downwards it was assumed that you jumped onto an enemy when you touch it (could be exploited in Paper Mario to jump onto enemies that are higher than you), NSMBW actually requires you to hit its top while touching the side, even when falling, registers as a hit against you.

[vudu]

By the way, NSMBW is harder than previous Marios due to less forgiving jump collision, in previous Marios as long as you were moving downwards it was assumed that you jumped onto an enemy when you touch it (could be exploited in Paper Mario to jump onto enemies that are higher than you), NSMBW actually requires you to hit its top while touching the side, even when falling, registers as a hit against you.

This explains a lot.

[Yankee]

So I played it with my brothers this weekend.  We blasted through it and are now on Bowser's Castle which I assume is the last level.  (I didn't need to spoiler that, did I?)

I told them nothing regarding any of my complaints about the controls.  They didn't complain about any slipperiness compared to Super Mario World so I guess that's just me sucking.  They hate the waggle though and accidentally set it off WAY more than I do.

While it was a lot of fun the game actually doesn't seem like it was really designed for multiplayer.  It feels a lot like this is a single player game with multiplayer shoe-horned in.  It still works and it's still fun but it really feels like a predominantly single player game.

Worst thing in the world?  You're on a boss and you die and while you're floating in a bubble towards your brother his thumb slips and he accidentally pushes "A" putting himself in a bubble and ending the level ON A BOSS FIGHT!  ****ING MOTHER****ER!!!  My brother has a tendency to be a figgity idiot at the worst times and I just lost it at him when he did this.  This happened like three times though thankfully only once on a boss.

It seems like they just weren't quite used to the controls . My group rarely accidentally set off any unwanted motion controls. I have also never had anyone accidentally go into the bubble, but we did start strategically using the bubble to save ourselves from falling into pits at the last second. I just finished the last level today and i wont spoil it for anyone who hasn't done it yet, but it is epic and awesome. The end also has quite a few enjoyable comedic moments.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Thank you, Yank!  A Wii gamer who doesn't suck!

[greybrick]

How does your hand "slip" the centimeter over and on to the A button? I am not saying it can't happen, but I would sure like to know how it does.

[Kairon]

It sometimes may not be a physical slip, but a mental/psychological/reflexive one.

... *ashamed*

[KDR_11k]

How does your hand "slip" the centimeter over and on to the A button? I am not saying it can't happen, but I would sure like to know how it does.

If your thumb goes too far over the d-pad there's a chance that it reaches the A button while you're pressing the right direction on the d-pad.

[TheYoungerPlumber]

Yeah, a sloppy push to the right can induce a bubble, but I found myself doing it more when I wanted to pause the game and made the mistake of trying to use my left thumb.

[Mop it up]

Solution: use the Nunchuk.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Gamers are weird.