New Super Mario Bros U WiiU Impressions.

Ready for more 2D platforming?

New Super Mario Bros U was one of the games I got to play but was not able to get gameplay footage of.

The fun things about NSMBU is the fact that a small speed run tournament was hosted at the WiiU experience....and well...My partner and I took home first place! =)

Now when I say I played with a teammate you are probably thinking one of us was Mario and the other was Luigi or some generic Toad...not exactly....

That's right folks. We BEAT Mario and Luigi.

During the tournament I took control of Mario with the classic sideways Wii-mote controller scheme. Mario controlled the same as always...I did not notice any differences in controls. While I was sprinting through the course as fast as possible my teammate assistance me in my run with the WiiU game pad. He could add stepping blocks, stun enemies, and help me gather useful items. In one scenery I was running through the stage without enough time to jump on a Koopa shell... luckily my partner came to the last minute rescue by tapping the Koopa as it appears real time on his game pad. Doing this popped the Koopa shell into Mario's hands allowing me to take out some Goombas off in the distance.

The demo at the WiiU Experience featured 3 playable levels. For a Super Mario veteran like myself I found these stages very simple, but fun non the less.  The stages looked very colorful and vibrant in its widescreen HD showing.

The full game can also be played on the gamepad at any time without the need of the television which is another great addition. Want to check the weather or how a sports team is doing? Just switch to the gamepad mode and keep playing while you check up on your favorite team.

New Super Mario Bros U is nothing groundbreaking, but it is more of the same fun you would come to expect from the New series. New levels, new power-ups, new graphics, and new features, and the ability to bring your Mii into the platforming action.

-Travis