This thread will get updates every now and then. The exact when is unguaranteed, but mostly weekly. This isn't necessarily a discussion thread - it's more like a blog.

Today I wanted to play something different than the usual Super Mario 64: Last Impact by Kaze Emanuar, so I decided to give Newer Super Mario Bros. DS by Skawo and the Newer Team a try. And let me tell you, I dig it!

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The game starts with a disclaimer screen, that's basically an "I don't own this hack, and if you want to play it, please use a legally dumped ROM". Sorry, but I didn't do the latter, as I was playing on an illegal online emulation website I won't mention the name of because obvious reasons. So I just A'd out of it. I got taken to the title screen and selected a save file. I must say, leet new UI. I dig the aesthetikz!
The game started with an intro that was an obvious reference to SMW's. Makes me think, when will message blocks be coded for use in NSMB? Then I got thrown into the autumn-themed World 1 (we didn't see that theme for any World 1 in any NSMB hack after Newer anymore, did we?). I went to W1-1 (I have no idea why especially W1-1 and not W1-2) and got greeted by a nice preview screen that doesn't look hacky at all! Also, it allowed you to switch between Mario and Luigi... who now have different physics!

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W1-1 was neat, and featured a nice remix of NSMB's grasslands theme. I really liked how after killing a Giant Piranha Plant, coins began raining down. I once died here trying to grab all the loot because I misstepped, derp. The flagpole has been overhauled too: the higher you grab it, the more coins you get. My only two gripes with that are that despite the flagpole now awarding coins instead of points, they didn't nuke the concept of score, unlike in SM3DL; and grabbing the top of the flagpole doesn't award a 1-Up anymore, so grabbing the top of the flagpole doesn't feel as rewarding anymore.

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W1-2 might just be my favourite. Its rolling log platforming gimmick is outstandingly creative and introduced and elaborated upon the way Nintendo would. Also, I really liked the bonus room with the (fixed) giant springboard. Trying to get every coin and just jumping very high is lots of fun. I found the secret exit before I found the normal exit.

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W1-3 featured NSMB's obscure brother of Bully, the Snailicorn (including a Giant variant). Also, red Donut Lifts that immediately fall when stepped on.

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W1-Tower had a freaking cool gimmick too - lots of tightropes. Plus Banzai Bills because SMW had them in World 1 too, so Wynaut! The secret exit has you traveling across a long string of tightropes. If you fail to reach the top of the flagpole, you can always still obliterate some bricked Wiis brick blocks with the Mega Mushroom! The Bowser Jr. battle remained the same.

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W1-4 took the Giga Wiggler from DS and the Large Wigglers from Wii and combined them perfectly. Also, some Star Coins are pretty challenging to get, so better use Luigi!

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W1-5 took the rising/lowering mushroom platforms and introduced them in many new sizes. A course where you can better watch your every step instead of speeding through. And use Luigi, because this is an athletic level!

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New updates will follow whenever I'll play some Newer again. Stay tuned.

Today I played some NewerDS again. I started with W1-A, and I find the Giant Spiny Egg floating in water gimmick a good gimmick. Also reminds me of the Urchins in NSMBW. The seesaws are uber strategically placed so you have to tilt them in order to get the tasty treats (Star and Dragon Coins). Using Porcupuffer in World 1 might be an edgy choice, but the Newer Team did a perfect job at making the big fishy a minimal threat, while still buffing it by making it impossible to kill it with fire.

Then W1-Castle. I used Luigi here, but still died several times attempting to press the ? Switch that spawns a rickshaw lift. Now the difficulty goes up... shredding through the Giant Piranha Plants with a Mega Mushroom was very fun too! The Bowser fight was unchanged, removing the floating platform aside, but you can't blame Newer Team for that.

Now, World 2! A cave world. W2-1 was a not-too-blatant SMW throwback with the Giant Swoopers being a decent threat. One room featured a zigzag slope on which the player can knock out several Buzzy Beetles; instantly reminded me of SMW. Also, this course marked the proper debut of a power-up I had in World 1 for... five seconds... then a Paratroopa took it from me...

The BANHammer Suit!

Now having transformed into Admin Luigi, I abuse mah admin powerz and banhammer every enemy that crosses mah path. Move over, bitches!
Swooper: b&
Piranha Plant: b&
Buzzy Beetle: b&

Then, W2-2. It's a semi-pipe maze (semi as in sans the maze) where I banhammer some Piranha Plants before switching to the power to kill it with fire - and my Hammer Suit goes to the inventory! A SM3DL-style inventory! L33t! This course makes good use of Tile Gods to break warp pipes and features a Mario Bros. throwback bonus room!

W2-3 is a mazy sewer course. Not the SKJmoron mazes, though. No tedium, have arrow signs. I loved this room you spawned in Ground Pounding so you landed on a Koopa and its shell killed the Piranha Plants!

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That was it for now. Stay tuned!