New Super Mario Bros. Wii: 1-Castle -- Sorry, Mario, but the Princess is not in this Castle!

Rotating gears and lava- not good! I died after falling in the lava- didn't activate the Propeller Suit in time.

Take 2- Got a Super Shroom, but immediately lost it because I was caught between the gear and the ground. I got a new Super Shroom, but I died because I did not build up enough speed to jump over the lava, and did not wall-jump off the edge in time to save myself. This could take some time.

Take 3- Got a Super Shroom, and saved myself with a last second wall jump from over the lava. I got an Ice Flower, but I lost it to a Thwomp while trying to get a Star Coin. I should've been more patient. It wasn't that bad, because soon after, I got enough coins for a 100-coin 1-up! Unfortunately, while trying to land from a jump, I lost my Super Shroom from touching another Twomp. I then died from touching a Dry Bones.

Take 4- I got a Fire Flower for collecting 8 red coins, but I lost it to the same Dry Bones. I saw a green pipe near the bottom of the screen after a gear and got the last Star Coin. I hit the P-switch to solidify blocks over the lava and turn the blocks blocking the Star Coin into coins. Near the boss door, I got a Fire Flower and went through the door. While in the corridor, I was able to shoot up to 4 fireballs at a time. The corridor was quiet, with soft music and echoing gutteral sounds like stones grinding against each other and drops of water. Before I can do battle with Larry, the pesky Magikoopa, Kamek, shows up and uses his magic wand to alter the floor, giving it an everchanging rainbow effect. The floor rises up in 5 columns, which are a rainbow from the cool colors spectrum, with stars and other shapes on them. Every other column is in sync, so three might be up and the other two are down, and they are in constant alternating motion, creating an uneven terrain. This could make the battle more difficult when you want to jump on Larry and you're on a lowered column, losing the height advantage. Things are difficult, but not too hard. After being hit, Larry goes into his shell and runs around, but the columns keep him contained in one area by forming walls. As he is thus contained, jumping on him is much easier, and I just keep repeating the cycle until he takes three hits. After he is defeated, a Bowser silhouette key hovers in midair, with soft bells playing and a single note oscillates in volume. Mario grabs the key, holds it triumphantly and says "Mario number 1!"
The column on the right side of the screen lifts up and Mario exits the castle. Outside waiting is Peach on the Airship. Bowser Jr. is there on top of the castle, jumps on the Airship and it takes off. Mario calls for it to come back and follows it to World 2. Now things are about to get hard.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii: 1-6 -- Avoiding any Challenge Whatsoever

It wasn't until I got to World 2 that I realized I skipped some levels in World 1. I'll come back to them later. This level has the rotating ground seen in 1-1, but with some added danger- it'll send you into the void if you stand there long enough. Thankfully, I can skip over this with my Propeller Suit! After the first set of rotating ground, there is a section of non-moving ground, then more rotating ground. I used my suit for almost the entire level. Toward the end, I saw a block over the void near the edge of some rotating ground. I ground-pounded the block, to lose a 1-up in the void. Darn! I then reached the goal and got a 1-up using the suit to get to the top of the flagpole!

New Super Mario Bros. Wii: 1-1 Toad Rescue -Part 3- Third Time's the Charm

Toad shows up in World 1-1 this time. After finding him and picking him up, I finally learned to hold the 1 button the whole way through. I did not drop him once. Later in the level, I got the Propeller Suit. I thought this would be an easy victory, flying up over everything, but when I shoke the Wiimote nothing happened. After trying to get Mario to fly for a while, I realized what the problem was. I was carrying Toad over my head, where the propeller was. Toad was standing on the propeller then entire time so I couldn't fly! Drat! These levels are to see how you'll do without power-ups, becuase holding Toad prevents you from using them! I'm not even sure it's safe to use a Starman around a non-playing Toad. Things just got really challenging, but so far, it's okay, because I got to carry Toad through the easiest level! After I carried him to the goal, several fireworks appeared (more positive reinforcement!) and a Toad house opened up. These have lots of goodies (power-ups) to make play playing the game easier. These items can be used at the start of a level to gain an advantage if chosen wisely.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii: 1-Toad --That was Easy!

The goal of Toad levels is to collect all 8 bubbles/spheres with Toads picture on them while avoiding enemies. This level was easy because all of the bubbles were in a row and the only enemies were 8 small Goombas. I killed seven of the eight Goombas, the last one died when I collected the last Toad bubble. After that, a treasure chest appears. When you approach it, Toad pops out and gives you three Super Shrooms. More positive reinforcement! I can use these to get good items early in levels.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii: 1-3 Toad Rescue --Part 2- Still Not Getting It

I found Toad in this world in a block. After releasing him, he kept running around like a madman- he and Yoshi are probably cut from the same cloth. He was in a block near a Hammer Bro and died from his hammers. I still can't pick up Toad. (At this point in the game, I still did not realize I needed to hold the 1 button to carry stuff. Maybe, in later levels, I can pick him up like a Koopa shell. That would make life easier, but things are seldom easy in videogames.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii: 1-4-- Not Quite Swimming Like a Fish

I used an Ice Flower starting this level, but shaking the Wiimote does not produced two ice balls at once, like on land. I had to dodge a large school of red Cheep-Cheep, but they swim in straight lines, so they should not be much of a problem this level. I later encountered yellow Cheep-Cheep, which initially startled me because they swam in waves, and I first thought they were coming after me. Their schools form shapes. I lost my Ice Flower and got another, trying to use it on the Urchins, thinking I could get rid of them easily. It freezes them, but they use their spikes to break free soon after, making attempts to kill very dangerous and undesirable. There are several pipes spraying jets of water creating currents. Two Star Coins are protected by these jets of water. I left them along because I currently cannot reach them. I think the Penguin Suit should work here, because in a previous game, a Frog Suit allows you to swim faster and not be affected by the jets. I also may want to try a Penguin Suit/ Starman combination because the last coin is also guarded by an Urchin. I lost my Ice Flower to another Urchin. I know how to swim, but I should get better at dodging so I don't lose my items. I hit another Cheep-Cheep to lose the Super Mushroom. Towards the end of the level, I found blue Cheep-Cheep that will chase you a short distance. These are the enemies I really have to worry about for now.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii: 1-2 --Toad Rescue- Part 1-Fail

After returning to the map from 1-4, I received a message from one of the Toads in Peach's castle. Apparently, Bowser's minions are stuffing Toads into boxes, which is an effective delay strategy and a nice sidequest. I am to rescue the Toad from the Item Box and carry him to the goal. Unfortunately, I couldn't quite hold on to Toad. Picking up something requires pressing 1 and shaking the Wiimote, according to the onscreen instructions. What the instructions fail to tell you is that to hold onto something requires HOLDING 1 while you want to hold it, or you'll immediately throw it away. Not knowing this, I threw Toad into a Koopa, and he took damage. I tried to get rid of the Koopa, but I sent the shell accidently into Toad, killing him. It ricocheted off the wall and killed me, too. When I tried to restart the level, Toad was gone, so I exited the level, and continued on. Maybe he'll show up again.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii: 1-4 -- Sleeping with the Cheep-Cheeps

This level takes place underwater, with some nice soothing music. From New Super Mario Bros. (DS), I know that some secrets lie beneath the main level of the game, in what normally is a void. I tried to check out the first gap, which turned out to be a void, and I died. I won't be trying that trick just yet for a while, so I can have lives for reaching the next save point.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii: 1-Fort -- Taking All the Credit

The teamwork is still awkward, but it is working. We helped each other climb the Tower- an entirely vertical level. We had to climb up, reaching for platforms, and jumping high. We jumped on each other's heads and dealt with swinging chandelier-like structures. The music is as dark and foreboding as the Fort itself. We only got 2 Star Coins. The player controlling Luigi got bored and the other Wii opened up, so he left after intentionally dying and using up his lives. I died twice in this level. This game lowers the consequence of failure, quite drastically so in Multiplayer Mode, where you appear in a bubble for the other players to rescue. You shake and tilt the Wiimote to make yourself more accessible to them. Your life count still drops, but it is not as noticeable because you don't have to restart the level. I'm still not quite good at the controls, which is probably why I died so quickly from magic blue fire or touching Larry during the battle with Larry. Toad dealt the first two hits, but when he let me out of the bubble, I landed on Larry, dealing the final blow and defeating him, leading Mario to declare, "Mario number 1!" A white flag of surrender is put up on the Fort and Larry hops over to the castle. Save the game? Yes, please! The player controlling Toad leaves, and they resync their Wiimotes to the other Wii, but do not actually leave the game. Thanks to the wonderful staff at the Archive, this situation is remedied. Back to single player mode.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii: 1-3 -- Yoshi's Expected Appearance

We meet Yoshi in this world. We get green, blue, and pink Yoshis, but I don't keep mine for long. I am still not used to the controls and run into enemies frequently. I figured out how to do some basic Yoshi controls-eating, hovering. I did not find out how to jump off Yoshi. I did find out that eating 5 fruits makes Yoshi lay an egg with a helpful item. I also found out that Yoshi can eat the players, to their detriment. I ate the other players a couple of times and got eaten once. I regained Yoshi after losing him for a while. Unfortunately, when you take damage while riding Yoshi, you get off Yoshi and he runs around like a madman, only turning for walls and sometimes falling into the void, which is where I lost him. We got all 3 Star Coins. At the end of the level, only Toad still had a Yoshi. He hopped off Yoshi after reaching the goal, and Yoshi waved good-bye. We don't get to keep Yoshi like in Super Mario World 2, which is disappointing. I can't wait until we get to use Yoshi again.
Later, while doing the QSC, I found the red goal near the 3rd Star Coin. Above the 3rd Star Coin is a ledge with hidden coins. Above that is the pipe to the red goal. It opens up the path to the cannon, which blasts you to World 5.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii: 1-2 --Down in the Underground

This level has a different feel than 1-1 because we've taken a pipe underground. Instead of being bright and colorful like 1-1, we find mostly cool colors, crystals, stone, bricks, and a remix of World 1-2 from the original Super Mario Bros. This level sports platforms that tilt back and forth, which could help or hinder progress and jumps. We first meet the Ice Flower in the first block we find. I think this item might possibly be my favorite because it freezes enemies in blocks of ice, allowing you to use them as extra platforms, or you can pick them up and throw them or kick them to send them into other enemies like you would throw Koopa shells. If the ice blocks hit hard surfaces, the ice block will shatter and the enemy will be killed- a great way to get rid of pesky Dry Bones! Also, shaking the Wiimote shoots an ice ball in each direction. Blue Toad and I got Ice Flowers and continued on. Getting the first Star Coin was easy. Getting the second Star Coin was a bit more difficult, because the other players started collected the coins that were to be the block platforms to help us get up once one of us hit the P-switch. They left enough to get close to the coin, and then Toad jumped on Luigi's head to get the coin. We're getting better at this cooperation thing! Toad also used the POW block to help us get the third coin. We got all 8 coins for 1-ups and an Ice Flower. Mario and Luigi finished the level.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii: World 1-Level 1 -- Learning the Controls

From the Overworld map, World 1 is a gentle, green, grassy plain with hills. Sounds simple and uncomplicated, a great place to cut our teeth. We start playing 1-1, with its rotating landscape. Part of the ground rotates around, sometimes concealing pipes and other hidden secrets. I moved slowly in this level, because I hadn't found the "Dash" button (1) that allows Mario to run faster. I had to stop and restart the level because a couple of guys entered the Archive and wanted to play the Wii. The other Wii was being used, so they decided to join me for some impromptu multiplayer. As we were all getting used to the controls, multiplayer was very awkward. We didn't get all the Star Coins, and the other players died a couple of times. Multiplayer Mode requires some serious coordination, which doesn't come around from playing with total strangers. The game can fit all 4 players on the screen at once, but if most of the players want to move on in one direction, the other player(s) must keep up with them or risk falling off the side of the screen. If a player decides to explore a new area (ex. go into a pipe) the other players have a limited time to follow suit before the game transitions to the new area, but they will also be there with the other players. While playing, I was powered up to Super Mario (big Mario-with no powers) while the other players were still small Luigi and Blue Toad. I hit a block which released a Helicopter Shroom and two Super Shrooms. I grabbed the Helicopter Shroom and shook the Wiimote (Wii remote) to take to the skies. I got to and activated a Red Coin Ring (from New Super Mario Bros.) which revealed 8 red coins in a wavy path on the platform. I grabbed all 8 coins, which rewards each player with an item, and applause, providing positive reinforcement and a (currently) small challenge which I can expect to find in later levels. Three 1-up Shrooms fell from the sky for a free-for-all grab fest, but we each only got one, so it was fair. Mario and Blue Toad reached the flagpost goal first, but Luigi didn't quite make it. With an "Oh yeah, Mario time!" World 1-2 opened up.

Here We Go! - Introduction and Plot

Objective- It's a Mario game- Rescue the Princess! (Somehow, Nintendo keeps this from getting old.)
What is the plot of New Super Mario Bros. Wii? Well, it's Princess Peach's birthday, and, of course, the Mario Bros. are in attendance. In the background are large present boxes- with pictures of Mushrooms, Fire Flowers, Penguins, and Helicopter Mushrooms. Wait- why would anyone give the Princess Helicopter Mushrooms and Penguin Suits? It's not like she gets out of the castle much- on her own, anyway. Suddenly a large two layer cake comes in with stuff sticking out of it, like a bow and what looks like a small plant. The Princess approaches the cake and out pops the Koopalings and Bowser Jr! They pick up the cake and trap the Princess in it and take off in an Airship. The Bros., and Yellow and Blue Toad run after them, and the Toads pick up the Helicopter Mushroom and Penguin Suit presents, stuff them in a cannon, which blasts them into the air and they explode into many blocks which rain over the Mushroom Kingdom. The Airships drops off the first Koopaling, Larry, at the fort. We then find Mario at the start of World 1.

Let's a Go!

Just before we get started, my initial main goal is to get to the end of the level. I will try to get the Star Coins, but, if I can't seem to easily find and get them, or am running low on time and lives, I will leave them and return for them once I am in a better position to do so. Due to the design of the game, I can't do a true save until I beat a fort or a castle. I will try to beat at least one of these each time I play so I can do a true save. (I know there is a Quick Save function, but I don't want to run the risk of losing my game-I lost a nearly complete Super Mario Galaxy game and have to start over, but at least I have an SD chip now to make sure I don't lose this game). I will also be playing the game at the Video Game Archive, so I will not always have access to the game. If that happens, I might blog about my progress in other games I am playing. Also, thanks to the Art, Architecture, and Engineering Library, and Sarah for getting the game out of labeling so quickly. Now let's begin!

Salutations!

Hi everyone!

The game I'm going play is New Super Mario Bros. Wii. I chose this game because it is the sequel to New Super Mario Bros. (on the DS) and I had a great time playing that game. It also has new features such as multiplayer mode that lets up to 3 other players join in at any point in the overworld. The bosses are new and so are some of the power-ups. The game also features new and remixed music. I am a recreational gamer- somewhere between newbie and expert, and somewhere between lightweight and hardcore gamer (someone who can play games for 6+ hours straight and their hands don't hurt). I think this will be an enjoyable gaming experience.