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Review: New Super Luigi U

It’s been just over a month since my first look at New Super Luigi U at E3. I’ve finally had the chance to sink my teeth into the add-on. Without the distractions of Nintendo’s extravagant showroom and pressure of a hectic E3 schedule I can finally say that New Super Luigi U is “New Super Luigi Impressive.”

Even though this is essentially DLC for New Super Mario Bros U, it’s huge. With 82 new levels added to the original map, the add-on is every bit as big as the main game. This is despite the fact the levels are shorter, thanks to the new 100-second time limit. Luigi’s different interpretation of physics is immediately apparent, setting him apart from his glory-hogging brother. He’s a little quicker and lot spryer.  As mentioned in the preview, this comes at a cost. Although he’s faster — and can jump higher — he slides a lot more, making him harder to control. Ice levels are more than twice as hard as Luigi seems to slide for ages before stopping. Regaining control of your lanky green plumber takes some getting used to.

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The higher level of difficulty is the most important thing to note about New Super Luigi U.  This is the major difference that separates the DLC and the original. It reminds me of Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels in so many ways that it almost seems a sequel of sorts. Playing through New Super Luigi U and defeating the end boss is no mean feat. The DLC for New Super Mario Bros is not only harder than the original game, but the most difficult in the series to date.

That’s what I love about it.

Having played every title in the series, I always look forward to discovering all the secrets I’d missed along during a second run through. In New Super Mario Bros 2 I collected 10 million coins and maxed out the coin counter — joining the millionaire coin hunt club along the way — just because I could. These games may not seem to have much replay value on the surface, but you can certainly spend many hours trying to find all the hidden secrets and Easter eggs.

Speaking of secrets, there are an incredible number of Luigi statues, murals and hidden pixel art littered throughout the levels. I’d found a few of these during my preview session, but nothing major.  While playing the final version I realised the effort that had gone into hiding a mountain of little secrets. Each one makes you smile every time you find them. These secrets made me more vigilant while playing, always on the lookout for a potential Easter egg or hidden path.. Little touches like Luigi raising his fists in defense while waiting for Boom Boom to power up in the boss battles also add to the charm of the package. It goes a long way to make this DLC feel more like a standalone product.

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New Super Luigi U offers three choices for control, Wii U GamePad, Wii Remote and — as of the recent update — the Wii U Pro Controller. I used the latter for most of my play through. At first using the Pro Controller was a little strange. Using what is essentially a modified Xbox 360 controller for a Mario game felt like overkill, but after a short time it became my favorite of the three.

Adding a little replay value to the DLC is the quest to find every exit and all the star coins. Doing so will unlock secret levels and the new ability to switch back to the standard New Super Mario Bros U gameplay. A big Mario block will be present at the beginning of each level after defeating the final boss. Hitting this block allows the player the choice between the New Super Luigi style or that of the original. It makes the green plumber feel like he’s red. Once activated, the change will only last for the level you’re in. If you prefer the old style, you’ll have to hit the block at the start of each course. Switching back to Mario’s slower more precise play style was too boring though and quickly made the decision to avoid hitting the block an easy one.

A neat trick for people struggling on tricky levels is to hold ZL when choosing a level. This changes the playable character to Nabbit who can neither be hurt, nor can he use any power ups. Instead he’ll trade them in after reaching the goal for 1-ups. This is quite useful when running low on lives later in the game. It’s also an easy way to get some of the trickier missing star coins as Nabbit’s semi-reformed bad guy skills make each level a breeze.

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The price of this package is just about the only thing I have a problem with. At first $30 seemed way too much for DLC. After playing it though, I realised that it isn’t just another title thrown together for the “Year of Luigi” celebrations. It’s is a game for people who played New Super Mario Bros U and wanted more. It effectively doubles the size of the game and adds more secrets for you to spend hours hunting down. It changes the way the game plays and provides a challenge for those who crave one. You can literally spend hours playing it if you choose to because of the sheer scale of it. If you are planning on downloading the add-on, be warned that it weighs in at 733mb. You’ll need to make sure you have a little space on your hard drive.

Extending one of the few games available on the Wii U is a smart move, but I think it would have been nice to see Nintendo reward Wii U owners with a little extra without asking such a steep price. This DLC was made for people who enjoy Mario games and want a challenge. That’s me.

But is it worth $30?

If you’re in the target audience — like me — then yes. $30 is a lot cheaper than the price of the original and it will double your play time. If you didn’t like the first game or haven’t played it then it’s unlikely you will even be considering the DLC. I’ve changed my mind about the price being too much after seeing all the add-on has to offer, but I think being so pricey will put players off and cost Nintendo sorely needed sales.


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About the author

Shane Wall

I'm just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe. A game geek turned audio engineer/musician. Shane's life is a delicate balance of video games, music and science fiction.