Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Hardware
  • Video
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Deals
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Trending
  • Gamescom 2025 schedule
  • Gamescom
  • Battlefield 6
  • New Games for 2025
Don't miss these
Screenshot featuring Toad and Toadette from the Wii U version of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Games The 25 best Wii U games of all time
Switch 2 launch games: a close-up of Mario and Luigi racing each other during Mario Kart World.
Racing Games Mario Kart World review: "A glorious road trip that embraces the open road"
Donkey Kong Bananza gamesradar+ summer preview 2025 DK and Pauline looking scared
Platforming Games Donkey Kong Bananza is a destructive delight that's basically Super Mario Odyssey+, and I can't believe it wasn't a Switch 2 launch title
Kirby and the Forgotten Land Star-Crossed World screenshot of Kirby looking up at a little starry character with Astronomer Waddle Dee (who wears a beret with star decals) and the blue chinchilla-like companion Elfilin
Platforming Games Just when I thought Kirby and the Forgotten Land couldn't get any better, Star-Crossed World on Switch 2 proved me wrong
Mario Kart World screenshot for Switch 2 showing Wario blasting ahead with a host of characters right behind him in a desert biome
Super Mario I finally got to play Mario Kart World after hundreds of hours in Mario Kart 8, but Knockout Tour was so stressful that I immediately went back to its predecessor
Mario Kart World
Super Mario Mario Kart World: Everything you need to know about the new Switch 2 game
Best Wii games: The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword screenshot.
Games The 25 best Wii games of all time
Walugi dressed as a vampire grimances as he is propelled into the air towards Great ? Block Ruins in Mario Kart World
Racing Games Mario Kart World's intermissions are a fun novelty, but I'm already sick of them detracting from more time in the circuits
Best Mario games
Super Mario The 15 best Mario games of all time
Donkey Kong punches a rock enemy in the face in Donkey Kong Bananza with a large purple glowing area in the background
Donkey Kong I'm glad to announce Donkey Kong Bananza has the Super Mario Odyssey sauce: it's taken less than a day for players to skip a boss fight entirely with speedrunning tech
Screenshot from Mario Kart World's reveal trailer showing a Moo Moo Meadows cow on a bike.
Super Mario Mario Kart World geniuses are already using the racing game's new mechanics to create incredible shortcuts and land some nefarious green shell snipes
Donkey Kong Bananza DK flying around a whirlwind
Donkey Kong By smashing together Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Donkey Kong Bananza has finally justified my Nintendo Switch 2 purchase
Hollow Knight Autumn Preview
Action Games Hollow Knight Silksong hands-on: 2,379 days after its reveal I finally played the elusive Metroidvania, and it is absolutely worth the wait
Mario Kart World screenshot featuring Mario and a P Switch
Super Mario Nintendo proves nothing is too niche for Mario Kart World's massive soundtrack with a remix of a drawing tutorial from a late 2000s DSi app
Screenshot from New Super Mario Bros. Wii showing Mario sliding around in a Penguin suit power-up.
Super Mario Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto spent an entire New Super Mario Bros. Wii test demo just sliding around with the Penguin power-up, former Nintendo marketing leads recall: "That's all he was doing"
  1. Games
  2. Platformer
  3. Super Mario
  4. New Super Mario Bros. U

New Super Mario Bros U preview - 8 ways its just like Super Mario World

Features
By Henry Gilbert published 30 October 2012

After beating the first five worlds, we were happily reminded of the SNES classic

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

The good old days

The good old days

Its harder to find bigger Mario fans than us, but after Augusts New Super Mario Bros 2, it felt like we could really use a little break from Marios platforming. Fast forward two months to when weve played more than half of the upcoming New Super Mario Bros U and are dying to finish it. Why are we so sold on the Wii U launch game? Because of our endless love for Super Mario World.

After beating the first five worlds, we couldnt help but notice all the lessons New Super Mario Bros U learned from Super Mario World. Beyond surface level references, NSMBU is a tribute to whats great about the SNES original. Lets start with

Page 1 of 10
Page 1 of 10
Yoshi is a plumbers best friend

Yoshi is a plumbers best friend

Yoshi has been in so many Mario games since he first appeared in World that his special skills are in danger of becoming commonplace. But NSMBU does its best to make him special again. Much like in New Super Mario Bros Wii, Yoshi is limited to the stage you find him in, but now he acts much more like his World self, particularly in his ability to drop power-ups after eating enough fruit. Meanwhile, the Baby Yoshis are back for their first real appearance since World, and they have the same ravenous appetite for eating any enemy that stands in front of them. Still, no matter how many they eat, they stay the same adorable size, or at least thats true for the pink, blue, and yellow varieties we came across.

Page 2 of 10
Page 2 of 10
Its deeper than its predecessor

Its deeper than its predecessor

New Super Mario Bros 2 was full of brief levels, challenging affairs made to be played on brief train rides. The stages were fast and furious, just like in Super Mario Bros 3. Fans will remember Super Mario World took what 3 did so well and incorporated that into bigger, more varied stages that tested a players endurance as well as their reflexes. NSMBU does the same with diverse levels whose complexity puts the last Mario game to shame. Without NSMB2s gold coin gimmick to hide behind, the stages are forced to stand on their own merits, filled with new challenges that will entertain Mario veterans and newcomers alike.

Page 3 of 10
Page 3 of 10
The Forest of Illusion returns

The Forest of Illusion returns

NSMBU is the first Mario game ever to have a seamless, continuous world map, and that sprawling overworld is laid out similarly to the one in Super Mario World. The homages get much more overt in the shadowy midpoint of NSMBUs fifth section. There youll find an extended riff on Worlds Forest of Illusion, one of the trickier portions of that game. NSMBUs forest has the same commitment to confusing the player with false exits and roads that go nowhere. NSMBUs reference is made all the more direct by the fact that the screen pixelates when you enter the forest.

Page 4 of 10
Page 4 of 10
Stages made to show off the new graphics

Stages made to show off the new graphics

Packed in with the SNES when it launched, Super Mario World was tasked with showing off the new graphical prowess of the system, like in its colorful levels that used the new Mode 7 sprite rotation. NSMBU has a similar responsibility as one of Nintendos first HD games, and while it wasnt true for every stage we played, a few really impressed us with their visuals. Particularly praiseworthy of the first five worlds was the stage inspired by Van Goghs Starry Night painting. The brushstrokes in the background and artistry of the stage make the most of the new HD canvas.

Page 5 of 10
Page 5 of 10
The promise of secret exits to come

The promise of secret exits to come

Super Mario World had dozens of exits to its stages, some so skillfully hidden that they were virtually impossible to find without a guide. After spending hours with NSBMU, we came across no fewer than three different secret exits, but we know thats only the beginning. If we were able to find a trio of hidden flag poles without really looking, just imagine how well hidden the secret exits are in levels like the haunted houses.

Page 6 of 10
Page 6 of 10
The Koopalings have some new tricks

The Koopalings have some new tricks

Missing until a few years ago, the Koopalings--Bowsers seven bratty children--have returned again in NSMNBU. As usual, each reptilian tike guards the castle of a different world, but not all of them are using the same strategy. Instead of repeating the patterns theyve used for over 20 years, be ready for them to pull out some intriguing new battle tactics. Perhaps they picked them up from Bowser Jr., the annoying Koopa namesake thats just waiting for the perfect time to drop an airship on Mario.

Page 7 of 10
Page 7 of 10
Bigger stages, greater challenge

Bigger stages, greater challenge

Super Mario World did a great job of expanding the scope and richness of a traditional Mario stage, and we can say the same for what weve seen in NSMBU. You can best experience the vastness of some of its levels when playing with at least two players. In multiplayer the camera pulls back fairly far, and unlike the empty space of previous New Mario games, in NSMBU you can tell the developers took advantage of the space in front of them. Many levels are dense with areas to explore, and the scope is especially easy to appreciate on an HDTV.

Page 8 of 10
Page 8 of 10
Tons of replay value

Tons of replay value

Super Mario World got much of its replay value from the huge number of secrets to find in the game, and while NSMBU has secrets as well, its more than that. NSMBU has dozens of extra challenge modes to vex high level players. Players will be tasked with speed runs, grabbing as few coins as possible in a level, or seeing how many 1-Ups they can collect without touching the ground, and much more. The many included minigames will likely test Mario experts for hours after they save Princess Peach.

Page 9 of 10
Page 9 of 10
How super can it be?

How super can it be?

Now that weve played such a huge portion of New Super Mario Bros U, we cant wait to play the final game when it launches with the Wii U November 18. Keep a look out for our review soon, and in the meantime, why not tell us in the comments if youre sold yet on the next adventure of Nintendos mascot.

Need to know more about Mario? Check out our 9 reasons were excited for the game and our New Super Mario Bros. U videos.

Page 10 of 10
Page 10 of 10
CATEGORIES
Nintendo Wii-u Platforms
Henry Gilbert
Henry Gilbert
Social Links Navigation

Henry Gilbert is a former GamesRadar+ Editor, having spent seven years at the site helping to navigate our readers through the PS3 and Xbox 360 generation. Henry is now following another passion of his besides video games, working as the producer and podcast cohost of the popular Talking Simpsons and What a Cartoon podcasts. 

See more Nintendo Features
Read more
Screenshot featuring Toad and Toadette from the Wii U version of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
The 25 best Wii U games of all time
Switch 2 launch games: a close-up of Mario and Luigi racing each other during Mario Kart World.
Mario Kart World review: "A glorious road trip that embraces the open road"
Donkey Kong Bananza gamesradar+ summer preview 2025 DK and Pauline looking scared
Donkey Kong Bananza is a destructive delight that's basically Super Mario Odyssey+, and I can't believe it wasn't a Switch 2 launch title
Kirby and the Forgotten Land Star-Crossed World screenshot of Kirby looking up at a little starry character with Astronomer Waddle Dee (who wears a beret with star decals) and the blue chinchilla-like companion Elfilin
Just when I thought Kirby and the Forgotten Land couldn't get any better, Star-Crossed World on Switch 2 proved me wrong
Mario Kart World screenshot for Switch 2 showing Wario blasting ahead with a host of characters right behind him in a desert biome
I finally got to play Mario Kart World after hundreds of hours in Mario Kart 8, but Knockout Tour was so stressful that I immediately went back to its predecessor
Mario Kart World
Mario Kart World: Everything you need to know about the new Switch 2 game
Latest in Super Mario
A screenshot of Mario in the Super Mario 3D All-Stars release of Super Mario 64 holding a baby penguin next to its mother.
I've been playing Super Mario 64 for nearly 30 years and I somehow never noticed the 1/256 Easter egg when Mario jumps out of the water, which at one point in development created a "bountiful fountain of fish"
Screenshot from New Super Mario Bros. Wii showing Mario sliding around in a Penguin suit power-up.
Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto spent an entire New Super Mario Bros. Wii test demo just sliding around with the Penguin power-up, former Nintendo marketing leads recall: "That's all he was doing"
Mario Kart World screenshot for Switch 2 showing Wario blasting ahead with a host of characters right behind him in a desert biome
I finally got to play Mario Kart World after hundreds of hours in Mario Kart 8, but Knockout Tour was so stressful that I immediately went back to its predecessor
Mario Kart 64 image with Bowser, Mario, Peach, and Toad.
Mario Kart 64 just got an unofficial Dreamcast port in the year of our lord 2025, which somehow feels like perfect timing after Mario Kart World
Mario Kart World
Mario Kart World banana snipers beware: that MKTV helicopter watching you race can apparently obliterate your chances at winning
The Super Mario Bros NES box
"How do you even do this to a leaderboard of a popular game like Super Mario Bros?": Speedrunner beats the platformer's world record by 5 seconds, the biggest jump in over a decade
Latest in Features
Borderlands 4 screenshot shows someone holding a weapon forward towards the camera.
"We tend to commit to the bit": Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford talks Borderlands 4, the evolution of looter-shooters, and $80 game discourse
Valor Mortis
Ghostrunner devs abandon parkour for Valor Mortis, a first-person soulslike that might explain why the rest of the genre follows Dark Souls' lead
A mech firing a machine gun in the desert in Menace
Menace is an XCOM-Warhammer hybrid that makes turn-based strategy feel like an immersive sim, and for the first time in my life I'm playing a game that seems made for me
Metal Gear Solid 5 showing Snake and Ocelot looking to the horizon in front of more soldiers
10 years later, Metal Gear Solid 5 remains a masterpiece that was never going to live up to its own hype
Dogtooth
The new Yorgos Lanthimos movie is getting rave first reactions out of Venice Film Festival, but I think it's worth revisiting his breakout feature Dogtooth before Bugonia hits theaters this fall
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Legacy of the Forge DLC showing Henry and two allies standing looking down
I built a home and ran a business in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's next DLC, and the added role-playing guarantees I'll spend another 70 hours in my current game of the year
  1. Kaser clad in black and Victor in white clash swords in Lost Soul Aside
    1
    Lost Soul Aside review: "We (don't) have Final Fantasy Versus 13 at home"
  2. 2
    Hell is Us review: "The lack of waypoints and explicit objectives is a double-edged magical sword that pulls me deep into its harsh world"
  3. 3
    Shuten Order review: "The Danganronpa creator's new multi-genre mystery feels like a forgotten DS cult classic I would have been obsessed with"
  4. 4
    The Rogue Prince of Persia review: "I roguelike but don't roguelove this freerunner – there's just not enough to stand out"
  5. 5
    Shinobi: Art of Vengeance review: "So close to being to a pitch-perfect revival of a classic series, but just can't quite line up the killing blow"
  1. Jacob Elordi as the monster in Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein
    1
    Frankenstein review: "A classy, if somewhat safe, adaptation"
  2. 2
    Weapons review: "A twisted fairytale that bests Barbarian"
  3. 3
    The Fantastic Four: First Steps review: "An occasionally thrilling heroic adventure that sits safely within a B-tier MCU range"
  4. 4
    Superman review: "A triumphant reinvention and a promising start for the DCU"
  5. 5
    Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber"
  1. John Cena as Peacemaker holds a gun to the head of a different John Cena as Peacemaker in Peacemaker season 2.
    1
    Peacemaker season 2 review: "Darker and sadder than the first year, but there's still a lot of fun to be had with the 11th Street Kids."
  2. 2
    Wednesday season 2 part 1 review: "Complex and exciting but weighed down by too many subplots"
  3. 3
    Alien: Earth review: "Arguably the franchise's strongest outing since James Cameron's Aliens"
  4. 4
    King of the Hill season 14 review: "Hank Hill himself has evolved into a much more open and accepting person"
  5. 5
    Eyes of Wakanda review: "A creative premise shortchanged by the runtime and Marvel bloat"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...