
The level design in the game is great, taking advantage of Mario's moves in a few key spots. Mario's move list isn't terribly deep, but he's got more than enough to get by. The game reverts all the way back to the NES games' two-button control scheme. One button jumps, while the other runs when you hold it down and shoots fireballs when you're equipped with that ability. The game includes some of Mario's 3D platforming acrobatics from Super Mario 64, too. You can cling to walls and slide down them or use them for wall jumps, which really comes in handy. Many of the game's secrets seem to be built on knowing exactly when and where to wall jump up to some otherwise-unreachable spot. You can push down on the D pad to execute a butt stomp, too, which is handy for busting through columns of blocks. The game's power-ups are roughly the same, too, though there are a few new options. The mega mushroom makes Mario grow to fill the screen, making him invincible for a short time and letting you just run right through obstacles. The mini mushroom makes you really small, letting you fit in a few tiny pipes. And the blue turtle shell lets you crouch and slide along like an empty shell, taking out enemies as you move. The new power-ups are interesting, but they don't really pop up very often, so you're usually just rolling with fireball power. Overall, the level of control you're given and the moves and power-ups at your disposal are put together very well and help make the game fun.
