jefklakscodex/content/games/ds/new-super-mario-bros.md

title	date	score	game_release_year	howlongtobeat_id	howlongtobeat_hrs	game_name	game_developer	game_genre	tags
New Super Mario Bros: The First Cheerful One	2023-10-28T21:03:00+02:00	4	2006	6534	7.1	New Super Mario Bros.	Nintendo EAD	2d platformer	2d platformer mario

After finishing New Super Mario Bros. 2 on the 3DS, I wanted to revisit the 2006 title that revived classic 2D Mario platforming: the original New Super Mario Bros. (NSMB) on the Nintendo DS. NSMB was the game that came with the by now incredibly stale theme song so loved by Koopas and Goombas that they dance to its tunes, the game that presented Mushroom Kingdom using the by now incredibly stale glossy 3D rendering, and the game that introduced a handful of new enemies for Mario to jump on.

Gamers who play through multiple NSMB games in a short timespan will without a doubt notice that since the DS original and up to the latest WiiU version recently ported to the Switch, surprisingly little has changed. In terms of level design and multiplayer capabilities, the games do vary, but the core gameplay, the look and feel, and the overall vibe of these games stays intact. This means it's all the more interesting to take a look at the first game in the series and see how it holds up in 2023.

Surprisingly good, in fact, on all accounts. You'd expect that after 17 years, repeatedly staring the dated 3D engine with its jagged polygonal edges would cause your eyes to bleed. I played the game on my 3DS XL that blows up the resolution even more and thought it still looked great. Of course the superior 2D sprites of Super Mario World that contribute to the excellent preservation of the SNES installment can't be beat by the 3D polygons of NSMB, but I expected a blurry mess like in old PS1 games. In part thanks to the lovely animations.

The game plays very much like a traditional Mario game: you move from left to right, try to jump on top of the flag pole to collect that 1UP, slowly progress from the traditional grassy plains in world 1 to the lava-infested world 8. Contrary to NSMB2, this game is packed with content, both in core Mario gameplay and in download-play and minigame extras, but more about that later.

NSMB is also the game that introduced the ridiculous power-ups such as the Mega Shroom that turns Mario into a scenery-destructing giant and the Mini Shroom that shrinks him down, allowing access to several obvious and less obvious secrets. The power-up unique to this installment is the Blue Shell that has Mario flying around breaking blocks and killing enemies in the same way as a Koopa would do. The Blue Shell doesn't appear often, but when it does, it's a guaranteed source of fun.

Compared to the (S)NES Mario games, NSMB is easy, even if you intend to collect (most of) the three star coins that should be hidden but aren't difficult to grab throughout the stages. The later world do up the challenge but a seasoned Mario or platformer fan shouldn't have any trouble with the game. That's not to say that it's the easiest of the series---I think that honor goes to NSMB 2.

I remember the release of NSMB being a very big deal: everyone was playing the game, and the download play/multiplayer mode made it incredibly easy to join a play session. I miss these Nintendo DS heydays. Replaying the game triggered a glimpse of these happy memories, but at the same time, the cheeriness forced upon us in part with the theme song grew very stale very quickly.

This is the biggest disadvantage of playing New Super Mario Bros. games in 2023: the formula has been recycled to death and everyone is relieved that Wonder is the wonderful (ha!) start of something new. Even though the dancing enemies try to make up for it, I still struggle with falling in love with the atmosphere of the NSMB series. A core soul is missing. Revisiting Mario Bros. 3 or World makes that even more painfully clear. Yet if I had to review the 2006 Nintendo DS version back in the day, it would no doubt be an amazing 5 out of 5.

2D platforming isn't everything you gain from buying this cartridge: the Mario 64 minigames make a triumphant return, of which the table (card) games were my favorites. These feel a bit Mario Party-esque, especially on the go when a few friends bring along their DS machine. Unfortunately, in 2023, chances of that happening are extremely slim unless you're attending a a retro gaming convention. That means a big part of the fun has been ripped out of NSMB's guts.

The game is still great though: the core run-and-jump Mario mechanics are difficult to match, and compared to the later NSMB games, the first one is still one of the best. Unless you're looking for a real challenge (play New Super Luigi U) or easier access to 4-player multiplayer fun (play New Super Mario Wii).