New Super Mario Bros. U & Nintendo Land IGN Review

http://au.ign.com/articles/2012/11/15/new-super-mario-bros-u-review

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While Nintendo has returned to the concept of a 2D Mario time and time again in recent years, none of these retro revivals have recaptured the quality of their predecessors. Rather than developing proper evolutions of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World, the New Mario series watered down successful formulas to the point where it was good, but not nearly as great as its legacy. In other words, the brilliance of the NES and SNES formulas has eluded Nintendo’s modern teams.

New Super Mario Bros. U changes that pattern. Though it doesn’t necessarily redefine Nintendo’s iconic hero, it still manages to capture the sense of carefree adventure that many of us felt as kids. More importantly, the game contains a significant amount of challenge, both within its story mode and outside of it. This game has clearly been designed by a team that regards Super Mario World with as much affection as those of us who grew up with it. Were it not for the game’s weak graphics and audio, plus the return of the irritating chaotic, bouncy multiplayer mode, this game might rival some of Nintendo’s better 2D accomplishments.

http://au.ign.com/articles/2012/11/15/nintendo-land-review

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Following the example of Wii Sports (the Wii pack-in that introduced the world to motion controls while cementing the console as a must-have party accessory), Nintendo Land is being propped up as the Second Coming of mini-games. It remains to be seen whether Land will have the same effect for Wii U that Sports did for Wii. What really matters, though, is that the game is exceptionally fun, and a fitting show of what tablet gaming on a home console is all about.

A premiere example of a mini-game collection, what Nintendo Land achieves in terms of depth and variety is quite exceptional. It presents 12 different attractions, each with its own unique stages or modes and each anchored around a particular Nintendo franchise - from mainstays like Mario, Zelda and Donkey Kong to more niche offerings like Balloon Fight, Pikmin and F-Zero. What brings all these quite varied franchises and distinct gameplay designs into one cohesive whole is the theme park motif that ties it all together, which serves as the crux of the entire experience.