Critics
The game was praised by numerous reviews, several of which noted that New Super Mario Bros. was one of the best games available for the Nintendo DS. GameZone believed that it was the "hot game" to purchase for any DS owner, noting its "huge exploration potential" and reinvention of the platform game genre. Tom Bramwell of Eurogamer stated, "I've done this sort of thing before hundreds of times across thousands of days in what feels like a dozen Mario games. I still love it." Believing that experienced players would require very little time to complete the game, GameSpot nevertheless considered New Super Mario Bros. a "completely awesome" game that was an "absolutely necessary" video game to own. GamesRadar considered the game a bargain, noting that it included "a completely solid solo game, a simple-but-exciting two-player, and then a collection of super-quick stylus games".
Several reviewers drew comparisons between New Super Mario Bros. and their favorite Mario games. Although some found that other Mario games were better, most reviewers were still pleased with the overall experience of the game. Craig Harris of IGN was enthused with New Super Mario Bros., stating that it was his new favorite platform game, beating out his previous favorite, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Even though Super Mario World and Super Mario Bros. 3 were considered the best 2D Mario games by GamePro's Mr. Marbles, he decided to add New Super Mario Bros. as his third favorite Mario game, which he admitted had much more replay value than the other two. Despite including new features such as a versus mode, the game made Game Revolution disconcertedly ask the question, "Can Mario ever truly be new again?" It also disappointed Greg Sewart of X-Play, who found that the game did not live up to the standards set by its predecessors, but still considered the game the best side-scrolling video game available for the Nintendo DS. Finally, the game got a 96% from The Official Nintendo Magazine, and thus, earned a 'Gold Award'.
The game's graphics and audio received praise in a number of reviews. The Computer and Video Games magazine was entertained by the "finely crafted slice of Mario", along with the extra minigames offered. They believed that the audio was very good for a Nintendo DS game, predicting that "it'd still scare the pants of the hard-of-hearing." Despite being a 2D game, GameSpy still found that the 2D and 3D elements blended together perfectly in New Super Mario Bros. The game's overall experience pleased 1UP.com, which applauded Nintendo's ability to once again create an enjoyable, solid, and challenging portable experience. However, they were disappointed in the lack of imagination for this remake. Also reviewers quoted that the minigames were disappointing and recycled Super Mario 64 DS mini games, but praised the replay value in them.
Read more about this topic: New Super Mario Bros., Reception
Famous quotes containing the word critics:
“When the critics come around it’s always too late.”
—Sidney, Sir Nolan (1917–1992)
“Learn then what morals critics ought to show,
For ‘tis but half a judge’s task, to know.”
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744)
“I wish glib and indiscriminate critics of industrialists had some conception of the problems that have to be met by factory management.... General condemnation of employers is a favorite indoor sport of the uninformed intelligentsia who assume the role of lance- bearers for labor.”
—Mary Barnett Gilson (1877–?)