At its roots, New Super Mario Bros. plays closer to the NES original, albeit with some newer elements sprinkled in. The main actions you'll be using are the tried and true run and jump. You can also use the Super Mario 64-introduced butt stomp and triple jump, as well as new moves like a twisting tornado (with the help of a springboard). The controls are extremely easy to get used to, and the timing is as responsive as it can be.

To help you out, series stalwarts the mushroom and fire flower are here, as is starman. New Super Mario Bros. also introduces the blue koopa shell (takes some getting used to, but it's ultra-fast) and the previously-mentioned mega and poison mushrooms.

When you get hold of one of those mega mushrooms, it's time to get crazy on the level at hand. You grow to ten times your size, filling up the entire screen, and absolutely destroying everything in your path, including those pesky pipes. Unfortunately, after playing roughly 90% of the levels, the mega mushroom is pretty rare, but it's a blast seeing Mario decimate these beautifully crafted levels.

As for the poison mushroom, this allows Mario to shrink down to an extremely small size. It's actually very impressive to see such a small character so well animated, and the poison mushroom allows you to jump farther and even dash on top of water.

But if you want to talk impressive, let's talk about the levels themselves. Many of the levels offer something that, bottom line, has never been seen in a Mario game before. Whether it's pipes that twist and shoot Mario clear into the sky, landscapes that dip down or stretch upwards, or vines for Mario to swing on, chances are you'll be seeing something new to the series when playing New Super Mario Bros..

The best example is when you head cliffside and Mario has to scoot along the edge, back pressed against the mountain as you shuffle across the gaps. The gameplay also adapts, as your jumps are smaller and Mario can lose his footing. You can also press down to have Mario hang over the edge and continue his path that way. It's really fantastic to see these new elements to such a well-worn genre.

While Bowser Jr. is a bit of a corny character, he does enlist his father's help from time to time. Bowser comes across as a reinvigorated blast from the past, well detailed and fierce, with a death that is surprisingly violent (for a Mario game as early as the first world. Bowser isn't the only enemy to make his way to the new game, as goombas, koopas, piranha plants, hammer/boomerang/fat hammer brothers, and a lot more are strewn throughout.

The new enemies are pretty impressive, ranging from eels that snap at you in a great effect (check out their full-screen momma) to new boos that inhale a great amount of air and eventually passing it, umm, through themselves as a method of propulsion. Minibosses and level end bosses are also either from past Mario games (even Sunshine) as well as new ones.

With all of this, New Super Mario Bros. is sounding pretty sweet, but on the downside, it's a bit easy. This isn't Yoshi's Island or even Super Mario World, so those looking for a long-lasting challenge may be unhappy.