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Nov 15, 201291Nintendo's approach here strikes a great balance in all areas, ranging from its difficulty to design to enemies and bosses.
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Nov 17, 201285It's consistently charming, often challenging, and an excellent illustration of that which makes Mario games so special. Nintendo seemingly recaptured traditional, distilled platforming, but also incorporated a newfound attention to modern gaming trends and expectations.
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Nov 21, 201294It doesn't push boundaries, but it reminds us all that Mario will always be the king of the 2D platformer genre, even long after that genre has been buried beneath decades of gaming history.
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Nov 18, 201293After playing through New Super Mario Bros. 2 on 3DS a few months ago, I was concerned that the "New" series had run its course. The levels didn't feel as fresh and the coin collection gimmick didn't make much of an impact. I feared this dip in quality signaled stormy skies for New Super Mario Bros. U on Nintendo's next home console, but I couldn't have been more wrong.
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Nov 15, 201290Is the plumber's Wii U debut as good as his recent 3D outings? Not quite, but for the New Super Mario Bros. series, it's a real step forward in detailing, imagination and character.
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Nov 26, 201291All in all, I found New Super Mario Bros. U to be a very rewarding, fun breath of fresh air for the series that does a pretty good job of showcasing new elements found in the Wii U system. It's certainly a step up in terms of visuals, and looks great both on the big screen and on the Wii U Game Pad.
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Nov 20, 201280As far as launch titles go, you can't beat a Mario game, and the same is true here.
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Nov 15, 201280Outside of marveling at the graphics in some select stages and bouncing around with four friends on your HDTV, how much longevity does NSMB U have? A good deal, thanks mostly to the dozens of minigames designed to appeal to the more skilled Mario players out there.
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Nov 15, 201270New Super Mario Bros. U is a solid game, but one whose core experience is as conservative as can be and the level design, graphics, and sound are nearly identical to previous entries. The co-op features, however, are excellent, as are the new challenge modes.
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Nov 17, 201282We were surprised, excited and twinkly-eyed during an excellent finale. [Christmas 2012, p.28]
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Nov 16, 201280Beyond the obvious aesthetic appeal of the jump to HD, New Super Mario Bros U doesn't make a particularly convincing case for Nintendo's new console, and there's very little here that couldn't have been done on Wii. But if it isn't a great showpiece for the console, it may have to settle for being a very good Mario game, perhaps the finest of the plumber's side-scrolling adventures since his 16bit heyday.
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Dec 2, 201285The New Super Mario Bros series finds its dimension in the home consoles, where it becomes an amazing multiplayer game. But it has nothing to share with the innovation, brilliance or quality of its ancestors, and its single player is poor compared not only to Super Mario World, but also to the recent Donkey Kong Country Returns.
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Dec 14, 201281New Super Mario Bros. U may not be the most innovative Mario platformer, but it's incredibly polished and a lot of fun. [Dec 2012, p.68]
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Nov 15, 201280A fantastic game hindered by a disappointing opening act. It feels like a game of present and past, where the first half reminds us why today's games greatly miss the second half's nostalgic excellence.
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Nov 16, 201280Mario's Wii U debut will no doubt attract the usual detractors and jaded observers, but there's more to this than rigid routine. It just all depends on what you want from it.
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Feb 21, 201390Everyone gets a chance to play and interact and have fun. Really, that’s what Nintendo excels at, getting everyone involved and allowing childish enthusiasm to file down the sharp corners of the vexation of adulthood and life experience. New Super Mario Bros. U does that very thing.
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Nov 27, 201281It needs to evolve, but still it's a great game. It's easily become one of the best games on Wii U, however, we can and we will ask for a step forward in the series.
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Nov 27, 201288New Super Mario Bros. U combines good old features with fresh and entertaining elements. The result is a stunning and thrilling jump'n'run experience for up to five gamers.
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Dec 27, 201280The New Super Mario Bros series was never one to defy expectations, but rather build upon years of refined nostalgia. New Super Mario Bros. U is formulaic Mario and is a delightfully fun time for it.
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Nov 28, 201285Beyond the jump to HD, New Super Mario Bros U isn't a great showpiece for the console, but it's one the kings of the 2D platformer genre.
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Jan 22, 201386A solid entry in the Mario franchise. It doesn't do anything to shake up the formula, but I think this is one of those franchises that have proven time and time again that you don't mess with a good thing.
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Jan 23, 201390Although Mario's newest adventure isn't the most innovative platformer, the game sticks to the basics and does them right. The chaotic multiplayer mode, sweet graphics and excellent controls ensure, that the plumber stays on the throne. [Jan 2013]
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Nov 28, 201290New Super Mario Bros. U is maybe the best platform of the "New" series due to an inspired level design and lots of game modes. The Challenges are just what hardcore Mario fans were looking for, and are capable of pointing out the best elements of one of the most refined gameplays ever created. The last Mario adventure is, without doubt, a killer app. for the Wii U, even without an intensive use of the Wii U Gamepad.
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Nov 15, 201285Players know exactly what they're getting with this one -- an entertaining and incomplex bit of gaming that provides challenge and smirks in equal measure. While certainly a "safe" game to launch with, it is by no means unremarkable and the only people who would fail to have fun are those with a fundamental aversion to Mario or platformers in general.
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Nov 21, 201295New Super Mario Bros. U is close to the ideal 2D Mario game hinted at by the debut of New Super Mario Bros. seven years ago. It's a more sincere follow-up to Super Mario World than any previous game, and even if its innovations are muted and on the periphery, this is the evolution the series needed. It's a simple question, really: Do you like 2D Mario? If so, play this game. It is that damn good.
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Nov 18, 201284Nintendo really has this kind of game down to a science, to the point where players can almost take for granted that the newest Mario game will hit a certain standard of quality. It's not the most inspired piece of work, but New Super Mario Bros Wii U satisfies the requirements for a great platformer and does a good job of putting the system's touchscreen to interesting use. The game is actually at its best when another human being is involved, and if you're on board with the Wii U, it's a great chance to get in touch with your new system.
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Nov 26, 201280His moustache remains the same, but other than that Mario finally went for a new and modern look. New Super Mario Bros. U does honor the history of the old plumber and brings back all the known characters and worlds, which are now more alive than ever. The graphical leap also allows for more experimentation with gameplay, which shows in a more challenging and fresh platformer than you might expect.
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Nov 21, 201280Not quite a killer app but certainly the best New Super Mario Bros. game so far, and an occasionally inspired 2D platformer in its own right.
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Nov 29, 201290New Super Mario Bros. U may not offer the cataclysmic genre shift that many badly crave, but it's the gem of the Wii U launch lineup and a must-have purchase.
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Nov 30, 201280Everyone with a Wii U should buy this good platform title. It's a 2D Mario adventure in high definition. But the game doesn't use the GamePad in a good and innovative way.