New Super Mario Bros Wii plays with itself

Speaking to USA Today at E3, Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that Beginning with the upcoming New Super Mario Bros Wii, players will be able to pause a game during a particularly difficult level and let the game take over to complete the level.

Players can then simply press a button at any time to resume playing. This is intended to reduce barriers of entry for new or younger players – without purchasing a strategy guide or resorting to websites that list cheat codes.

In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, if a player is experiencing an area of difficulty, this will allow them to clear troubled areas and take over when they’re ready” confirmed Miyamoto. “And yes, we’re looking into this for future games, too.”

The tentatively-titled “demo play” will be a completely optional feature, and it is likely to get a more suitably Nintendo-style name by the time NSMB Wii is released. Might we suggest Wii-tard mode?

There’s already a thread in our forums discussing the benefits and drawbacks of such a system. Please feel free to add your own two cents.