New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe's 4-Player Problem
- Wesley Kurtz
- Mar 12, 2019
- 2 min read
New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe released on the Switch in January and even among disgruntled consumers upset with more Wii U ports on the modern Nintendo console and the fact that this game took priority over others in being ported… It's still a quality platformer for the hybrid console and a game Nintendo knows will sell because- MARIO.
Although, I never played New Super Mario Bros U back on the Wii U and I always enjoy a good Nintendo platformer (I'm enjoying the HECK out of Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze right now) there is one factor that's really turning me off to the game… How the 4-player multiplayer works.
Something I only became aware of a couple of days ago was how 4 players are handled in New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe and it's quite irritating. There are two new playable characters added to the game, those being Toadette and Nabbit. They have special abilities. Nabbit is invulnerable to enemy attacks, but cannot use power-ups (except stars), meanwhile, Toadette has a special power-up just for her, giving her enhanced abilities and turning her into “Peachette”. In general, the characters are across-the-board better and easier to play as they stop running sooner, are less affected by ice, and etc. This is great for beginners!
I admire that Nintendo thought of this for less seasoned players, children, or older adults. The problem lies in that these characters are forced on a player when playing in 4-player mode. There is no choice, like in previous iterations, to play as Mario, Luigi, Yellow Toad, and Blue Toad. One person MUST be Nabbit or Toadette. This isn't necessary for player's with decent skills and especially for those who want a challenge, but they are forced to play one of these powerful characters anyway. This is also an unfair advantage versus friends, an advantage that a player cannot rid themselves of if they're playing 4 player co-op.
The easy (and quite frankly commonsensical) solution would be making these characters optional for 4-player multiplayer by allowing Blue and Yellow Toad to be played at the same time (as of now they are a skin swap). This way every player is on an even playing field. With this change, those who want an easier or more difficult time can decide for themselves. Nintendo seems to want to highlight these new character additions in New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe but chose the worst option of shoving them down someone's throat in a 4 player group. Hopefully, Nintendo will update the “new” red-capped platformer in the future, remedying this more obscure issue.
How do you feel about this multiplayer misstep? What do you think of New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe? Let me know down below!
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