1-player excitement, 4-player insanity
New Super Mario Bros. Wii was more than I expected in light of the announcements and the hype that surrounded this game.
It's tougher than your average SMB game but not as tough as SMB: Lost Levels. My only gripe with this game is you cannot use the Classic Controller, which would have only made the platforming easier. The game definitely was reminiscent of Super Mario Bros. 3, with the Koopalings, airships, and mini-games including the "concentration" games(aka power-up panels).
Even when you complete the game, there's more to do, especially if you didn't get all of the Star Coins the 1st go-around.
In starting up, the multiplayer action can be a bit disorienting at times, especially in the latter levels when things get dicey, and you end up looking at the wrong character, or one of your partners (erm...children) pick you up and throw you to your demise! That doesn't detract from the absolute fun you will have, especially the satisfaction of getting to the end.
Speaking of the end, the Bowser boss battle is one of the most exciting (if not protracted) final SMB boss battles seen.
All I can say is it's about time!