This game exceeded my expectations. I was mainly expecting a reskin of the NSMB games with some new powerups, but this is so much more than that. The style in the level designs all felt fresh and new after only having the NSMB games as 2D platformers in the series ever since the DS. The art style is also very appealing to look at. It is very clean and colorful, while adding to the overall style of the game.

The music is very enjoyable to listen to and makes the game feel even better to play since each level has music that adds to the atmosphere.

The new powerups are pretty good overall. I wasn’t sure about the elephant power when I saw the trailer but it ended up being my favorite and most useful of the 3 new powers. The bubble flower was my least favorite since it was almost the same as the fire flower, but it still had its moments and was still good to use.

Since this is a Mario game, I knew it would be pretty easy to complete and collect everything. I was able to collect everything in one go and not die once in most levels. Some of the late- and post-game levels were actually pretty challenging, which I liked. Also, the wonder flower was an amazing decision for this game. It just completely changes some levels, adds a new path with some extra challenges, or gives you a new form to play as. It was always fun to see what would happen in each level.

One thing that was kind of weird in this game was the talking flowers throughout. Most of the time, I forgot they were even there. They were sometimes funny with what they were saying, but I would occasionally think they felt out of place in a mario game since they talk in a normal voice and speak actual words. They were fine for the most part, but sometimes they just took me out of it a bit.

This was a very good game and a breath of fresh air for the series and I am excited to see what is next.