New Super Mario Bros. -- Final Opinion.

I have fully completed New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS. The game is fully complete when you've met three conditions. You've cleared all the levels including the secret ones, you've collected all the Star Coins, and you've spent all the star coins. Your save file will have a star by it for each of those conditions. A three star save file represents a fully completed game. How did Nintendo do with their return to a classic? Except for the two problems I covered last entry, they did a great job. New Super Mario Bros. delivers ninety levels of 2D gameplay platforming bliss wrapped up in 3D polygons. The game's graphics are as sharp and vibrant and charming as they should be for a Mario game. The sounds are again as sharp and vibrant and charming as they should be for a Mario game. The less is more approach to the voices is a very welcome addition. The level designs are as good as anything that's come before it. They offer up a real challenge in the later levels. The controls are perfect. They feel the same as they ever did, in spite of the sometimes cramp-inducing NDS. The lack of any real story is also quite welcome. Everything about the game works except for hunting down needed items and the save system. Nintendo needs to get right to work on New Super Mario Bros. 2. If they deliver everything that is good about New Super Mario Bros. and fix the item placement and offer a save anytime system, they'd have perfection. As it stands now New Super Mario Bros. gets an 8.5 from me.