Anyone else at least a little excited to play this today? I really wanted to wait for the cool-lookin' green box, but I also have a fever, and the only cure is more Luigi.
The Good There's some real challenge here! I died a couple times on the first level while trying for a coin. Levels are all-new. I have played only the first world, but so far I'm pretty impressed. Hidden 8-bit style Luigis! It's too bad the game doesn't recognize when you find one.
The Bad Nothing has been done to change the presentation really, aside from editing Mario out of the (exact same) cutscenes. Bosses are exactly the same and in the same order (so far, anyway).
The Middle-ground
Luigi's new control takes some getting used to, but you'll get the hang of it! 100 seconds doesn't feel too tight since the levels are a fraction of the size of NSMBU levels. This isn't bad though, considering the challenge. You are awarded 100 additional seconds when you make it to a boss door, so don't fret!
So far, so good. Nothing spectacular really, but I'm sure I'll 100% it.
Why is the retail version not coming out until August? The END of August, no less? A buddy of mine wants this game, but he refuses to download it. (he always chooses physical copies over digital, if given the choice)
I'm befuddled as to why there's such a delay between the digital release and the retail release. NINTENDO. Y U SO CRAZY.
This might be the first digital retail game I download...because it's cheaper! Ya listenin', Nintendo?
Thanks for the impressions, @ploot. So the stages are all-new (i.e. not "remixed"), they just happen to be in the same place as the old stages on the world map? Do the stages that had branching paths still have them? Like, there's a 1-2 secret flagpole in NSMBU, is there still a secret exit in 1-2 in NSLU going to the same place on the world map?
Fired this up briefly at lunch and played through the Acorn Plains fort. The Star Coins in the fort were challenging (because I grabbed the Ice Flower instead of keeping the Squirrel Suit) and the pace felt more frantic because of the timer (though you get 100 more seconds when you go against a boss). The levels are very different.
If the secret exit is still in 1-2, I couldn't find it. I spent 15 minutes trying to and I came up with nothing. I think they're all still in there though, so I'll try again.
Also of note, if you register this download before August 1st, then you'll get double the coins on Club Nintendo, which is 40 instead of 20. You will also be entered into a drawing to win 1 of 980 Luigi coins.
I'm guessing Nintendo wants to encourage people to download rather than buy the retail version hence the delay and $10 difference. They also probably didn't initially plan on releasing it at retail until they saw a bunch of Miiverse comments asking for a retail version.
I finished world 1 and it's fantastic so far. Reminds me a lot of the coin rush mode from NSMB2.
Got three star coins on every stage in World 1. So far, not too challenging to finish the stages themselves (I think I have more than 50 lives), but getting all of the Star Coins and secret exits will prove to be a challenge indeed.
If you already own SMBU then you should get the download since its cheaper. Hell, Nintendo didn't have to release both so people getting pissed about it shouldn't really be complaining. The retail one would obviously sell more if it came out this week and that is prolly why they delayed it.
This looks really fun, and a steal at $20. However, I'm still finishing up NSMB2, and not really in the mood for yet another Mario (uh...Luigi) game right now. Maybe in a few months.
I'm glad to hear about the increased difficultly, and it's cool how there's a hidden Luigi in each level.
