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One of the best parts about this job and going to shows like E3 is that sometimes you get to play games the day they are announced. Today, I got to play some four-player co-op multiplayer in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. First, let's get a few things out of the way. Could this have been a DS game? Sure. It certainly looks like one. Will there be online multiplayer? No, local multiplayer only. Is this a port of the DS version? No, this is an entirely new game.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii Demo from Nintendo's E3 2009 Press Conference

Whew! Okay, now we can talk about the game itself. You'll be playing as Mario, Luigi, and two Toadstools. Characters all have different heights and jumps as you'd expect from a Mario title. Yoshi makes a triumphant return and you'll hit sections where four Yoshis (Yoshii??) are available. The gameplay is incredibly fast-paced and the screen moves forward with the lead player. Fail to keep up and you'll die only to come back in a bubble Baby Mario style (no crying, though).

In fact, if you're playing with people that aren't working together, you'll frequently die or lead to the deaths of many a player by advancing too quickly. It's probably my only major gripe with the game. Just about to grab that mushroom? If another player went down a pipe, you might find yourself along for the ride before you can grab the power-up. It's fun, but you'll need organization to snag every power-up and coin.

I'm also curious about how this game would play out as a singleplayer experience as a lot of the hidden coins and bonuses were placed in areas that required co-op moves to reach. For example, big coins are placed higher than a single character can jump, but jumping on top of someone as they jump will catapult you higher to grab those precious coins. I didn't notice any barriers that required co-op to progress in the level, but I'm guessing you'll need at least two players to get everything.

The other co-op moves I noticed were picking up and throwing other players and eating and spitting out other players while on Yoshi. The latter is especially good for spitting people straight into pits! Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to try the new Propeller Suit shown in the demo, but I did see it in action. After shaking the Wiimote (which normally does the spin jump) the Propeller Suit will carry you up much higher than a regular jump. You'll maintain some control while rising and falling, but the fall is very slow. Make sure you're in a safe place to descend peacefully to the ground.

Before my demo time was up, I did get to sneak in one boss battle. It was against one of Bowser's kids and it played out exactly like the battles in New Super Mario Bros. Only, there were four players. He jumps around and shoots projectiles. You've got to jump on his head. Actually, that's a perfect way to summarize this game... It's exactly like New Super Mario Bros. Only there are four players. Well, and new levels... and power-ups... and it's on the Wii... and it's Miyamoto's dream project.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii will be released this Fall.