New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Did You Know?

• The game's plot begins with Mario, Luigi, Yellow Toad, and Blue Toad celebrating Princess Peach's birthday when Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings emerge from a large cake and trap Peach inside.
• A sequel, New Super Mario Bros. U, was released as a launch title for the Wii U in 2012, and later re-released for the Nintendo Switch in 2019 as New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe.
• A Japan-only arcade game titled New Super Mario Bros. Wii Coin World was developed by Capcom in 2011, featuring slot-machine mechanics and multiplayer.

Development

New Super Mario Bros. Wii was created from a desire to recreate the single-player Super Mario experience for multiple players. Shigeru Miyamoto had wanted a multiplayer Super Mario game since the 1983 arcade game Mario Bros., but attempts for Super Mario 64 failed due to Nintendo 64 hardware limitations. The Wii's faster CPU and enhanced graphics and memory allowed smooth display of enough enemies and items and a camera that adapts to players' movements.

Miyamoto said Princess Peach was not playable because her skirt would require complex programming. After the success of New Super Mario Bros., Miyamoto wanted a follow-up that would be a staple for the Wii. He felt the previous game was not hard enough, so he designed this one with a higher challenge for those who wanted it, while adding the Super Guide feature for accessibility. The Super Guide was first conceived in a June 2008 patent with three demo play modes: Game, Digest, and Scene Menu.

Release

On May 30, 2009, the Japanese newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported a sequel to New Super Mario Bros. tentatively called New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The game was announced at E3 2009 and shown at Gamescom. It was released in a red case instead of the traditional white. The announcement came after a 52% drop in Nintendo's first-half earnings for 2009, and Nintendo hoped the game would boost Wii sales.

Miyamoto expressed faith that sales would remain strong beyond the first year. The game was released in Australia on November 12, 2009, in North America on November 15, in Europe on November 20, and in Japan on December 3. It was bundled with a red Wii console on October 29, 2010, and with a black Wii Family Edition on October 23, 2011. A Wii U demo called New Super Mario Bros. Mii was shown at E3 2011.

The game was released on the Wii U's Virtual Console in 2016 for Europe, Australia, and Japan. An enhanced port for the Nvidia Shield TV was released in China on December 5, 2017, with 1080p graphics and a redesigned UI.

Reception

The game received praise for its multiplayer features, with critics highlighting both competitive and cooperative aspects, though the lack of online play was criticized. Comparisons were made to The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures. Chad Concelmo of Destructoid praised the levels and tighter control, giving a 9.5 score. Engadget's Andrew Yoon called the game playable, addictive, and fresh, commending the camera system.

Ars Technica called it insidiously fun despite simple graphics. GameSpot's Sophia Tong compared it to Super Mario Bros. 3. Eurogamer's Oli Welsh called the multiplayer a stroke of genius. Chris Kohler of Wired praised the difficulty.

The presentation was praised: CNET's Jeff Balakar called the widescreen an eye-opening experience, and IGN's Craig Harris praised the smooth graphics. Some reviewers found the multiplayer occasionally frustrating due to chaos and tight screen space. CNET's Dan Ackerman noted its similarity to 2D predecessors. MTV's Russ Frushtick compared its difficulty to Contra.