New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a side-scrolling platform video game published and developed by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. The game was released on November 12, 2009 in Australia, November 15, 2009 in North America, November 20, 2009 in Europe and December 3, 2009 in Japan. It is the first game in the Mario main series since the Mario Bros. arcade game to feature simultaneous multiplayer gameplay, and the first title to include Nintendo's new 'Super Guide' feature. To highlight the "specialness" of this title, Nintendo chose to use a red case (as opposed to a white one); it is one of two Wii games to come in a non-white keep case (the other being Metroid Prime: Trilogy).

New Super Mario Bros. Wii has been critically and commercially successful; it is currently the sixth best-selling game on the Wii, at 10.55 million copies sold worldwide.


While New Super Mario Bros. Wii is seen in 2D, some of the characters and objects are 3D polygonal renderings on 2D backgrounds, resulting in a 2.5D effect (also seen in New Super Mario Bros.) that visually simulates 3D computer graphics. Players can play as either Mario, his brother Luigi or two Toad characters: one blue and one yellow (with the first player always as Mario). Controls are similar to the last game, albeit with the added ability to spin in mid-air by shaking the Wii Remote, and being able to pick up, carry, and throw other players. During multiplayer, if a player's character loses a life, he will re-emerge encased inside a bubble, and can resume play once another player frees him by touching the bubble (the player can also shake the Wii Remote to move his bubble closer to a living player, but cannot free himself). Players can also encase themselves inside a bubble while a more skilled player traverses a difficult segment.

In multiplayer mode, if one or more players do not keep up with the one in the lead, on some levels, the view will pan out a bit so that the player(s) in the rear will still be in view. If he still does not catch up, he is then dragged by the edge of the screen, until he moves forward faster or loses a life by a fall or other object. If one player enters a pipe, climbs a vine, grabs the flagpole at the end of the course, etc. without the others, the other players will warp to the same place after a short time, or have a short time to grab the pole before the course ends. On vertically oriented courses, being left below the screen results in losing a life. On the world map, Mario (Player 1) controls navigation.

Players return to the map screen if they all run out of lives, or if all players lose their lives at the same time, leaving no one to free them. Usually, there is a midway flag that if touched will return the player to that point after dying and being sent back to the map screen. The level is completed by getting at least one player to touch the flag at the end, though a bonus is awarded if all players manage to grab hold of the flag within three seconds of the first player grabbing it. In some courses, in addition to the normal goal and flag pole, there is a hidden goal leading to a red flag pole. Reaching this goal will open up a new path on the map, leading to new courses and on occasion a warp cannon (which will blast the player off to a later world). The game does not feature online multiplayer. During single player mode, the standard rules apply (i.e. losing a life sends the player back to the map screen).

Along with the usual Mario series items, as well as the Mini Mushroom from the last game, new items have been added: The Propeller Suit, which allows players to fly; the Ice Flower, which allow players to freeze enemies with ice balls; and the Penguin Suit which, on top of the Ice Flower's ability, allows players to slide along the ground and across water as well as have better control on ice and in water. Players are also able to ride on Yoshis, who appear on a few certain levels, who can swallow enemies and flutter in the air.

Courses are accessed via a map screen, and enemies are often roaming it. If the player bumps into one while traveling the map, it will initiate a "mini-boss" fight where players can earn extra Super Mushrooms. There are also Toad Houses where players can earn additional 1-ups and items that can be equipped on the map screen. At some points, a Toad will appear trapped in one of the previously completed levels, and the player can choose to rescue him from a block and carry him safely to the end of the stage to earn bonuses. There are three Star Coins hidden in each course which can be spent on hint movies that show certain secrets, such as the location of a secret goal or how to gain infinite 1-ups. Collecting all the Star Coins within a world unlocks one course from the secret World 9 that can only be played after the main game has been completed.


<big><b>Plot</b></big>
The game follows the traditional storyline of Princess Peach getting kidnapped by Bowser and the Koopalings. When Mario, Luigi, Blue Toad, and Yellow Toad are celebrating Princess Peach's birthday in her castle, a large cake rolls in. Immediately Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings pop out and throw the cake on top of Peach, trapping her. The cake is loaded onto Bowser's airship and it takes off, with Mario, Luigi, and the Toads giving chase. The Toads in the castle then grant them access to the Propeller and Penguin Suits via a cannon.


<b><big>Development</b></big>
New Super Mario Bros. Wii was announced at E3 2009. The game was created in response to Nintendo's head game developer Shigeru Miyamoto's desire to create the Mario series's single player gameplay for multiple players, as he was unable to bring these ideas to fruition in the previous installments. The Wii's hardware allowed him to have all the enemies and items on one screen, and allowed a camera that could focus on all players at once. The Koopalings and Bowser Jr. appear as major villains of this game. Miyamoto has said Princess Peach will not be a playable character because of her dress, since it would require "special processing and programming to handle how her skirt is handled within the gameplay."

When asked about the game's story, Miyamoto joked that a cake could be used to kidnap Princess Peach; it was later revealed that a cake is used in the game as the method of kidnapping.