There are certain gaming elements that you can unerringly count on: movie-ties will inevitably blow, a non-Virtual Boy Nintendo handheld will sell by the truckloads, and a new Super Mario Bros. game will rock it.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a game that came out of nowhere with nary a rumor or whisper, is a four-player take on the rock-solid Super Mario Bros. formula. Players assume the role of our pudgy protagonist Mario, his under-appreciated sibling Luigi, and a pair of toadstools (Blue and Yellow). This follow-up to the Nintendo DS’ New Super Mario Bros. adds Super Mario Bros. 3-style suits: Mario can a Propeller Suit (which acts in a similar fashion as the cape in Super Mario World) and Penguin Suit for use in certain areas/levels. Yoshi is also in the house.

I can’t even begin to fathom how a four-player Mario title will function other than a quartet of gamers racing toward the flag, but Nintendo has stated there’s a heavy emphasis on co-operative play. New Super Mario Bros. Wii hops and bops it way into your Wii this holiday season.