New Super Mario Hitting This Spring
We've got confirmed US and still-to-be confirmed European dates for the plumber's platforming return.
Such is the eagerness of Nintendo fans for the return of Mario in a true platforming game that the Internet lit up at the briefest mention of the Japanese launch date of his new outing. Now Nintendo has thrown the West a bone, confirming that the upcoming DS game will hit this summer.
North Americans can look forward to taking delivery of New Super Mario Bros as soon as 7 May, Nintendo revealed. So far there's no confirmed release date for Europe, but sources in the know told Kikizo that the game should arrive in Europe towards the end of June.
Despite the dishearteningly unoriginal title and a familiar storyline (Princess Peach is abducted by Bowser, again, and it's up to the Mario brothers to save her), New Super Mario Bros is a leap forward for the plumber's 2D adventures.
The trademark 2D platforming has been boosted through new power-ups including one that will swell Mario to gargantuan proportions. The game also eschews the 2D character models of yore, redrawing the cast in full 3D.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games
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