The game menu spins on the Wii Remote screen, showing new levels and characters. Mario and Luigi float in space, jumping and throwing fireballs at Bowser’s castle. I tap the A button to start the demo. The screen splits into four players’ views, each with a different colored hat: red for Mario, blue for Luigi, yellow for Yoshi, and green for Waluigi.

I choose Mario. His feet land on a cloud, then glide over a star power-up. He gets bigger, stronger—ready to stomp any goombas in his path. The screen shifts as I run right, jumping over green pipes and floating platforms. A koopa troopa pops out of a pipe; he’s too fast, but I can hear the satisfying “thud” when Mario squishes him.

A rainbow flag appears above a checkpoint. I know this is my goal, to reach it before time runs out. I run faster, ducking and weaving around obstacles, trying to conserve power-ups for later. The music picks up tempo, becoming more urgent. As the timer ticks down, I jump over a fiery pit and land on the flag. A final whoosh of wind fills the screen as I zoom past Bowser’s floating castle.

The demo ends, but I don’t want it to stop. I press Start, eager for more.