Wow, I don’t know where to start. I picked this up over the extravaganza weekend but just now had a chance to really give it a whirl and I feel like I’m twelve years old again. There hasn’t been a game that has done that in forever. The only reason I’m writing this and not playing is because I just finished the first world as my DS’s battery was about to die and I decided I’d best shut it down and charge it for the night instead of moving on to the next world.

So far, so freaking good.

But how can a game I played almost twenty years ago be any good? Because it’s the quintessential Mario elements – easy and responsive controls, cartoonish appeal, vibrant colors, beautiful music and two dimensions. The platforming presents the same enjoyment as it did years ago and even though there are a few differences in the levels, I could still find the 1-up mushroom in the 1-2 level. I wish I hadn’t started playing so late as I want to keep playing. Curse you, early morning alarm!

It feels good to be a Super Mario Brother again!