‘NES Remix 2’ Review (WiiU)
As a fan of all things retro it’s all-too-tempting to spend a fortune downloading Virtual Console titles from Nintendo’s eShop, however that means you’re replaying games which (at least in may case) I played to death as a kid. Super Mario Bros., Metroid, etc. I had, and played the lot. So to re-buy them – even at a discounted price – seems futile. But when the games have been “remixed” offering new challenges and twists on the traditional gameplay THEN I can get behind buying and replaying retro titles. Welcome to NES Remix 2…
A mashup of classic Nintendo games like Super Mario Bros. 3, Kid Icarus, Kirby’s Adventure and Metroid, NES Remix 2 includes stages from NES games with added challenges, as well as modified stages that introduce new elements, in a weird blend of retro and modern gaming at the same time – which is surprisingly refreshing, especially considering the age of some of the games involved.
I know that there were a number of complaints surrounding the original NES Remix – mainly that the selection of remixed games was a little on the lacklustre side (especially Clu Clu Land and Pinball). Nintendo have seemingly listened to their audience and this time round have really upped the ante on the standard of games included and by the time you’ve worked your way through the game you’ll have access to challenges for Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 3, Kirby’s Adventure, Dr. Mario, Kid Icarus, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Punch-Out!!, Metroid, Wario’s Woods and NES Open Tournament Golf – a veritable feast of NES titles, four less than the original game, but this time of a quality of which no-one can deny.
As with NES Remix, this sequel sees each challenge start out simple and get progressively harder, and there’s even some multi-part tasks this time out which require you to finish two or three different goals rather than just the one. But (as with the small selection in the original game) the best challenges in NES Remix 2 are those that see characters cross over into different franchises – such as collecting coins as Link or Pit, killing Octoroks as Toad, escaping from the ghosts as Kirby rather than Mario, or even saving Princess Peach… as Princess Peach!
But the big “star” of NES Remix 2 is the included full game, Super Luigi Bros., a fully mirrored version – running right to left – of the original Super Mario Bros. in which you play as Luigi, with all his usual tropes like high jumping and slightly more slippery movement. On paper it sounds easy, however in reality it takes quite a bit of concentration and “re-programming” to get used to the new format (who knew muscle memory was such a HUGE part of the Super Mario Bros. experience).
More of a refining of the original game, with the added bonus of more interesting titles this time, NES Remix 2 is an essential purchase for Nintendo fans young and old. The game is out now to download from the Nintendo eShop.
