For those Wii U owners that have played New Super Mario Bros U, the new version of this game which features Luigi instead of Mario may not be the experience players are looking for.  New Super Luigi U is fun and different from New Super Mario Bros U but the game is essentially the same game with a few new features.

The most obvious change that players will notice while playing New Super Luigi U is that the game features Luigi instead of Mario.  In fact, Mario is not even included as a playable character.  The playable characters in New Super Luigi U are Luigi, Yellow Toad, Blue Toad and Nabbit.  Nabbit is invincible in New Super Luigi U, except for falling into a pit, and is great for novice players but I felt like playing as Nabbit took the fun out of the game.

The levels throughout New Super Luigi U are similar to those found in New Super Mario Bros U.  The main difference is that the levels have all been revamped to compensate for Luigi’s jump physics.  For players who are not familiar with Luigi’s play style, he has always been able to jump just a little higher than his brother, Mario.  The revamped levels in New Super Luigi U seemed a little bit more difficult to me over its predecessor.  I did not find that the levels were a lot more difficult but the increase in difficulty was enough to notice.

new super luigi u

 

New Super Luigi U is as much fun to play as New Super Mario Bros U.  Many gamers that have played through New Super Mario Bros U may not find New Super Luigi U different enough to warrant a purchase.  For those who like Luigi over Mario or would like a more challenging platformer, New Super Luigi U is a great place to start.  Since Super Mario 3D World is due out in December of this year and it is a whole new Mario experience I could see many gamers waiting for Super Mario 3D World, rather than purchasing a rehash of something that they have already played.  I will pick up New Super Luigi U because I would enjoy playing as Luigi instead of Mario but I also would have enjoyed new level design rather than just a redesign of the New Super Mario Bros U levels.

New Super Luigi U supports the Wii U Pro controller and is going to release as DLC available on the eShop and as a physical disc available in retail stores.  The eShop version releases on June 20th for $19.99 and will require New Super Mario Bros U to play.  The physical version will be packaged in a special green colored box and can be purchased at retail stores on August 25th for $29.99.  The physical version of New Super Luigi U acts as a stand alone game rather than DLC and is playable without requiring players to own Super Mario Bros U.