New Super Mario Bros U
Only one word can be used to describe this man - cool
And now for arguably the biggest game to be released with the WiiU, New Super Mario Bros U. However, out of the three games I played, it was the least memorable. This is not to say that the game was not decent, just not as fun or as intuitive as either Rayman or Ninty Land. NSMBU plays similar to the NSMB available on the Wii. This includes all the positives and negatives from that game – the co-op is a little frantic for my liking as 4 WiiMote players dance around the screen, but the level design and graphics are superb.
Where NSMBU differs from its predecessor is the addition of a 5th co-operative player who handles the WiiMote. They are able to aid their fellow Marioites by placing additional platforms on the screen to make gaps shorter or jumps lower. This seems ideal in theory, but in practise you often ended up placing a platform in the wrong place and causing more of a hindrance than a help. Like in the previous version of the game, the co-op is almost a case of one-upmanship and is as competitive as it is co-operative. I prefer my games a little more sedate.
Overall, I was mightily impressed with WiiU’s offerings at this year’s show; I also saw ZombieU and Pikmin 3. With more 3rd Party games being released for the platform this time around, the hardcore have a little more to look forward to. However, it is still clear that Nintendo considers itself a family friendly brand and that they will concentrate on this market. As someone who already owns 100 mature shooters on the 360 I am quite happy to have a more relaxed console to play with.