New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Encyclopedia
is a 2009 side-scrolling
platform
video game published and developed by Nintendo
for the Wii
video game console
. The game was released on November 12, 2009 in Australia, November 15, 2009 in North America, November 20, 2009 in Europe and December 3, 2009 in Japan. It is the first game in the Mario main series since the Mario Bros.
arcade game to feature simultaneous multiplayer gameplay, and the first title to include Nintendo's new 'Super Guide' feature. To highlight the uniqueness of the title, Nintendo chose to use a red keep case
instead of the traditional white.
The game’s plot is similar to those of other side-scrolling Mario games. New Super Mario Bros. Wii follows Mario as he fights his way through Bowser’s henchmen to rescue Princess Peach
. Mario has access to several power-up
s that help him complete his quest, including the Ice Flower, the Fire Flower, and the Starman, each giving him unique abilities. While traveling through up to nine worlds with a total of 88 levels, Mario must defeat Bowser's children (the Koopalings
and Bowser Jr.) and Bowser himself before finally saving Princess Peach.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii has been critically and commercially successful with gaming aggregators GameRankings and Metacritic
reporting average scores of 88% and 87/100, respectively. As of April 2011, it is the sixth best-selling game on the Wii, at 21.94 million copies sold worldwide. It received several honors, including the 2009 Best Wii Game award from the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards, IGN
, and GameTrailers
.
New Super Mario Bros. Mii, a tech demo for the Wii U, was shown at E3 2011
. It is unknown if the game will be released in a final state.
While New Super Mario Bros. Wii is seen in 2D
, some of the characters and objects are 3D polygonal
renderings on 2D backgrounds, resulting in a 2.5D
effect (also seen in New Super Mario Bros.
) that visually simulates 3D computer graphics
. Players can play as either Mario
, his brother Luigi
, or two Toad
characters: one blue and one yellow (with the first player always as Mario). Controls are similar to those of New Super Mario Bros., albeit with the added abilities of spinning in mid-air by shaking the Wii Remote, and picking up, carrying, and throwing other players. In multiplayer mode, players can play up to four players simultaneously. If a player character loses a life and has at least one life, he will re-emerge encased inside a bubble
, and can resume play once another player frees him by touching the bubble or a fire/ice ball (the player can shake the Wii Remote to move his bubble closer to an active player, but cannot free himself). If a player loses a life and does not have any more lives, he is dead until 100 coins are collected. Players can also encase themselves inside a bubble by pressing the A button while a more skilled player traverses a difficult segment. If every character in a co-op session enters bubbles at the same time (whether through death or pressing the A button), the level is lost, and they must restart.
In multiplayer mode, if one or more players do not keep up with the one in the lead, on some levels, the view will pan out a bit so that the player[s] in the rear will still be in view. If the players still do not catch up, they are then dragged by the edge of the screen, until they move forward faster or lose a life by a fall or other object. If one player enters a pipe, climbs a vine, grabs the flagpole at the end of the stage, etc. without the others, the other players will warp to the same place after a short time, or have a limited amount of time to grab the pole before the course ends. On vertically scrolling courses, being left below the screen results in losing a life. On the world map, Mario (Player 1) controls navigation.
Players return to the map screen if they all run out of lives, or if all players lose their lives at the same time, leaving no one to free them. Usually, there is a midway flag that if touched will return the player to that point after dying and being sent back to the map screen. The stage is completed by getting at least one player to touch the goal at the end, though a bonus is awarded if all players manage to grab hold of the flag within three seconds of the first player grabbing it. In a few levels, in addition to the normal goal and flag pole, there is an alternative exit leading to a red flag pole. Reaching this goal will open up a new path on the map, leading to new stages on the overworld map and on occasion a warp cannon (which will blast the player off to a later world). The game does not feature online multiplayer. During single player mode, losing a life sends the player back to the map screen.
Along with the usual Mario series items, as well as the Mini Mushroom from New Super Mario Bros., new items have been added, including the Propeller Mushroom, which allows players to fly; the Ice Flower, which allow players to freeze enemies with ice balls; and the Penguin Suit which, on top of the Ice Flower's ability, allows players to slide along the ground and across water as well as have better control on ice and in water. Players are also able to ride on Yoshi
s, who appear in certain levels and can swallow enemies and flutter in the air.
All levels can be accessed via a map screen, and enemies are often roaming it. If the player bumps into one while traveling the map, a "mini-boss" fight will be initiated; if successful in the fight, players can earn extra Super Mushrooms. There are also Toad Houses where players can earn additional 1-ups and items that can be equipped on the map screen. At some points, a Toad will appear trapped in one of the previously completed levels, and the player can choose to rescue him from a block and carry him safely to the end of the stage to earn bonuses. There are three Star Coins hidden in each course which can be spent on hint movies that show certain secrets, such as the location of a secret goal or how to gain infinite 1-ups. Collecting all the Star Coins within a world unlocks one course from the secret World 9 that can only be played after the main game has been completed.
. During single player mode, if a player dies eight times in a row in any level, a green block appears, allowing a computer-controlled Luigi to show the player a safe path through the level. The player may interrupt the guide at anytime and take control. After Luigi completes it, the player has the option to try the level again, or skip it completely. However, Luigi will not reveal any Star Coin locations or secret exits. A variation of this is used in Super Mario Galaxy 2
, where it is called "Cosmic Guide." Another variation is found in Donkey Kong Country Returns
, where it is also known as "Super Guide."
getting kidnapped by Bowser and his children, the Koopalings
and Bowser Jr. When Mario
, Luigi
, Blue Toad
, and Yellow Toad are celebrating Princess Peach's birthday in her castle, a large cake rolls in. Immediately, Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings pop out and throw the cake on top of Peach, trapping her. The cake is loaded onto Bowser's airship and it takes off, with Mario, Luigi, and the two Toads giving chase. The Toads in the castle then grant them access to the new items, Propeller Mushrooms and Penguin Suits, via a cannon.
After traveling over many worlds fighting the Koopalings, Bowser Jr., and Kamek the Magikoopa, the Mario Bros. and the Toads finally make it to Bowser's fiery lair and quickly defeat him. Afterwards, however, they discover that "Princess Peach" was actually Kamek in a pink dress and yellow wig. He flies over the lava on his broomstick and casts a spell on it. Seconds later, a gigantic Bowser bursts out of the lava, knocking Kamek into the fiery lava below. Bowser then chases Mario and the others through his castle, destroying everything on his path with his fire and strength. At the end of the long pursuit, the heroes find the real Peach trapped in a cage next to a large switch. The player must push the switch and Bowser will fall through the floor in defeat as Peach is released from the cage. She kisses all of the characters that made it to the platform, and then she and Mario walk outside of the castle. They are then greeted by Luigi and the Toads in hot-air balloons, and Luigi offers them his balloon. Unfortunately for him, Princess Peach and Mario leave him behind, forcing him to go with the Toads for the rest of the trip.
The credits are then shown as a mini-game in which the credits can be smashed by the playable characters to get the most coins. After the credits
, Larry Koopa is seen limping towards Bowser's fortress, with Bowser Jr. telling him to help him and his siblings flip Bowser the right way. They succeed, but the impact of Bowser's weight causes his unstable castle to fall on top of him, the Koopalings, and Bowser Jr.
Japanese newspaper reported that two new sequels would be released for the Wii: Wii Fit Plus
(a sequel to Wii Fit
) and a new Mario game tentatively called New Super Mario Bros. Wii (which was an unconfirmed name at the time), a sequel to New Super Mario Bros. New Super Mario Bros. Wii was later officially announced at the 2009 E3 convention
and GamesCom
in Cologne
, Germany
. To highlight the uniqueness of the title, Nintendo chose to use a red case instead of the traditional white. At the 2011 E3 convention
, a variation of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, dubbed New Super Mario Bros. Mii, was showcased as a playable demo for Nintendo's new console, the Wii U, which allows players to play as their Miis. It has been stated that this version is a prototype designed to showcase the technology and is currently not a confirmed title.
's desire to recreate the Mario series
's single-player gameplay experience for multiple players, as he was unable to bring these ideas to fruition in previous installments. The Wii
's hardware allowed him to display enough enemies and items on the screen at once, and allowed a camera that could dynamically adapt to the players' movements, ensuring they constantly know what is the situation of their character.. Miyamoto said Princess Peach
was not a playable character because of her dress, since it would require "special processing and programming to handle how her skirt is handled within the gameplay."
The music for New Super Mario Bros. Wii was principally created by Shiho Fujii and Ryo Nagamatsu, with additional compositions provided by sound director Kenta Nagata. Series regular Koji Kondo
was the sound advisor and did not write any new compositions, though some of his creations were rearranged for the game. Charles Martinet
returned to voice Mario and Luigi, along with Samantha Kelly as the Toads and Princess Peach, Kenny James as Bowser, and Caety Sagoian as Bowser Jr. New voice actors include Lani Minella
as Larry Koopa, Morton Koopa Jr., Wendy O. Koopa, and Lemmy Koopa, Dan Falcone as Roy Koopa, and Mike Vaughn
as Iggy Koopa and Ludwig von Koopa.
and PlayStation 3
versions of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
. New Super Mario Bros. Wii has sold over 4,000,000 units in the US., and this has taken worldwide sales to over the 10,000,000 mark, making it the fastest selling single-system game in history.
As of April 2011, the game has sold 21.94 million copies and is the fifth best-selling (non-bundled) Wii game as well as the second best-selling Mario game on the Wii console (behind Mario Kart Wii
).
called the game a "masterpiece of 2D action" and gave the game a perfect 40/40, making it only the 13th title overall and fourth Wii game to receive this score in the 23-year history of Famitsu. British publication Official Nintendo Magazine gave the game a score of 96%, praising its attention to detail and multiplayer mode in particular. Computer and Video Games
gave the game 9.0 Gaming web site IGN AU gave New Super Mario Bros. Wii a 9.2, calling it a "blast" in co-op and praising its replication of the gameplay that made the Super Mario Bros. series popular. IGN UK gave the game a 9.4 out of 10 and IGN US gave the game 8.9, calling the core gameplay brilliant, but noting the lack of online play. GameSpy
, however, did not consider this a negative point, arguing that online play is a primarily competitive experience whereas New Super Mario Bros. Wii required a cooperative experience to enjoy. 1UP.com
rated it A+, stating that it satisfyingly incorporated the innovations of prior Mario games while offering something for every kind of gamer. Gaming blog Kotaku
highly praised the game, calling it a reason to buy a Wii. X-Play
gave it a 4 out of 5, praising the difficulty and levels of the game.
gave the game a positive score of 7/10, he criticized lack of the traditional Mario charm, poor graphical detail and overall easiness. GamesRadar
, who also scored the game of 7/10, argued that the game lacked the creativity of others in the series. The A.V. Club
gave it a negative score of C+, calling it "the least essential Mario title to date", and stating that the game lacks a strong concept and shows an underlying repetitiveness in Mario games. Nintendo Power
argued that the game works as a sequel because it maintains what made the original Mario games great while adding new features.
gave it the 2009 Wii Game of the Year Award. GameTrailers
awarded it Best Wii Game of 2009. It also received the Best Family Game of the Year award in Yahoo's
2009 Game Awards, and the Nintendo Power Award for 2009's "Wii Game of the Year".
search order allowing them to go through Burt's residence in Sinnamon Park, Queensland, following which the company seized property from the premises in order to acquire more evidence against the individual. During the investigation, Burt also had to give up his passwords to social networking sites, email accounts and other online resources he had used.
s as playable characters. The demo was shown at Nintendo's
E3 2011
press conference. It is unknown if the game will be released in a final state. Although rendered in HD
, the game's graphics are similar to New Super Mario Bros. Wii. GameSpot
stated that New Super Mario Bros. Mii "felt extremely familiar" and in the multiplayer, "other players here are much more likely to be a hindrance than a help."
Side-scrolling video game
A side-scrolling game or side-scroller is a video game in which the gameplay action is viewed from a side-view camera angle, and the onscreen characters generally move from the left side of the screen to the right. These games make use of scrolling computer display technology...
platform
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
video game published and developed by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
. The game was released on November 12, 2009 in Australia, November 15, 2009 in North America, November 20, 2009 in Europe and December 3, 2009 in Japan. It is the first game in the Mario main series since the Mario Bros.
Mario Bros.
is an arcade game published and developed by Nintendo in 1983. It was developed by Shigeru Miyamoto. It has been commonly featured as a minigame in the Super Mario Advance series and other games...
arcade game to feature simultaneous multiplayer gameplay, and the first title to include Nintendo's new 'Super Guide' feature. To highlight the uniqueness of the title, Nintendo chose to use a red keep case
Keep case
A keep case or poly-box is a type of DVD packaging. From the well-known brand Amaray, this type of case is often called Amaray case, creating a genericized trademark and ambiguities about the real manufacturer of the case....
instead of the traditional white.
The game’s plot is similar to those of other side-scrolling Mario games. New Super Mario Bros. Wii follows Mario as he fights his way through Bowser’s henchmen to rescue Princess Peach
Princess Peach
is a character in Nintendo's Mario series of video games. She is the Princess of the fictitious Mushroom Kingdom, and often plays the damsel in distress role within the adventure series. In 2007, Princess Peach landed on Forbes magazine's Wealthiest Fictional People list, with a fortune upwards of...
. Mario has access to several power-up
Power-up
In computer and video games, power-ups are objects that instantly benefit or add extra abilities to the game character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a benefit and can be used at a time chosen by the player...
s that help him complete his quest, including the Ice Flower, the Fire Flower, and the Starman, each giving him unique abilities. While traveling through up to nine worlds with a total of 88 levels, Mario must defeat Bowser's children (the Koopalings
Koopalings
The , also called the Koopa Kids, are a group of seven fictional characters in Nintendo's Mario series of video games. Their names are Ludwig von Koopa, Lemmy Koopa, Roy Koopa, Iggy Koopa, Wendy O. Koopa, Morton Koopa Jr. and Larry Koopa. They first appeared in the NES game Super Mario Bros. 3, and...
and Bowser Jr.) and Bowser himself before finally saving Princess Peach.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii has been critically and commercially successful with gaming aggregators GameRankings and Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reporting average scores of 88% and 87/100, respectively. As of April 2011, it is the sixth best-selling game on the Wii, at 21.94 million copies sold worldwide. It received several honors, including the 2009 Best Wii Game award from the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
, and GameTrailers
GameTrailers
GameTrailers is a media website that specializes in video game related content. It provides free access to original programming , game trailers and recorded game play. Along with standard definition , many of the video clips are offered in a higher resolution .Users can upload videos, create...
.
New Super Mario Bros. Mii, a tech demo for the Wii U, was shown at E3 2011
Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011, commonly known as E3 2011, was the 15th Electronic Entertainment Expo held. E3 is an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment Software Association . The event took place June 7–9, 2011 at the Los Angeles...
. It is unknown if the game will be released in a final state.
Gameplay
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
, some of the characters and objects are 3D polygonal
Polygonal modeling
In 3D computer graphics, polygonal modeling is an approach for modeling objects by representing or approximating their surfaces using polygons. Polygonal modeling is well suited to scanline rendering and is therefore the method of choice for real-time computer graphics...
renderings on 2D backgrounds, resulting in a 2.5D
2.5D
2.5D , 3/4 perspective and pseudo-3D are terms used to describe either:* 2D graphical projections and techniques which cause a series of images or scenes to fake or appear to be three-dimensional when in fact they are not, or* gameplay in an otherwise three-dimensional video game that is...
effect (also seen in New Super Mario Bros.
New Super Mario Bros.
is a side-scrolling platform video game published and developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. The game was released in North America and Japan in May 2006 and in Australia and Europe in June 2006...
) that visually simulates 3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
. Players can play as either Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
, his brother Luigi
Luigi
is a fictional character, featured in video games and related media released by Nintendo. Created by prominent game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Luigi is portrayed as the slightly younger fraternal twin brother of Nintendo's mascot Mario, and appears in many games throughout the Mario series,...
, or two Toad
Toad (Mario)
Toad, known in Japan as , is a fictional character belonging to an anthropomorphic mushroom-like species of the same name in the Mario series, created by Shigeru Miyamoto. A citizen of the Mushroom Kingdom, Toad is one of Princess Peach's most loyal attendants and is constantly working on her behalf...
characters: one blue and one yellow (with the first player always as Mario). Controls are similar to those of New Super Mario Bros., albeit with the added abilities of spinning in mid-air by shaking the Wii Remote, and picking up, carrying, and throwing other players. In multiplayer mode, players can play up to four players simultaneously. If a player character loses a life and has at least one life, he will re-emerge encased inside a bubble
Liquid bubble
A bubble is a globule of one substance in another, usually gas in a liquid.Due to the Marangoni effect, bubbles may remain intact when they reach the surface of the immersive substance.-Common examples:...
, and can resume play once another player frees him by touching the bubble or a fire/ice ball (the player can shake the Wii Remote to move his bubble closer to an active player, but cannot free himself). If a player loses a life and does not have any more lives, he is dead until 100 coins are collected. Players can also encase themselves inside a bubble by pressing the A button while a more skilled player traverses a difficult segment. If every character in a co-op session enters bubbles at the same time (whether through death or pressing the A button), the level is lost, and they must restart.
In multiplayer mode, if one or more players do not keep up with the one in the lead, on some levels, the view will pan out a bit so that the player[s] in the rear will still be in view. If the players still do not catch up, they are then dragged by the edge of the screen, until they move forward faster or lose a life by a fall or other object. If one player enters a pipe, climbs a vine, grabs the flagpole at the end of the stage, etc. without the others, the other players will warp to the same place after a short time, or have a limited amount of time to grab the pole before the course ends. On vertically scrolling courses, being left below the screen results in losing a life. On the world map, Mario (Player 1) controls navigation.
Players return to the map screen if they all run out of lives, or if all players lose their lives at the same time, leaving no one to free them. Usually, there is a midway flag that if touched will return the player to that point after dying and being sent back to the map screen. The stage is completed by getting at least one player to touch the goal at the end, though a bonus is awarded if all players manage to grab hold of the flag within three seconds of the first player grabbing it. In a few levels, in addition to the normal goal and flag pole, there is an alternative exit leading to a red flag pole. Reaching this goal will open up a new path on the map, leading to new stages on the overworld map and on occasion a warp cannon (which will blast the player off to a later world). The game does not feature online multiplayer. During single player mode, losing a life sends the player back to the map screen.
Along with the usual Mario series items, as well as the Mini Mushroom from New Super Mario Bros., new items have been added, including the Propeller Mushroom, which allows players to fly; the Ice Flower, which allow players to freeze enemies with ice balls; and the Penguin Suit which, on top of the Ice Flower's ability, allows players to slide along the ground and across water as well as have better control on ice and in water. Players are also able to ride on Yoshi
Yoshi
, is a fictional dragon-like character who appears in video games published by Nintendo. His debut was in Super Mario World on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as Mario and Luigi's sidekick , and he later established his own series with several platform and puzzle games, including Super...
s, who appear in certain levels and can swallow enemies and flutter in the air.
All levels can be accessed via a map screen, and enemies are often roaming it. If the player bumps into one while traveling the map, a "mini-boss" fight will be initiated; if successful in the fight, players can earn extra Super Mushrooms. There are also Toad Houses where players can earn additional 1-ups and items that can be equipped on the map screen. At some points, a Toad will appear trapped in one of the previously completed levels, and the player can choose to rescue him from a block and carry him safely to the end of the stage to earn bonuses. There are three Star Coins hidden in each course which can be spent on hint movies that show certain secrets, such as the location of a secret goal or how to gain infinite 1-ups. Collecting all the Star Coins within a world unlocks one course from the secret World 9 that can only be played after the main game has been completed.
Game modes
The game includes simultaneous multiplayer capability of up to four players. In addition to the main story mode, which can be played in either single-player mode or in multiplayer mode, there are two dedicated multiplayer modes. "Free for all Mode" ranks players at the end of each course by score, coins, and enemy kills, while the other mode, "Coin Battle," ranks players on the amount of coins collected.Control schemes
The game is played either in classic style, with the Wii Remote held horizontally, or in Nunchuk style, with the Nunchuk used for movement. Some actions, such as jumping and attacks, are performed with the buttons, whereas others, like spinning in midair and picking up other players, are performed by shaking the Wii Remote. Certain areas of levels, such as specific platforms, can also be manipulated by tilting the Wii Remote.Super Guide
The game is the first on the Wii to feature "Super Guide," a new system devised by Mario creator Shigeru MiyamotoShigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
. During single player mode, if a player dies eight times in a row in any level, a green block appears, allowing a computer-controlled Luigi to show the player a safe path through the level. The player may interrupt the guide at anytime and take control. After Luigi completes it, the player has the option to try the level again, or skip it completely. However, Luigi will not reveal any Star Coin locations or secret exits. A variation of this is used in Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2
is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was first announced at E3 2009 and is the sequel to Super Mario Galaxy. It was released in North America on May 23, 2010, in Japan on May 27, 2010, in Europe on June 11, 2010, and in Australia on July 1,...
, where it is called "Cosmic Guide." Another variation is found in Donkey Kong Country Returns
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Donkey Kong Country Returns, known as in Japan, is a side-scrolling 2.5D platform game developed by Retro Studios and released by Nintendo for the Wii console on November 21, 2010, in North America, December 3, 2010, in Europe, and on December 9, 2010, in Japan...
, where it is also known as "Super Guide."
Synopsis
The game follows the traditional storyline of Princess PeachPrincess Peach
is a character in Nintendo's Mario series of video games. She is the Princess of the fictitious Mushroom Kingdom, and often plays the damsel in distress role within the adventure series. In 2007, Princess Peach landed on Forbes magazine's Wealthiest Fictional People list, with a fortune upwards of...
getting kidnapped by Bowser and his children, the Koopalings
Koopalings
The , also called the Koopa Kids, are a group of seven fictional characters in Nintendo's Mario series of video games. Their names are Ludwig von Koopa, Lemmy Koopa, Roy Koopa, Iggy Koopa, Wendy O. Koopa, Morton Koopa Jr. and Larry Koopa. They first appeared in the NES game Super Mario Bros. 3, and...
and Bowser Jr. When Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
, Luigi
Luigi
is a fictional character, featured in video games and related media released by Nintendo. Created by prominent game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Luigi is portrayed as the slightly younger fraternal twin brother of Nintendo's mascot Mario, and appears in many games throughout the Mario series,...
, Blue Toad
Toad (Mario)
Toad, known in Japan as , is a fictional character belonging to an anthropomorphic mushroom-like species of the same name in the Mario series, created by Shigeru Miyamoto. A citizen of the Mushroom Kingdom, Toad is one of Princess Peach's most loyal attendants and is constantly working on her behalf...
, and Yellow Toad are celebrating Princess Peach's birthday in her castle, a large cake rolls in. Immediately, Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings pop out and throw the cake on top of Peach, trapping her. The cake is loaded onto Bowser's airship and it takes off, with Mario, Luigi, and the two Toads giving chase. The Toads in the castle then grant them access to the new items, Propeller Mushrooms and Penguin Suits, via a cannon.
After traveling over many worlds fighting the Koopalings, Bowser Jr., and Kamek the Magikoopa, the Mario Bros. and the Toads finally make it to Bowser's fiery lair and quickly defeat him. Afterwards, however, they discover that "Princess Peach" was actually Kamek in a pink dress and yellow wig. He flies over the lava on his broomstick and casts a spell on it. Seconds later, a gigantic Bowser bursts out of the lava, knocking Kamek into the fiery lava below. Bowser then chases Mario and the others through his castle, destroying everything on his path with his fire and strength. At the end of the long pursuit, the heroes find the real Peach trapped in a cage next to a large switch. The player must push the switch and Bowser will fall through the floor in defeat as Peach is released from the cage. She kisses all of the characters that made it to the platform, and then she and Mario walk outside of the castle. They are then greeted by Luigi and the Toads in hot-air balloons, and Luigi offers them his balloon. Unfortunately for him, Princess Peach and Mario leave him behind, forcing him to go with the Toads for the rest of the trip.
The credits are then shown as a mini-game in which the credits can be smashed by the playable characters to get the most coins. After the credits
Post-credits scene
A post-credits scene is a short clip that appears after some or all of the closing credits of a film have run...
, Larry Koopa is seen limping towards Bowser's fortress, with Bowser Jr. telling him to help him and his siblings flip Bowser the right way. They succeed, but the impact of Bowser's weight causes his unstable castle to fall on top of him, the Koopalings, and Bowser Jr.
Development
On May 30, 2009 the online version of the Nihon Keizai ShimbunNihon Keizai Shimbun
is one of the largest media corporations in Japan. Nikkei specializes in publishing financial, business and industry news. Its main news publications include:* Nihon Keizai Shimbun , a leading economic newspaper....
Japanese newspaper reported that two new sequels would be released for the Wii: Wii Fit Plus
Wii Fit Plus
is a fitness video game by Nintendo for the Wii console. The game is an enhanced version of Wii Fit and was announced at Nintendo's E3 2009 media briefing on June 2, 2009. The game was released in Japan on October 1, 2009 and in North America three days later on October 4. It was released in South...
(a sequel to Wii Fit
Wii Fit
is a video game developed by Nintendo for the company's home video game console, Wii, designed by Hiroshi Matsunaga. It is an exercise game consisting of activities using the Wii Balance Board peripheral...
) and a new Mario game tentatively called New Super Mario Bros. Wii (which was an unconfirmed name at the time), a sequel to New Super Mario Bros. New Super Mario Bros. Wii was later officially announced at the 2009 E3 convention
Electronic Entertainment Expo 2009
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2009, commonly known as the E3 2009, was the 15th Electronic Entertainment Expo held. The event took place on June 2, 3, and 4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. E3 is an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment...
and GamesCom
Gamescom
gamescom is a trade fair for video games held annually at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is organised by the Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware...
in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. To highlight the uniqueness of the title, Nintendo chose to use a red case instead of the traditional white. At the 2011 E3 convention
Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011, commonly known as E3 2011, was the 15th Electronic Entertainment Expo held. E3 is an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment Software Association . The event took place June 7–9, 2011 at the Los Angeles...
, a variation of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, dubbed New Super Mario Bros. Mii, was showcased as a playable demo for Nintendo's new console, the Wii U, which allows players to play as their Miis. It has been stated that this version is a prototype designed to showcase the technology and is currently not a confirmed title.
Production
The game was created in response to Nintendo's head game developer Shigeru MiyamotoShigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
's desire to recreate the Mario series
Mario (series)
The video game series, alternatively called the series or simply the series, is a series of highly popular and critically acclaimed video games by Nintendo, featuring Nintendo's mascot Mario and, in many games, his brother Luigi. Gameplay in the series often centers around jumping on and...
's single-player gameplay experience for multiple players, as he was unable to bring these ideas to fruition in previous installments. The Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
's hardware allowed him to display enough enemies and items on the screen at once, and allowed a camera that could dynamically adapt to the players' movements, ensuring they constantly know what is the situation of their character.. Miyamoto said Princess Peach
Princess Peach
is a character in Nintendo's Mario series of video games. She is the Princess of the fictitious Mushroom Kingdom, and often plays the damsel in distress role within the adventure series. In 2007, Princess Peach landed on Forbes magazine's Wealthiest Fictional People list, with a fortune upwards of...
was not a playable character because of her dress, since it would require "special processing and programming to handle how her skirt is handled within the gameplay."
The music for New Super Mario Bros. Wii was principally created by Shiho Fujii and Ryo Nagamatsu, with additional compositions provided by sound director Kenta Nagata. Series regular Koji Kondo
Koji Kondo
is a Japanese video game composer and sound director who has been employed at Nintendo since 1984. He is best known for scoring numerous titles in the Mario and The Legend of Zelda series.-Early life:...
was the sound advisor and did not write any new compositions, though some of his creations were rearranged for the game. Charles Martinet
Charles Martinet
Charles Martinet is an American actor and voice actor, best known for providing the voice of Mario, the titular character in Nintendo's flagship video game franchise. He has held this role since 1994, longer than any other actor. He also voices Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Toadsworth, and a select few...
returned to voice Mario and Luigi, along with Samantha Kelly as the Toads and Princess Peach, Kenny James as Bowser, and Caety Sagoian as Bowser Jr. New voice actors include Lani Minella
Lani Minella
Lani Minella is a voice actress who has voiced in over 500 computer and video games as well as several TV and anime series. She is best known for voicing Nancy Drew, Millie Strathorn, Loulou the Parrot and Freddie in the Nancy Drew computer games, Ivy Valentine in the Soulcalibur video game...
as Larry Koopa, Morton Koopa Jr., Wendy O. Koopa, and Lemmy Koopa, Dan Falcone as Roy Koopa, and Mike Vaughn
Mike Vaughn
Mike Vaughn is an actor. He is also known as Michael Vaughn.-Films:* The Death of Spider-Man - Spider-Man / Peter Parker* Eminent Domain - Animal Control Worker* Little Black Dress - Drunk Guy...
as Iggy Koopa and Ludwig von Koopa.
Reception
New Super Mario Bros. Wii was a commercial success, selling 936,734 units in four days in Japan, the biggest debut for a Wii game in that region; its sales increased to 1,401,558 in the following week. New Super Mario Bros. Wii sold three million units in Japan in the shortest time ever, selling 3,002,753 units in just seven weeks. In North America, New Super Mario Bros. Wii sold 1,390,000 units in November 2009, making it the third best-selling game of the month behind the Xbox 360Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
versions of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 video game consoles and the Microsoft Windows operating system. Officially announced on February 11, 2009, the game was released worldwide on...
. New Super Mario Bros. Wii has sold over 4,000,000 units in the US., and this has taken worldwide sales to over the 10,000,000 mark, making it the fastest selling single-system game in history.
As of April 2011, the game has sold 21.94 million copies and is the fifth best-selling (non-bundled) Wii game as well as the second best-selling Mario game on the Wii console (behind Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart Wii
is a racing video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Kart series and the second Mario Kart title to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The game was released worldwide...
).
Critical response
The game was met with a generally favorable reception from gaming journalists and critics. Japanese gaming magazine FamitsuFamitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
called the game a "masterpiece of 2D action" and gave the game a perfect 40/40, making it only the 13th title overall and fourth Wii game to receive this score in the 23-year history of Famitsu. British publication Official Nintendo Magazine gave the game a score of 96%, praising its attention to detail and multiplayer mode in particular. Computer and Video Games
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
gave the game 9.0 Gaming web site IGN AU gave New Super Mario Bros. Wii a 9.2, calling it a "blast" in co-op and praising its replication of the gameplay that made the Super Mario Bros. series popular. IGN UK gave the game a 9.4 out of 10 and IGN US gave the game 8.9, calling the core gameplay brilliant, but noting the lack of online play. GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
, however, did not consider this a negative point, arguing that online play is a primarily competitive experience whereas New Super Mario Bros. Wii required a cooperative experience to enjoy. 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
rated it A+, stating that it satisfyingly incorporated the innovations of prior Mario games while offering something for every kind of gamer. Gaming blog Kotaku
Kotaku
Kotaku is a video games-focused blog. It is part of Gawker Media's "Gawker" network of sites, which also includes Gizmodo, Deadspin, Lifehacker, io9 and Jezebel. Named to CNET News' Blog 100, Kotaku is consistently listed in the top 40 of Technorati's Top 100...
highly praised the game, calling it a reason to buy a Wii. X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
gave it a 4 out of 5, praising the difficulty and levels of the game.
Criticism
Though British magazine EdgeEdge (magazine)
Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....
gave the game a positive score of 7/10, he criticized lack of the traditional Mario charm, poor graphical detail and overall easiness. GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
, who also scored the game of 7/10, argued that the game lacked the creativity of others in the series. The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
gave it a negative score of C+, calling it "the least essential Mario title to date", and stating that the game lacks a strong concept and shows an underlying repetitiveness in Mario games. Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
argued that the game works as a sequel because it maintains what made the original Mario games great while adding new features.
Awards
New Super Mario Bros. Wii received the Best Wii Game award at the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave it the 2009 Wii Game of the Year Award. GameTrailers
GameTrailers
GameTrailers is a media website that specializes in video game related content. It provides free access to original programming , game trailers and recorded game play. Along with standard definition , many of the video clips are offered in a higher resolution .Users can upload videos, create...
awarded it Best Wii Game of 2009. It also received the Best Family Game of the Year award in Yahoo's
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
2009 Game Awards, and the Nintendo Power Award for 2009's "Wii Game of the Year".
Controversy
James Burt, a 24 year-old manager at games retailer Electronics Boutique, admitted he uploaded the video game files of New Super Mario Bros. Wii to the Internet for others to download illegally in November 2009, a week before its commercial release in Australia, and was ordered to pay Nintendo the sum of $1.3 million dollars. Nintendo obtained a Federal CourtFederal Court of Australia
The Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court of record which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law , along with some summary criminal matters. Cases are heard at first instance by single Judges...
search order allowing them to go through Burt's residence in Sinnamon Park, Queensland, following which the company seized property from the premises in order to acquire more evidence against the individual. During the investigation, Burt also had to give up his passwords to social networking sites, email accounts and other online resources he had used.
New Super Mario Bros. Mii
is a tech demo for the Wii U that features gameplay derived directly from New Super Mario Bros. Wii, but notably incorporates MiiMii
A is a digital avatar used in Nintendo's Wii and Nintendo 3DS gaming consoles. They allow users to capture a likeness of themselves and others. After creating one using the Wii's Mii Channel or the Nintendo 3DS's Mii Maker, they can be used as playable characters in various titles for the...
s as playable characters. The demo was shown at Nintendo's
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
E3 2011
Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011, commonly known as E3 2011, was the 15th Electronic Entertainment Expo held. E3 is an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment Software Association . The event took place June 7–9, 2011 at the Los Angeles...
press conference. It is unknown if the game will be released in a final state. Although rendered in HD
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
, the game's graphics are similar to New Super Mario Bros. Wii. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
stated that New Super Mario Bros. Mii "felt extremely familiar" and in the multiplayer, "other players here are much more likely to be a hindrance than a help."