I’ll cut to the chase. This game is fun. It isn’t like we didn’t see this coming. It is a new 2D Mario game, it would be weird if it wasn’t. For the record, I can only speak on the single-player experience since I haven’t touched the multiplayer aspect. However, I think I can speak for most people when I say that multiplayer settings have never been a strength for these games since New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Currently, I am about halfway through my playthrough of the game. I am playing as my boy Luigi as always because I have always had respect for player 2. For those of you who haven’t played a Mario game before, the plot is pretty straightforward. Bowser is up to no good and everyone goes through different themed worlds in order to stop him. Right now, I am not sure how we will defeat him, but it usually works out alright if I just keep going to the right. Since it has been a while since I played a Mario game, I totally forgot about the life system. Thankfully, I have yet to get a game over. There are three reasons why it is unlikely for you to get a game over. First is that you can purchase lives. Second, you can store an additional power-up for an emergency, and third, you can restart a course at any time, even if you are halfway into a bottomless pit.
Speaking of powerups, there aren’t a ton of powerups in this game. There are only five standard powerups. The three that are new are the Bubble Flower, Elephant Fruit, and Drill Mushroom. The Bubble Flower is useful for both attacking and platforming, the Elephant Fruit is great for squaring up with enemies, and the Drill Mushroom is great for doing some upside-down platforming. The big powerup though is the Wonder Flower which is a powerup with a unique effect in every stage you find it on. There are three things that can potentially happen when you encounter them. Either the stage will undergo a transformation, your character will undergo a transformation, or both will happen at once. It is an interesting way to make each level feel unique. I certainly haven’t gotten tired of playing it. In fact, I almost forgot to write this post because I lost track of time. What can I say? I’m having a good time. Sue me. Anyway, the game is a trip and I’m along for the ride.
Since I aim to fully complete each area, it does take a little while to find everything, but it is very satisfying to manage to acquire every single Wonder Seed. Those are the main Macguffins in case you were curious. Sometimes they can be a bit tricky to find, but they are all pretty manageable. The hardest ones are in the searching levels where you need to find secrets to obtain the Wonder Seed. Those are probably easier with other people though. I wouldn’t know. Single-player for life! Anyway, that’s all I want to say. I’m going to go back to playing some more so everyone have a great night!
That Casual Gamer Guy 