Ultimate NES Remix Review

Ultimate NES Remix Review

NES Remix has made the jump to the 3DS. It’s not a perfect 1:1 portable version of Wii U NES Remix and NES Remix II whereas “ultimate” is used more to describe it as a best of collection with some tweaks here and there. Ultimate NES Remix takes from both the Wii U NES Remix games and fuses them together with the addition of a more robust online leaderboard system.

For those not familiar with any of the Remix games, the 3DS rendition has 16 classic NES games featured in a style similar to the Warioware series. Stages consist of doing simple, time limited tasks. Some of the stages are remixed by enhancing the graphics or challenging players with a variety of tasks. For example, you can play as Link from Zelda II in sections of Super Mario Bros. and break bricks with your sword.

This review isn’t to overlap with the Wii U games. It’s more about what’s new and my take as a returning player.
In addition to the normal game, there’s a few selectable modes at the title screen. Speed Super Mario Bros. is a modified take on the original NES Super Mario Bros. game. Instead of Super Luigi Bros. where the game is flipped vertically, it’s replaced with Speeds gimmick that makes the game run twice as fast. It’s not a new concept if you’ve played around with the fast forward feature in an NES emulator.

The added benefit here is an online leaderboard. Both Luigi and Speed are simple ROM hacks. It’s nice to see something different though. Nintendo made an attempt to at least differentiate the core package. New Remix players probably won’t miss anything from Super Luigi Bros. and veteran Remix players will probably appreciate something different from the Wii U iterations like I did.

NES Championship Mode is identical to the Wii U version. This was the only mode carried over from the Wii U that originally had proper leaderboards. The 3DS and Wii U versions have separate leaderboards despite being the same of challenges.

I wish Nintendo separated the Miiverse communities out from the Wii U players. 3DS player posts tend to get drown out with the Wii U’s integrated Miiverse support. Coupled with the 3DS taking forever to load Miiverse, it’s not a feature I used a lot. 

Leaderboards for each individual stage are a huge improvement over the Wii U. It operates seamlessly when WiFi is enabled. The replay system is incorporated into the leaderboard, allowing you to choose a top times to watch as well as see your best personal run. I found Miiverse replays on the Wii U to be a grab bag ranging from players trying simply make a cute drawing with those actively trying to complete a level for the best ranking. 3DS has a more elegant, traditional leaderboard you’d find in an arcade cabinet. It’s also nice seeing the selection of NES Remix I games with a replay feature since Remix I for the Wii U didn’t have replays at all.

Famicom Remix is my favorite addition. Japanese versions of all the featured NES Remix games if they already weren’t the same in both regions. The mode is unlocked by obtaining every star in the main game. Famicom games sound different and contain Japanese text. The only downside is that the Famicom Remix side of the game doesn’t contain online leaderboards. It’s solely there as a bonus. I was completely stoked when I learned about Famicom Remix. I’d been scouring YouTube and Twitch for LPs of the import Wii U titles because I’m a nut for regional differences. It’s a really interesting novelty for a localized game from Nintendo.

Ultimate NES Remix Review – Conclusion

Overall, Ultimate NES Remix on 3DS is a fun, well crafted portable experience for both returning players of the Remix series and new players alike. In fact, I’d recommend new players start here. Despite not having the control options that the Wii U has, the 3DS never felt cramped during extended play sessions due to never using the L/R shoulder buttons anywhere in the game. As a returning player, I can’t see myself going back to the Wii U games after playing Ultimate. It has everything I wanted and a little extra in one package I can take anywhere. Sure, it’s the same games, but I never felt tired or bored with it.

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