game.

"Isn't that weird?"

"Yeah, that's weird man...that's weird"

For one, it stars Luigi--in fact, Mario's not even in the game at all. And two, it's

not really even an all-new game. Yeah, all the levels themselves are new, but they consist

almost almost entirely of reused graphics, sound, and gameplay elements taken directly

from New Super Mario Bros. U. Even the World Map is identical.

And yet, it's a better game than New Super Mario Bros. U was.

"Isn't that weird?"

"Yeah, that's weird man...that's weird"

I told you this whole thing was weird!

So here's the deal, even though the core assets of the game are very nearly the same, it actually

feels surprisingly different. And this is for a few reasons.

Of course, there's the fact that Luigi actually controls differently, now jumping higher and

sliding farther than Mario did in New Super Mario Bros. U, lending him a floatier and

slippier feel

And though most of the game's core assets are the same, you will find the occasional

new element sprinkled throughout the adventure, such as these cabanas in Sparkling Waters,

and there's even a picture of Luigi hidden someone on every course, giving you something

else to look out for. Even though these additions are small overall , they do help freshen the

game's appearance, even if slightly.

But the main difference is in the levels themselves, which are now much shorter, and much tougher

than before.

With only 100-seconds on the clock for each one, you HAVE to keep moving. And it's this

constant push that really drives the pace of the game, which is faster, more frantic,

and frankly, more exhilarating than NSMBU ever was

But even with the ramped up difficulty--especially if you go looking for the Star Coins--it never

feels unfair. The game's difficulty ramps up about as well it did in New Super Mario

Bros. U, only it's starting at a more challenging level initially.

Now don't get me wrong, there's no mistaking the fact that the game is still very much

a spinoff of New Super Mario Bros U, right down to the soulless art style and repetitive

soundtrack. But it's just different enough in all the right ways to actually be really

engaging.

The shorter level length means you're experiencing new themes and new challenges all the time,

at a rate far greater than the original game.

It's actually pretty addictive, as you find yourself just chewing through them as if each

were just one part of an 82-course meal.

So even though the game is shorter and technically less original than New Super Mario Bros. U,

it actually uses all of its assets in smarter and comparatively more inventive ways. And

when paired with the more challenging levels and overall better-paced experience, you have

what is actually be my overall favorite New Super Mario Bros. experience, which is why

I'm giving the single-player 4.5 Stars out of 5.

Oh, and New Super Luigi U supports multiplayer too, for up to 4-players total. But it's actually

hampered by New Super Luigi U's design choices.

Because the reduced time limit means you have to keep moving, we had a lot more trouble

making it to the end of each level without leaving at least one or two players behind.

And of course, you still run into each other all the time too, which is made even more

annoying by the trickier level design.

Because of these annoyances, the game doesn't play nearly as well with multiple people as

it does with just one.

"Isn't that weird?"

"Yeah, that's weird man...that's weird"

Which is why I'm giving it 3.5 star out of 5.

Thanks for watching and make sure to stay-tuned to GameXplain.com for more on New Super Luigi

U and other things gaming too.