For years gamers have complained that Nintendo has abandoned their older fanbase, saying games like Animal Crossing and the colorful art style found in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass appeal primarily towards children. Well at long last Nintendo has responded to these criticisms, taking their biggest star and giving him a mature makeover that is sure to alienate many while also being embraced by the older Nintendo crowd.

Super Mario Hellbound picks up shortly after the events of Super Mario Galaxy. Mario and his brother, Luigi, head out for a night on the town to celebrate Mario’s latest conquest of Bowser and his minions. While the two are pounding shots of Don Q and listening to some Allman Brothers at their local pub, Mario gets a text message from Toadstool telling him that something terrible has happened at Mushroom Castle. Mario races back to the Castle to find that Princess Peach has been kidnapped… again… by Bowser… again.

Well, after years of being constantly frustrated by Peach’s constant ineptitude and inability to go three God damn weeks without somehow falling into the clutches of Mario’s arch nemesis, Mario snaps, trading in the fire flowers and raccoon tails for buckshot and TNT.

The early levels are a homage to the original Super Mario Bros. on NES. They’re very bright, very colorful and it’s an interesting new take on a classic. As Mario makes his way through the Goombas and Koopas who serve as little more than cannon fodder, Mario discovers a strange, crimson-red warp pipe. He’s initially cautious of the pipe but, upon hearing Princess Peach’s voice echo from inside the pipe, Mario doesn’t hesitate to jump in.

After a brief quick-time event, Mario lands in a large room filled with Bob-ombs. We quickly discover that the source of Peach’s cries for help are coming from none other than Mario’s evil doppleganger, Wario.

From there on, Mario must both find the Princess and figure out a way to escape from the clutches of the underworld.

Unlike previous Mario games, which have all been platformers in one sense or another, Super Mario Hellbound is exclusively a first-person shooter. You have a variety of weapons at your disposal, from a Nintendo Zapper that acts as a pistol to a rocket launcher that shoots Bullet Bills. Each of these weapons comes into play at some point in the game and certain enemies have weaknesses to one weapon or the other. Of course, every enemy has a weakness to the Wiimote, as well, which you can earn late in the game.

Just about everyone in the Nintendo library makes an appearance in Super Mario: Hellbound. Some of these cameos are pivotal to the storyline, such as a boss fight with Donkey Kong, who has sold his soul for one more crack at killing Mario. Other cameos are completely superfluous, and often times you don’t even notice them unless you’re looking (Waluigi’s head on a pike, for instance).

The controls are excellent. Character movement is smooth, switching between weapons is a breeze with the + and – buttons, and the Wiimote’s aim is simply perfect. Unlike other FPS titles on the Wii, which always seem to be just a little bit off with their aim, SMH is spot-on perfect.

The same can be said for the presentation. The visuals are absolutely stunning. I can’t believe that the Nintendo Wii can process graphics quite like this. Then again I said that when Super Mario Galaxy came out, too. The character models are intricately detailed, the environments are vibrant and varied, and this game may very well have the best fire I’ve ever seen in a video game.

The sound is equally as impressive. The voiceovers are incredible, with Charles Martinet giving a spirited performance as an older, more grizzled Mario and Frank Welker as Bowser. However, the best performance comes from David Carradine, who does the voice of a broken and beaten Luigi, driven to suicidal thoughts because he can’t escape the shadow of his older brother. His performance is truly moving.

In keeping with the mature themes of their latest title, Nintendo turned to heavy metal icons Judas Priest to record a new version of the classic Super Mario tune. It sounds good and fits with the atmosphere in the title.

In the end, if you’re over the age of seventeen and don’t mind seeing a new take on the Super Mario mythos, you must own this game. I dare say that it’s the best game on the Wii. Period.

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