Gamespot score:9.0(editor's choice)
my score:8.2
(+)pros:- gorgeously redone graphics to fit the DS,- a huge improvement from its old retro and many past counterparts,- fun and enjoyable to almost anyone,- new extra cool features,- plays extremely well
(-)cons:-too easy,- extremely linear at times
gameplay time:10-20 hours(below average)
This was one of my early DS games so I may have forgotten many stuff about it and may not be "right on the spot" for this one. Yeah to start off this is the old mario that every one knows and loves. Kappas, mushrooms , bowsers and lots of bricks. Yap its mario all right, but its been extremely well remade and been put into the DS. Just a foreword comment, all the world's game sites are overating this, Im really sure. Maybe its cuz all the reviewers like old school mario? Oh well.
Okay. Story wise all those who played old school marios will know it all too well. Princess peach gets kidnapped, blah blah blah, you are to go to rescue her from bowser, but she just keeps getting caught over and over again boss after boss mario defeats. Its really no diff. If this is the 1st time you have played mario you will find the story abit lame and at times annoying, since boss after boss she just keeps getting pulled away by that annoying bastard that always appears out of nowhere. But for old school mario players you shud be used to this so it shouldnt affect you much. Well anyway mario is all about its platforming gameplay, not much to its story.
Well gameplay wise you get...almost anyting a 2D platformer has. Well 1st I'd like to comment about how well nintendo did on the remake. Graphics are gorgeous for the DS, no lags no shits, and it plays very well. Great job nintendo. Everything looks really refined and well detailed in 3D for this game. As the player you really should appreciate the looks for this game, absolutely awesome. 
Well lookie here its bowser again. Yap he looks great, but he still falls pretty easily. About gameplay, you get to sprint, jump crouch ,jump on stuff, butt stomp..... yada yada yada. Thats what mario is all about. Anyway you also get this cool new feature that lets you keep all mushrooms you get in extra and store it. You can then use it anytime you want when you are in a pinch, or when you just want to use it for your own purposes. This is my favourite of the new features. More on that later on. Well, altough well remade, mario still remains as an extremely linear game with extremely linear levels and objectives. Not to pry, but levels can be cleared easily without backtracking or moving to other side areas, like its old counter parts. But once again, its mario after all.
Yahoo, check out big mario. Yeah another new feature is the huge mario. Some times you hit a brick, and out pops a gigantic mushroom. Touch it and mario becomes gundam sized and is able to step on anything that stands in front of him. Cool eh? And luigi too, I cant remember what he's there for, but I know its some thing new added to the game. These 2 new features aside, I have to say that the game is too easy. Easier than the retro mario actually, for some reason. You can clear the stage without dieing, no kid. But once awhile you come across a different obstacle thats need to be crossed with a different approach, only then you will die probably once or twice, but after that you can just clear it no problem. The bosses are terribly simple too.
Overall I think mario is overated everywhere. But that doesnt change the fact that I still think mario is a great game. Should be checked out by everyone, since almost everyone of any age can just jump straight to the game and get hooked to it till the very end.
Happy gaming.
