Bling-bling-bling-bling-bling. Jump! Bling-bling-bling-bling. Mushroom! Boink! Er, hello folks. As you can probably tell from my incomprehensive babbling, I’ve been playing New Super Mario Brothers for quite a while now and have the blisters on my fingers to prove as such. Marking a return to proper 2D platforming for the first time in approximately 14 years, the game also provides the Nintendo DS with one of its finest titles.

In terms of plot, Nintendo has kept the whole show warmly familiar with another tale of Princess Peach getting nabbed (by Bowser Jr. this time) and Mario running around a selection of worlds trying to get her back. Each world has its own map and offers ten levels, along with the usual network of secret exits and bonus item stages where Mario plays a slot game to get lives, power-ups and the like.

Whilst traversing each level, New Super Mario Brothers proves itself to be a keen student of not only the classic platform Mario titles but also of the newer games, offering a selection of techniques and enemies from across the broad Mario spectrum. Sure, the game sticks to the usual formula of running, hitting blocks, jumping on enemies and collecting coins, but in doing so Mario will now find himself being able to wall jump, triple jump and ground pound in situations where each is required.

The new and old hotchpotch continues throughout the game. Classic power-ups turn Mario into Mini Mario, Mega Mario and Shell Mario amongst other things, each allowing Mario to reach certain areas of levels that he would otherwise have struggled to get to as his usual self. Enemies vary from perennial classics like Koopa Troopers to newer foes such as Super Mario Sunshine’s Petey Piranha, whilst the worlds are a mixture of 2D backgrounds and 3D characters and enemies.

It all adds up to be a really pleasurable, old school gaming experience. The jumping, the coin collecting and the selection of classic enemies will have you hanging on to your DS for grim death. Sadly, though, the whole thing then comes screeching to a halt far too quickly, and it’s the lack of longevity that is the game’s main problem for anyone who’s tilted more towards the hardcore end of the gaming specturm. Despite offering 80 levels to leap across, the relative ease in which they can be polished off means that you could be seeing the end credits within about a week of casual play.

In an attempt to remedy this, Nintendo have added a selection of mini games and a multiplayer option. The majority of the mini games offered are the same as the ones that were bundled in with Super Mario 64 DS with some slight tweaks. The multiplayer mode sees you and a friend take on the roles of Mario and Luigi as they race around some repeating backgrounds trying to grab as many stars as they can whilst getting power-ups and taking on enemies. Cunning strategy comes into play as you can attack the opposite brother, losing him stars. The mode is certainly enjoyable and has a choice of five differing levels to battle across.

As is common with Nintendo games, getting to the crunch is a tricky proposition. When the concept for the game was passed around the tables of Nintendo’s boardrooms, it was clearly decided that New Super Mario Brothers was going to be a simple, dyed-in-the-wool 2D Mario title with a few additional moves and enemies hived from various games that have surfaced on assorted consoles since. This is a very welcome move, with most gamers holding a soft spot for Mario’s 2D antics in their hearts. At this level, the game has achieved everything it set out to be.

The issue of longevity and difficulty will inevitably crop up, but let’s put this into perspective. Mario games have never really been about huge difficulty, instead offering a balanced challenge that becomes more or less tricky depending on how much secrets the player wants to find himself. Likewise, the fact that the game has come out on a handheld console, a platform which primarily sees shorter, more ‘on-the-go’ chunks of gaming than on home consoles, has dictated that Nintendo have divided New Super Mario Brothers into bite size pieces.

So, how to rate the game? It’s certainly a great platformer, that’s for sure. The sheer enjoyment you’ll have revisiting some of your Mario memories of old will carry through level after level, coin after coin. It’s not vastly taxing, but it’s an enjoyable, simple way to absorb yourself into a fantastic series again. For anyone new to Mario or perhaps gaming as whole, New Super Mario Brothers offers an ideal starting point, much in the way that its older brothers did all those years ago.