I got New Super Mario Bros. U a couple days ago, and I’m now most of the way through the third world. A lot of people are talking about the map screen and how it’s a lot like the map in Super Mario World. And that’s true…the worlds run together and you can see the full map as opposed to separate maps for each world. It also has mushroom houses, which give you items you can store for later use. That’s straight out of Super Mario Bros. 3.
The graphics look better than New Super Mario Bros. Wii, but not by much. As for the gameplay, it really seems equivalent to the Wii game. It has good platforming, but nothing has really wowed me so far. Up to this point, I’d have to say it’s in the good-but-not-great range. But I am only in the third world, and I’ve heard the game gets better later on, so I’m not ready to make a final determination just yet.
As for the new flying squirrel power-up, it’s just alright. It doesn’t really allow you to fly, it just lets you glide. It’s helpful, but I don’t like it as much as I liked the penguin suit and propeller hat from New Super Mario Bros. Wii. On a more positive note, I am glad to see the ghost houses return.
I will have a review and a gameplay video in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.