'New Super Mario Bros. Wii' is a lesson in marriage

It didn't take more than a few minutes of playing "New Super Mario Bros. Wii" before I realized its potential to create conflict within my marriage.

But it's not for the reason you might think.

Oftentimes, new video games have a habit of creating widows of wives or girlfriends whose other half gets caught up for hours and hours in something like the latest "Madden" football game.

It's happening right now, with "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2," which was released last week to millions of sales.

This new "Super Mario" title -- released Sunday -- presents an altogether different relationship issue.

You see, in this "Mario" installment, unlike any of its predecessors, up to four people can run through a level at the same time -- meaning, you have to work together with other players. Or at least try to not kill them.

I'm lucky enough to have a wife who loves playing the "Mario" games as much as I do -- from the 1986 original "Super Mario Bros." all the way up to "New Super Mario Bros.," which came out on Nintendo DS in 2006.

But this Wii version happens to be the first one released since we said "I do," and it challenged us in new ways.

I knew early on it was either going to be a good lesson in teamwork or make us fight a lot.

At first, sharing the screen together was sort of like a new relationship -- it took time and patience to avoid getting in each other's way. Or, in the case of the game, jumping on each other's heads.

I realized the way I play "Mario" is like a bachelor lives -- running through each level as quickly as possible, daring crazy jumps and sometimes paying the price.

She's more slow and careful, watching how situations develop before making a move.

I'd see her glaring at me when I ran too far ahead. But she was there to slow me down when I was about to do something that would probably kill Mario and end our game.

As we continued to play, we started handling the game the way we handle chores -- picking tasks that fit us best individually. It's why she washes the dishes and I put them away.

Soon, I saw "marriage" in Mario's every move. When our characters gather coins, they all go into one pot. Hello, joint bank account. Picking which level to play next is sort of like picking what to have for dinner. You should talk about it before pressing a button.

The most important thing I've learned playing "Mario" with my wife? Sometimes it's OK to settle down a bit.

Especially when the company is good.