New Super Luigi U Review

Riding Mario's coattails.

New Super Luigi U on Wii U

Don't download Super Luigi U looking for an explanation as to why Luigi's filling in for his shorter, redder brother. You won't get one, nor will you ever be clued in to why Luigi's picture is amusingly (and mildly creepily) hidden near-subliminally in each and every one of the 82 remixed stages. What you do get though, is a CliffsNotes version of a great fast-paced 2D platformer. All the same things that make NSMBU a good time are present here alongside the tweaks to the formula, including Luigi’s signature floatier jump. As a stand-alone game, its reliance on Luigi's control quirks to manufacture challenge might come off like a cheap trick, but as a piece of DLC for New Super Mario Bros. U, it functions as a sort of challenge mode, making it an enjoyable, (if somewhat pricey at $20) supplement to that'll give platforming vets something meaty to sink their teeth into.

Before you've taken a single step in Luigi's shoes, the first key change becomes apparent: you've only got 100 seconds on the clock. That nerve-wrackingly familiar “wrap it up” jingle plays the second the curtain rises on each stage, ensuring that you're off to the races from the get-go. Levels have been significantly shortened to compensate of course, but the psychological effect is strong, especially if you've been playing Mario games since the 1980s. Hurling Luigi recklessly forward is practically a Pavlovian response, and the new enemy and platform placements play on those instincts deviously. I only lost one life to an expired time limit during my playthrough, but anxiety over the constant countdowns claimed many a hurried Luigi.

Luigi's worst enemy here is easily himself. He jumps like he's on the moon, and changes directions mid-air like a balloon in the wind. Coming to a stop after running and jumping at top speed is nearly slippery enough to feel like an ice level, so be prepared to watch the great green one sail off a lot of ledges and overshoot stomp attempts on a regular basis until you adjust. There's no shortage of areas sadistically designed with these foibles in mind, and while it ratchets up the difficulty factor appreciably, it also felt like I was fighting the controls just as much as the Goombas and Koopa Troopas.
That pendulum swings the other way too though, and Luigi's higher jump and ability to float at the apex for a moment make previously impossible leaps into pedestrian fare. As
frustrating as coming to grips with his awkwardness can be, it all melted away once I started exploiting the potential of his prodigious vertical and finding ways to completely circumvent situations that initially appear insurmountable. When I was doing it right it felt like having cheat codes activated, and after suffering a string of irritating deaths, soaring over any and all challenges can feel rather euphoric.

Once those moments start coming more frequently, the skillfully remixed levels begin to come into their own. Even without the new time constraints and physics, Super Luigi U would have enough to keep most platformer fans on their toes. The ideas are all familiar to anyone who's played through NSMBU, but they're ratcheted up to 11 in clever ways, and forced me to apply what I’d learned more adeptly than before. Tearing through the bite-sized levels becomes quick business once I got in a rhythm, but finding every secret and nabbing all the star coins will be a brag-worthy accomplishment for the more dedicated completionists out there.