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Honestly, I think New Super Mario Bros. Wii U is the best 2D Mario game in the series

enigmatic_alex44

Whenever a game uses "middleware," I expect mediocrity. Just see how poor TLOU looks.
I've started yet another play through of the game (plus New Super Luigi U), as I picked up the new version of the game that came out last Friday which has both New Mario U, New Luigi U and the controller patch/videos all on one disc, and the save files for the old versions aren't compatible with this disc. I'm having just as much fun as the first few times I played through this. The only other Mario games I've replayed this much are Mario Bros. 3, and World (and Yoshi's Island if that counts but for this topic I won't as Yoshi is kind of his own series now). I have Woolly World sitting here and haven't even started it yet as I'm busy replaying NSMB Wii U :D

I really do feel this is the best 2D Mario game in the series, and it's downplayed because people were burnt out on having had three games in the "New" series before this one. NSMB Wii U feels like the legitimate sequel to Mario World. It takes the best of Mario 3/World (giant world and Boom Boom from 3, Magikoopa and Ghost Houses from World, Koopa Kids and world map from both etc.) and mixes it together with an amazing and clean art style that looks gorgeous in HD. The music is a huge step up too, from the previous New games' "Wahh Wahh" nonsense.

Speaking of the art style, the previous New games had a bit of a "generic Mario" look to them. The DS game in particular is quite ugly, and probably my least favorite game in the 2D series due to how it looked and just bad level design, it felt very light on content as well. The Wii and 3DS "New" games looked nice but perhaps didn't wow anybody and still kind of bland. NSMB Wii U on the other hand finally achieves the look I think they were going for since the beginning but couldn't achieve since the previous systems weren't in HD. NSMB Wii U looks a lot more distinctive with really gorgeous backgrounds, clear character and (adorable) enemy models and obviously a perfect frame rate. It really is the final form of what they wanted the "New" series to be from the start. I mean, look at how gorgeous it can be:

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Of course the controls are spot on, with perhaps Rayman Legends being the only other platformer to come close with how perfect and precise the game controls. The length of the levels is another huge plus imo. I think they're about twice as long as your average Mario game (according to a chart I saw), so each level is almost like 2 levels, with the halfway checkpoint being where older games' levels would already end. There aren't any terrible power-ups either like the Cloud Hat, Spring, or Frog Suit from previous games. The new Acorn Suit is a lot of fun, but not broken as a flight mechanic like the Cape. The Penguin Suit kind of stands in for the Frog Suit, except that it's actually useful and fun to use. Plus riding on Yoshi is as fun as ever <3 Literally the only thing I would change: In the New Super Luigi U expansion, I'd have it be Princess Daisy in the tower at the end instead of Peach that Luigi has to save. Daisy sucks, but she's Luigi's gal, y'know? Would have been a nice though and I can't imagine it would have been hard to just whip up a quick character model for her.

My top 3 2D Marios would probably be New Super Mario Bros. Wii U > Mario Bros. 3 > World. Everyone knows how important Mario lore is, so I almost knocked Mario Bros. 3 down a peg after Miyamoto's revelation that he considers the game never happened and the whole thing was just a "play" the characters put on, but then I decided not to take his comments seriously, just like how Miyamoto didn't take Sticker Star seriously.
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I think Nintendo themselves even consider Mario Wii U on the same level as the other iconic eras of Mario. Case in point: Super Mario Maker includes 4 eras: Mario 1, Mario 3, World, and NSMB Wii U. If people weren't burnt out on 3 previous "New" games, I guarantee NSMB Wii U would have scored a lot higher on Metacritic. Truly an under-appreciated game. It bests even Tropical Freeze and Rayman Legends imo, which are both incredible games in their own right.

What are your thoughts? Agree or disagree?

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It is the best 2d mario by a significant amount.

I don't think this is really up for debate.

Übermatik;182094143 said:
Super Mario World.

*EDIT* Are we only talking the 'New' series?

Nope. I'm not anyway. I think it's better than the earlier games too.
 

EhoaVash

Member
Tropical freeze is th best 2d platformer ever brah

But yeah nsmb u is pretty good ( I like its physics the best ) outside.....the effing music
 
It's the best in the 'New' series by far but if you consider all factors like stage design, graphic style, music, variety, and originality, I'd put any of the 8 or 16-bit consoles games over it.
 
It's definitely the best of the "New" 2D Mario series. I think people wrote it off as more of the same and it got a bad wrap with the lack of interest in the launch of the Wii U.
 

impact

Banned
lol it got completely destroyed and made irrelevant by it's own DLC

Super Luigi U is seriously so much better than the base game. I wish they would make a Super Luigi 3D World to offset the complete lack of difficulty in that game too.
 
I don't know about being better Tropical Freeze (They're around the same for me, depending if I want more laid back open platforming vs linear, dynamic platforming) but I agree as well. NSMBU caught me by surprise since I wasn't especially fond of NSMBWii.

I really hope more Mario games from now on have their own challenge mode. I loved it.
 

Astral Dog

Member
I think the way Tropical Freeze beats Mario its on its music and presentation, otherwise both are good and well designed games.

And yes Mario U is the best of the NSM series and would had been better recieved if it was not derivative of that formula, especially the art direction and music.
 

ASIS

Member
It's the best in the 'New' series by far but if you consider all factors like stage design, graphic style, music, variety, and originality, I'd put any of the 8 or 16-bit consoles games over it.

People keep saying this, but I honestly think two factors make the "New" series feel stale.

1. Character design (Mario, peach, bowser, and bosses).

2. Music.

Yeah those are pretty big factors but I really think it clouds people's judgement on the games.

Having said that, I don't think any platformer will ever top SMW for me. Purely for nostalgic reasons.
 

10k

Banned
It's very good and isn't given a lot of credit because it launched with the Wii U and was seen as a "safe" game. But to me it's the best 2D Mario since Super Mario World. NSMB 1 and 2 were so easy or had some coin gimmick, and Wii version was good too.
 

greg400

Banned
I think the way Tropical Freeze beats Mario its on its music and presentation, otherwise both are good and well designed games.

And yes Mario U is the best of the NSM series and would had been better recieved if it was not derivative of that formula, especially the art direction and music.
Yeah, the music in particular is really garbage. They've been re-using the same tracks for far too long. If I have to hear that shitty castle theme one more time...
 
OP, I'm pretty sure you're not alone in the opinion that NSMBU is the best 2D Mario.
Largely because you're right

Tropical Freeze is still better though.
 
I really liked it. I hate the "NEW" series though, so I wish it would have had a different name.
All the 8 and 16 but Marios are still better though.
 
It really is one of the top 2D platformers out there undermined by its own sub series as well as the sort of half done audiovisual side where there's stronger backgrounds than the rest of the New games but ultimately with the same 8 world themes as usual and some new music tracks but mostly just reusing ones from NSMB Wii.

Speaking strictly from its gameplay and level design it probably is my favourite 2D Mario game, up until recently I thought it and NSMBWii were pretty close in quality but going back to the blurry old Wii game with its shockingly drab appearance just makes NSMBU feel that much stronger.
Now why oh why did they not overhaul the music?!

Anyway it built upon everything the New series was already building upon (so...2D Mario in general) resulting in the most refined yet familiar of 2D Mario games, assuming you can get past that issue then it has strong grounds to be someone's favourite 2D Mario game.

Not better than Tropical Freeze though
 

TriAceJP

Member
Oh hell no. The floaty jumps and the slide physics ruin the NSMB series.

The best one I found was the 3DS game. I think that was NSMB2?

SMBW is still the top tier Mario game.
 
People keep saying this, but I honestly think two factors make the "New" series feel stale.

1. Character design (Mario, peach, bowser, and bosses).

2. Music.

Yeah those are pretty big factors but I really think it clouds people's judgement on the games.

Having said that, I don't think any platformer will ever top SMW for me. Purely for nostalgic reasons.

I also don't think the controls are as tight and as responsive as the 2D games. And the stages tend to go on too long. Super Luigi U made massive improvements in that regard.
 
I agree, NSMBU has the best level design in the 2d Mario series IMO (I haven't played NSMB2 or Luigi U yet). SMW still has the best Mario physics though (gotta love the ability to throw the shell upwards)
 
You're not wrong, NSMBU is the best 2d Mario game. But beating something like Retro's Donkey Kongs, Rayman Legends, or Sonic 3 & Knuckles is a big thing to do.
 
I think the way Tropical Freeze beats Mario its on its music and presentation, otherwise both are good and well designed games.

And yes Mario U is the best of the NSM series and would had been better recieved if it was not derivative of that formula, especially the art direction and music.

Absolutely agreed with you on DKC:TP. NSMBU is good but it just felt like another rehash of the same game, and it didn't help that the game was a bit too easy and the music just fucking sucked. NSLU is much better in those areas for sure.

However, the best 2D Mario game for me is Super Mario World. The controls, graphics, gameplay, music, and everything about it is just perfect. It's in my top 5 games of all time.
 

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
I don't know about THE best, but I definitely put it up there with World and 3. NSLU as well. Prime 2D platforming material.

Tropical Freeze was more "different" than "better" to me, but it's an excellent game too.
 
The new Mario series levels are so flat and straightforward.

I miss the vertical design and density of smb3 and Super Mario world.

The stages were short but they were dense.
 

Zalman

Member
I put it up there with SMW and SMB3. The level design is great.

It's not better than Tropical Freeze though.
 

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
It's impeccably designed. I'd still say its second to World for me, but it's a fantastic game. The only thing it does wrong is being a part of a series with a bum reputation. Taken on its own merits, though, it's damn good.
 

Boogiepop

Member
See, for the most part I'm with you (well, like others I wouldn't put it above Tropical Freeze), and it's totally the best 2D Mario. This, though?

There aren't any terrible power-ups either like the Cloud Hat, Spring, or Frog Suit from previous games.

Can't get behind that at all. Cloud Suit was amazing and probably my favorite power-up from pretty much any game. Amazingly balanced and pure genius, as far as you can get from "terrible".
 

Azure J

Member
You shouldn't think, it is. It just has the stigma of being a "New" series game showing up as the first Mario game on the Wii U.
 

cand

Member
Disagree. It's a very good 2D Mario but not as imaginative and creative as Mario 3 or Mario World. I think is the best game of the New series for sure but is not better than Mario 3 or Mario World in general.

About tropical freeze claim...

Tropical Freeze is the best 2D plataformer avaiable in the market right now so no.
 

enigmatic_alex44

Whenever a game uses "middleware," I expect mediocrity. Just see how poor TLOU looks.
Tropical Freeze is way better. I do think Mario U is the 3rd best though, after Mario World and Mario 3.

Tropical freeze is th best 2d platformer ever brah

But yeah nsmb u is pretty good ( I like its physics the best ) outside.....the effing music

Not as good as Tropical Freeze, but yeah, it's the best 2D Mario by a fair margin.

Wait, just saw the Tropical Freeze bit. OP, I like that you're into nsmbu, but it isn't even on the same level.

About tropical freeze claim...

Tropical Freeze is the best 2D plataformer avaiable in the market right now so no.

Oh? Opinions and all, but it seems the critics agree with me:

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Oops. NSBU Wii U would be in the 90s if it didn't have the "New" stigma attached to it.
 
Its certainly up there. I wouldn't put it higher than 3 or World from a design view but it plays pretty damn well and as you noted that Boo level was outstanding. I finished this game 100%, its one of my favourite launch titles off all time and its just so fun to play. I also wouldn't rank it higher than Tropical Freeze, but I would put it ahead of Rayman Legends.
 

Acerac

Banned
Easily my favorite 2d Mario.

I feel the lack of people who played the game compared to the previous ones in the "new" series hurt the general opinion on it.
 
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