To bump the interactivity with more than one person the first addition has been the grab and throw mechanic which allows you to pick up another player and throw them, there is a little waggling of the Wiimote involved along with a button push to make this move. The bouncing off of peoples heads makes for accessing higher places and me being an asshole, both options I hope become a regular fixture in the game. There are some new suits that were shown in the press conference I managed to play the penguin suit creating ice cubes out of all who stood in my way and saw an adversary or companion player wearing the propeller hat get up. When you die you reappear in a bubble and can float towards another player faster by shaking the control, choosing the right re-entry point is made easier by this while still keeping a level of interactivity.


In terms of controls, if you’ve ever played a Mario game you’ll feel right at home, my 4 year old will no doubt find the majority of the game just as easy as the DS version while still asking for help with some of the suits and challenging sections that require more precise timing and movements. This shouldn’t be viewed as a negative, it has always been Nintendo’s position that games should reach as many people as possible and NSMB will be a great example of a cross over title that allows hard core and casual gamers to get what they need from the experience.


For a game just announced it looks like it is almost ready, the way it controls, the way it handles, hell, if they had enough well planned levels and a few more suits in there I’d say it would be worth releasing now. It’s Mario through and through and anyone that likes the classic Mario’s will love it.