Nailing a video game’s opening stage is critical. It’s the sales pitch, an approachable taste of its mechanics and world. After making tutorial levels for decades, Nintendo has them down to a science. No franchise better conveys that than Super Mario, whose openers are reliably quick, effective, and—most importantly—engaging. It’s easy to overlook how much thought goes into them, frankly. The first Warp Pipe in World 1-1 of Super Mario Bros., for example? It’s planted after the first Super Mushroom, so if you avoid the power-up, it’ll ricochet off the pipe and likely hit Mario; Shigeru Miyamoto and his team wanted to show players that those fungi are useful, something they want to collect.
In 2012, New Super Mario Bros. U launched alongside the Wii U. After a breezy cutscene, Mario, Luigi, and two Toads arrive at Acorn Plains Way, also known as Acorn Plains-1. Naturally, it’s a straightforward course that gently introduces Mario U’s mechanics and flagship power-up. While a timer constantly counts down, it’ll never reach zero unless you deliberately dally. Hidden areas lurk the level, it’s set along a customary grassy plain, and it’s altogether a perfectly fine playground to practice Mario U. And, honestly, “perfectly fine” is probably how I’d describe New Super Mario Bros. U as a whole; it’s mechanically sound, but aesthetically lackluster. It is a humble bump up from prior New Super Mario Bros. games visually, I suppose. A highlight is a mid-game stage whose aesthetics crib from The Starry Night; it made me yearn for an artistically ambitious Mario side-scroller the console never delivered. To echo my colleague Wolfman, it’s wild that this was one of Nintendo’s first high-definition games:
Image: Source Gaming. Acorn Plains Way is flat in more ways than one. While dashing through it is fun, I honestly prefer the crude Super Mario Land; that platformer has pizzazz.
Meanwhile, I’m eager to replay New Super Luigi U, Mario U’s downloadable campaign. Starting the same as the base game, Bowser abducts Princess Peach, the heroes crash land on Acorn Plains, and the adventure begins. Wildcard thief Nabbit joins Luigi and the Toads in lieu of Mario, however; he’s a beginner-friendly option who’s impervious to damage, though bottomless pits can still kill him and he’s unaffected by power-ups. Even with that roster change, though, things are very familiar; Mario U’s assets—its map, visuals, music, darn near everything—are, unsurprisingly and understandably, wholly reused.
Nevertheless, Luigi U manages to deliver a fairly fresh experience. Waddlewing Warning! is its first level, and it immediately sets the tone—literally; the series’ stress-inducing timer jingle greets you and the ground theme is sped up. That’s Luigi U’s biggest eccentricity, that you only have one hundred seconds to clear a stage (those that close with a boss battle yield bonus time after finishing the stage itself). Coinciding with this is a litany of tweaks to the Super Mario formula: stages are short, lack checkpoints, and there’s little time to explore leisurely. But this suits Luigi’s anxious nature; of course gaming’s definitive Player 2, the guy who was a literal crybaby, gets a rougher romp than his eternally confident brother.
Image: Source Gaming. New Super Luigi U was my highlight of the Year of Luigi, even if I’m unfortunately unable to sample its co-op mode.
Waddlewing Warning! communicates that this is Luigi’s game through two other means. A large sign that displays the game’s name and a Luigi sprite greets players at the start; subsequent stages also hide sprites or models in his likeness, adding a little flair to the environments. More importantly, you’ll notice that Luigi U’s physics are different once you start moving; they’re based on Luigi’s physics from Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (which also informed his playable appearances in a handful of the 3D games). His traction is worse than Mario’s—careful not to accidentally skid into a pit!—but he jumps higher. Rewiring your Mario U muscle memory might take a bit, but you’ll get the hang of it by the end of Acorn Plains.
Anyway, you’ll start Waddlewing Warning! by running to the right (the left’s a dead end). You can stay on the ground or jump up towards the slanted, bobbing platforms, of which Warning! has many. Jumping on these “Semisolid Platforms” puts you in the crosshairs of a gliding Waddlewing, the stage’s namesake and primary nuisance, and forces you to either run left or hop up to dodge it. Respectively, you’ll then plummet back to solid ground, or you’ll leap over or atop the baddie… which’ll cause the camera to rise and unveil a brown Brick Block hovering above you! Completing this jumping lesson rewards players with a 1-Up Mushroom, an early hint that this DLC won’t be a walk in the park.
Image: Source Gaming. Waddlewing Warning! has a more eye-catching name than its Mario U counterpart; the “warning” and exclamation mark denote danger! Admittedly, that’s kinda tempered by the recycled visuals and, to a lesser extent, music, but still!
Stomping that Waddlewing is the ideal outcome, however, because it’ll drop the Super Acorn it’s holding. Touching the power-up causes Luigi to grow twice as big, meaning he can tank two hits before dying, and don a new costume. And it increases his mobility: Flying Squirrel Luigi can glide, perform a double jump while mid-air, and briefly cling onto walls. Mastering the former two abilities is essential if you wanna nab everything of import in Waddlewing Warning!
Oh, and don’t worry if you miss the first Waddlewing—two more immediately follow it, both of whom glide down at different elevations. The second clings onto a few blocks before heading to the right and finally clinging onto a Warp Pipe, a demonstration of what the species and its corresponding power-up are capable of. Then the mammal will land on terra firma, where it can only walk back and forth slowly along the enclosed area. Any Acorns will indefinitely bounce between the walls, too; ditto for that 1-Up Mushroom. Noticeably, the Super Acorn’s shape evokes Super Mushrooms, using the series’ iconography to communicate that they’re another useful tool. Ignoring the squirrels doesn’t leave you defenseless, however; the yellow ? Block contains a Super Mushroom, allowing Green ‘Stache to withstand one attack.
Image: Source Gaming. Where ? Blocks reliably contain Coins or a power-up, Brick Blocks typically just break when smacked. However, that middle one here houses a Coin, meaning it’ll remain a usable platform—ensuring you can grab the Super Mushroom that’s right above it.
Smartly, Nintendo likes to guide players through trails of Coins, valuables that yield an extra life when you collect one hundred. The next stretch of Semisolid Platforms does just that; a trail of change hovers above the platform, perfect for gliding into. Then it… rises, asking you to employ the costume’s double jump. An icon displaying which button to press even flashes! On the up-most Semisolid Platform rests a Star Coin, Luigi U’s primary collectible (each stage houses three, and while they’re entirely optional, accessing the post-game bonus world requires them). Even without the power-up, however, Luigi can still reach the middle platform by jumping off the right one when it rises.
Then there’s a stretch where more wayward Waddlewings fly towards us as a few Piranha Plants emerge from Warp Pipes on the bottom of the screen. Assuming you haven’t suffered any damage yet, Flying Squirrel Luigi can safely glide across. If that isn’t an option, then you’ll have to contend with the Venus flytraps—which is simple, actually, since they predictably recede into their pipes after a few seconds. You’ll get the timing down quickly if you haven’t already.
Image: Source Gaming. Reaching a checkpoint in other Super Mario games restores your “Super” status if you’re small, and since a block nearby will usually house a power-up, you’ll get boosted further. This is a luxury you’ll grow to miss in Luigi U.
It’s also interesting that Waddlewing Warning! employs so many bobbing, slanted Semisolid Platforms. There’s plenty of room to safely walk along, to be clear; a skilled player is unlikely to fall down the abyss underneath them. But that’s still an escalation from the mostly solid, stable ground of Acorn Plains Way. Making use of the sliding move is also dangerous; be careful not to ground pound on a slope! Luigi will slide down it, and potentially to his doom if you don’t stop him in time. To make a Lost Levels comparison, New Super Luigi U is tougher than New Super Mario Bros. U. Nothing in Waddlewing Warning! is unfair, but it is prepping you for an arduous journey. Which makes sense; it is DLC, after all. Anyone playing it is likely familiar with the more accessible base game.
A Flying Squirrel suit’s required to attain the second Star Coin. Three slanted Semisolid Platforms are your next test, and the prize lies underneath the middle one. You can hop down a platform, glide towards it, and then perform a double jump to safely land back on the ground. But where the first Star Coin had a safety net, a mistake here means a swift death. Another Super Acorn-bearing Waddlewing soars by, so Nintendo is encouraging you to be bold, to push yourself!
Image: Source Gaming. Mario U’s maneuvers—walking, running, crouching, sliding, the different jumps, and mid-air spin that briefly slows your descent—endure into Luigi U. Still, it’s good that Waddlewing Warning! is taking the time to teach some of them.
Then, the final stretch! A few Coins, Warp Pipes, and Piranha Plants grace the bottom route; nothing strenuous. You’ll reach solid ground while gliding through some cash as four Waddlewings soar towards Luigi. All of them are holding Super Acorns, and the bottom one will land on the ground, making it easy to kill. An eye-catching trail of Coins urges you to soar over the pipes, and if you manage to do so, you’ll probably bounce atop a pest! For your trouble, you’ll likely reach the final Star Coin and hit the top of the flagpole, clearing Waddlewing Warning! in style—earning you an extra life! Or you can land atop the Goal Post by jumping and then performing an Acorn-fueled double jump. Either way, Luigi exhales a sigh of relief; he “made it!”
While Super Mushrooms and Acorns are the only power-ups native to Waddlewing Warning!, you’re free to revisit it after acquiring goodies from elsewhere. The iconic Fire Flower lets you throw fireballs, ensuring enemies never approach you; this is especially handy against the Piranha Plants. The Ice Flower and Penguin Suit let you temporarily freeze foes and use them as makeshift platforms; gliding Waddlewings even remain airborne! The Mini Mushroom makes Luigi fragile but even floatier; it’s a fun challenge to chain leaps across the rodents. The Propeller Cap has its own high jump, another way to obtain the Star Coins. Those two baby Yoshis, one of whom you meet later in this world, offer their own abilities. And the game’s Switch re-release adds Toadette to the roster, who scores an exclusive power-up: the Super Crown. It transforms her into Peachette, who can gracefully float across the plains.
Image: Source Gaming. Stages in Luigi U are exhilarating sprints. In Waddlewing Warning!, Warp Pipes don’t lead to bonus rooms, nor are the Star Coins hidden; its focus is on moving ahead.
One final toy to mess with is unlocked after beating Bowser: the M Block. Every level gains one at the start, and pressing it swaps Luigi’s physics out for Mario’s. It’s very much an extra; Luigi U’s levels are designed around his higher leap, something you’ll realize as soon as you reach for Warning!’s 1-Up Mushroom. Still, the option’s welcome.
New Super Luigi U isn’t the shakeup the 2D Super Mario games needed, nor could it be; it’s DLC that economically reuses Mario U’s assets. Playing with the series’ timer isn’t a new idea, either; Super Mario 3D Land prominently does so during its post-game castle stages. But New Super Luigi U is entertaining, feels distinct, and upholds Nintendo’s standard of quality tutorials. Following Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s announcement, I cleared all of New Super Mario Bros. 2 (well, okay, aside from maximizing its Coin counter). Although I intended to give it the “Beat the Backlog” treatment, mustering the enthusiasm to do so was impossible; little from it stuck with me. Going into New Super Luigi U a few weeks later, I wasn’t expecting to write about it. I simply wanted to because it’s much richer—and though the Year of Luigi is long over, his side-scroller remains valuable.
Image: Source Gaming. Toad greets you if you hit a Goal Post with 88, 77, 66, 55, 44, 33, 22, or 11 seconds left on the clock. Respectively, he’ll gift you a Super Star, Super Acorn, Mini Mushroom, Ice Flower, Fire Flower, or, if the latter three, a 1-Up Mushroom.
Thanks to Hamada for helping with edits.
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