Video game review by ERIK LEIJON

No false alarms this time, New Super Mario Bros. (DS/Nintendo, EAD) is in fact a new Super Mario Bros. game. It’s been more than 20 years since the first Goomba-stomping plumber graced our 8-bit Nintendo, and even though Mario has gone on to play a myriad of sports, drive around in go-karts and even the odd Super Scope excursion, it’s a momentous occasion when a straight-up Mario game graces our screens.

There have been others, but this is the first real side-scrolling Mario since Super Mario World in 1991 (we’re discounting the Mario World sequel Yoshi’s Island, since Mario was nowhere to be found, and don’t get me started on the Virtual Boy). Now that’s putting pressure on a game.

New Super Mario Bros. is incapable of reaching the mythic levels of Mario World or the Super Mario Bros. NES games, but it’s still the best platformer you’ll play all year, and perhaps the last great 2-D game we’ll ever see in our lives.

The traditional aspects are here. The slow Goombas still fall from platforms, while the Koopa Troopas turn around at ledges. Little Mario still can’t break bricks by jumping at them, but big Mario and Fire Mario (complete with alternate uniform) can still handle any blocks. There are a couple of new items: mini-mushrooms can turn Mario into a tiny speck on the screen capable of going into cramped spaces, and Mario can grow to King Kong size and wreak major havoc with a mega mushroom. Shell Mario also gives the plumber Koopa-like abilities.

The reason this game succeeds is not because of anything new they’ve put in, or the fuzzy feelings of nostalgia, but rather the immaculate level design that is the calling card of the series. Every block, wall, enemy, donut, platform and vine has been put there for a reason. Takashi Tezuka and his team have once again managed to develop ingenious levels that continuously provide challenges and look stunning. Beating the game can be done in less than 10 hours, but there are plenty of secret levels to unlock, so you’ll keep coming back.

Although the presence of the DS stylus pad might have tempted the developers, they chose not to implement any half-assed touch pad functionality. Instead, there are stylus mini-games separate from the quest that can be accessed from the main screen. The mini-games are addictive and are as good as other full games on the DS. Mario and Luigi can also partake in multiplayer action, which is another simple yet fun addition to the package.

If New Super Mario Bros. doesn’t find its place alongside the other Mario Bros. games, it would be because of the disappointing boss battles. In the case of every mid-castle, you fight lil’ Koopa. The world bosses are a mix between lamer versions of Yoshi’s Island’s bad guys, and the classic Bowser ones from the original Super Mario Bros.

The Mario name has been diluted in recent years, but a new Mario platformer is still a big deal. He may have taken on a million new jobs, but he’s still at his best when he’s just jumping and stomping.

Make Your Own Trailer

Memo to animators: time to get the creative juices flowing. The Societé des arts technologiques (SAT) and the Fantasia Film Festival are holding a contest to see who can make the coolest animated game trailer.

Participants are expected to invent their own game, and they will be presented at Fantasia. The video must be between 30 seconds and three minutes, and the deadline is June 30. Anyone interested should check out the rules at http://anima.sat.qc.ca/.