This is why I play games.

When even the frustrating bits in a game still leaves you with an inexplicable sense of fondness towards it, then you know you're in gaming nirvana.

I'm convinced that the reason why the Nintendo DS is so popular is because of the pick-up-and-play and fun nature of most of its games. Gaming should be effortless — challenging, yes — but effortless. And it's especially true for handheld gaming.

You'll have to go far to find a game that so perfectly suits this bill as 'New Super Mario Bros' does.

Initially when you boot up the game, you might be a bit disappointed that the gameplay seemingly hasn't changed in the 23 years since the plumbing warrior made his foray in 'Super Mario Bros.'.

It's still a 2D side-scrolling platformer. You still have to save Princess Peach from the evil clutches of the dragon-like turtle Bowser. You're still fighting your way through eight kingdoms, with Bowser dragging your beloved in front of you like a carrot from one kingdom to the next.

And it's still very much about mushrooms — and plenty of coins.

In fact, at first glance you might think that it's the same game in a new jacket. However, as soon as you begin to progress through the levels you'll quickly notice that this is most definitely an altogether new experience — even though you'll have seen most of the gameplay elements before.

But it's exactly this that makes 'NSMB' so good. Instead of trying to reinvent the series, Nintendo has stuck to what worked and simply made it better.

It's as colourful and as simple as you can imagine and yet it's remarkably challenging, if decidedly forgiving. Falling into gaps in the ground is still as easy as pie — and no less frustrating. But playing the game is so much fun that you'll be telling your mates about your falling-down-holes frustration with a smile on your face.

New elements include three giant gold coins per level, with which you can unlock bonus levels that often contain a host of goodies. But what is most definitely the shining cornerstone of this game is the sheer imagination being displayed.

Although you'll be facing familiar obstacles at first, new ones are introduced all the time. In fact, you might find yourself being so distracted by the imaginative obstacles that you face, that you can quite easily forget that the clock is ticking. It's the kind of jaw-dropping imagination that made 'LocoRoco' on the PSP so delightful.

With 'New Super Mario Bros.', anyone who played a 'Mario Bros.' game as a kid will be transported back into their childhood living room where they sat cross-legged in front of the TV screen, blissfully unaware of their mom hollering to come clean their room.

Because saving Princess Peach was just too much fun — and it bloody well still is.