Mario and friends are back in a new 2-D platforming adventure for Wii. Gamers may recall Super Mario 64x4, which became Super Mario 64 DS or the battle mode from New Super Mario Bros., both of which seem like obvious precursors to this game. The game is somewhat like New Super Mario Bros. meets Bonk III: Bonk’s Big Adventure, in that all players play simultaneously on a single screen. Players who die come back in bubbles, which are attracted to living players by shaking the Remote. Once the bubble is popped, players get back in the game. Otherwise, the game is controlled like a standard Mario platformer.

Players play as Mario, Luigi, Yellow Toad, and Blue Toad, depending on their controller number. They can play cooperatively and competitively. Coin totals are shared, though final point totals at each level depend on performance. Most power-up blocks spawn enough power-ups for all players to take, though it is still a battle to get them. One primary new move is the ability for players to grab others to throw them. This grab can also be used to give a little extra float while jumping through the air. Moves from New Super Mario Bros. are still here like the butt stomp and the wall kick.

Ten levels are available for play at E3 spanning the entirety of the game. Despite sharing a name with the DS game, the levels appear to be all-new. I played through standard levels, caves, ice levels, fortresses. The game makes a lot of use of rotating and shifting platforms to trip up players. The platform real estate becomes decreasingly available with the addition of players. Narrow passages and strategically-placed items make for a competitive and fun environment.

In one stage, players travel in a water-filled cave on a raft. The light on the raft does not illuminate the entire stage, and characters can tilt the Wii Remote to direct the light. Whoever is controlling the light can choose to help or hinder the other players. There are a number of hidden areas as well.

Two new power-ups were shown. A floating P-cap allows players to spin up in the air and float down slowly, like certain platforms in New Super Mario Bros. A more exciting power-up is the Penguin Suit. Think of it as a cross between the Blue Shell power-up from the previous game and the Ice Flower from Super Mario Galaxy. Players can shoot ice balls too freeze enemies into ice blocks, which can be used as platforms. Players can also slide like the penguins in Super Mario 64 to glide quickly along the ice, but without the uncontrollability of the Shell power-up. Of course, the Fire Flower is also prevalent.

Yoshi is also back and fully part of the game. Apples are edible off of bushes just like Super Mario World, and give 1-ups if enough are eaten. Yoshi can eat enemies and even the Hammer Bros.’ hammers, which can be spit back out as an attack. Yoshi can also shoot flame after eating a red shell. The Koopalings are back as Larry was the final boss of one of the fortress stages. Other Super Mario Bros. 3 characters, such as Micro-Goombas and Fire Bros. also make an appearance.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a lot of fun, and will finally bring the whimsical platformer to bigger screens where everybody can play. The new (and old) enemies, power-ups, and gameplay are made of the Mario quality gamers have come to expect.