Introduction
Today we are going to delve into one of the games that comes in a cartridge, New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe. First up is the Super Mario game, which we are off course going to play with Luigi. We are going to look at how the co-op works in this game, is there enough level variety and a lot more! This might be a port/remaster from the Wii U, be careful or this game will Switch you up. For making this review a bit easier to read, I will shorten the name of the game to Super Mario Bros U.
What did I think before playing Super Mario Bros U ?
My wife and I had a lot of fun when playing Super Mario 3D World, thus we were interested in playing another Super Mario game, however this time in 2D. There are many playable characters in this game, this also includes Toadette whom can transform into a form called Peachette. For more information, we went to the Nintendo page.
The Nintendo page.
https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/new-super-mario-bros-u-deluxe-switch/
This page hints at over 100 levels to clear in multiple games, however first up is Super Mario Bros U. This seems to be the more balanced game with which to start, as the other game entails higher difficulty and needs faster clear rates. My wife and I are going to start in co-op right from the bat.
Rating
I rate Super Mario Bros U with an 8.3 before playing.
Since the other games are fun, how bad could this game be, despite being a port from the Wii U.
Story
The story is the same old, Mario, Luigi and Peach are just chilling in the castle with some dinner when Bowser invades and launches Mario and co away. Peach has once again been kidnapped, and Mario and Luigi need to rescue her.
Rating
I rate the story of Super Mario Bros U with a 2.0
Like, really? How many times do we have to through the same story? Peach gets kidnapped again and we save her, the end!
Gameplay
The game has a large over world map, but there is no free roaming. You can only go straightforward, but there are side paths, but for those to be opened you will need to find secret exits. Each level is a 2D environment with different biomes. There are a lot of power ups to collect, one of the new ones is a something akin to becoming a squirrel.
Each level has star coins for you to collect, these are needed to open up the special world at the end of the game, make sure to find all the secret levels as well. You might need to hunt down every nook and cranny to get all the star coins! For some secret exits, you might need special power ups like the mini form.
At the end of each world, there is a boss fight against one of the koopalings that inhabit the castle. All the boss battles work a bit differently, but with the fire flower it should be easy to set them on fire.
Rating
I rate the gameplay of Super Mario Bros U with an 6.8.
While the story is bogus, as with most Super Mario games, the gameplay is still fun, but co-op is broken as heck. It does not work at all, I will go into details later about the co-op.
Sound and Graphics
Graphics
The graphics in this game are good, there are many different environments to explore like soda jungle or a desert filled with cakes. The character models are the same as always.
Sound
The enemies like to sing, they sing like Goomba’s! And then they make weird hops and stuff, it seems Mario had too many shrooms this time around. However, the soundtrack is fun along with great sound effects.
Rating
I rate the sound and graphics of Super Mario Bros U with a 7.7
This time it is extra trippy with some levels taking the cake, literally.
What did I think after playing Super Mario Bros U
We tried co-op in the beginning, but it was horrible, the screen is shared which is no problem, but the tether is very short. Meaning, you get teleported away every time someone tries to get a coin. The game also has micro stutters when the other player kills an enemy, picks up a coin, among other things. Meaning the other player will suddenly stop moving mid-jump and just plummet to their death.
Due to this error, we stopped playing very soon in co-op, my wife decided to call it quits and let me continue the journey alone. It was utterly frustrating when trying to complete a sky bound level with all these micro stutters and random teleports with the short tether.
Rating
I rate Super Mario Bros U with a 3.0 after playing.
The co-op is horrible, the game is much easier to play alone. If you can handle the micro stutters, you might be able to play this in co-op
What are my personal thoughts about Super Mario Bros U?
To be honest, once we found out about the co-op, the game took a drastic dip in the personal rating for me. I just bum rushed the game to the final battle whilst collecting all the star coins.
Rating
My personal Rating of Super Mario Bros U is a 5.0
I am utterly disappointed in this game.
Last Words
Pros
- Jump across multiple worlds with different biomes
- Nabbit and Toadette are playable
- Unlock the secret world by collecting all the star coins.
- Use the new acorn upgrade to float your way to victory
Cons
- The co-op has a lot of micro stutters
- The story is once again the same
- The boss fights are almost all the same fight with little differences.
What I disliked was that I could not keep an item in reserve like in Super Mario 3D World, however you can stock some up in the over world, this way you can use it before starting a new level. This can also be done after you hit a checkpoint in a level and then die.
Final Rating
5.6
Let me know what you think of Super Mario Bros U in the comments!
I hope you enjoyed reading this review, I hope to see you in the next review!
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Nice review
Good review! Wow this game co-op is a sure way to ruin a day…
Yeah, it was a huge bummer!
It’s a shame the co-op didn’t work out.
Cool!
Thanks for review
Review was a solid 10 for me. Sucks that Co-op needs some changes but sadly Nintendo barely touches their games that much once it releases.
Until they want you to buy DLC that is overpriced!
co-op Mario, nice! its sad that it doesnt work as it should..
I agree!
good review makes me wanna play it
Maybe one day, Nintendo will release a co-op Mario game that utilizes all the potential that this series has.
Probably in twenty years or so.
very well.
All Mario games are really good
I don’t have Nintendo switch, but good review
It is objective review 😉
pity about the co-op
Indeed, it is a shame that it happens to often!
The Princess is in another castle… again
I just take Toad with me and leave!