New Super Mario Bros. U-Something to Jump For or a Reason to Leave Your Yoshi Saddle in the Original

     When I played New Super Mario Bros. Wii for the first time, the only true Mario game I've played, it struck me as magical. I could play with my little brother, or my best friend, and still have the time to pick them up near the end and chuck them down a canyon. I could saddle up a Yoshi without squirting juice all over Piantas(Super Mario Sunshine reference:D), and eat apples and save my friends from certain doom by keeping them in my mouth pouch. So I had to trade it in eventually, but it helped get my New Super Mario Bros. U.When the game reeled me in, it was hypnotic, but frustrating. Even the 1st level was ridiculously hard for me, even with the help of the booster, someone who can make platforms for Mario and his pals to jump on. If I was rating this for just how long and hard I worked to wield a baby yoshi who walked off a cliff, this game would be considered electronic limbo... but I'm not rating it like that. Instead, I'll give it some credit for a hook and sinker, the fact that boost mode has kept me interested, and the fact my siblings love it. My largest issue is you need certain updates to play this game, and instead of Nintendo adding the update to another one, you have to update at least three times, or some doors will lead to an error message.
     Overall, I had a lot of fun. It's just not striking me the same way that the original did. Mario is beginning to fade into obscurity, and honestly is mooching off his own spin-off series(which there are way too many of). Maybe a new Super Mario Sunshine, or a Wii U Strikers could save the day, if they can pull it off, but for the time being, he's practically dead.
8.75