‘New Super Mario Bros. U’
Anyone who picked up the chaotic “New Super Mario Bros.” on the Wii will know pretty well how the WiiU iteration plays. Mario Co. dash around familiar scenes in the three levels we played through. The most surprising aspect was the stunning, high-definition look of the backgrounds, reminiscent of the cut and pasted look of “Paper Mario.” Two new powerups are confirmed: a flying squirrel suit and a very hungry floating Yoshi. There’s not much added value from the GamePad in this title, except for the ability to create temporary boxes with the touch screen for players in-game. In theory helpful, the extra blocks actually proved as useful as having your friend throw you off a cliff.
Takeaway: Menacing, with a chance to threaten friendships. In a good way.
