New Super Mario Bros. 2 Review, 9.0 out of 10 based on 1 rating

There are few series in all of video gaming quite as prolific as the Mario franchise. Considering the main Super Mario Bros. series, Mario sports games, the two Mario RPG series, and numerous other side games in the franchise that have attempted everything from puzzle games to a DDR spinoff, it’s difficult to think of another franchise that has seen as much widespread appeal. However, within recent years, Nintendo appears to be taking the approach of splitting their main Mario series into two subseries: the main 3D Mario series with games such as Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario 3D Land, and the older-styled, two-dimensional New Super Mario Bros. games.

Recently, following the successful New Super Mario Bros. Wii released back in 2009, Nintendo announced both New Super Mario Bros. 2 and New Super Mario Bros. U to less than unanimous approval. Many gamers felt that these games would simply be more of the same without the innovation Mario games are known for. With the former of those two already out and on store shelves, are those worries founded? Allow me to tell you.

Let’s just get this out of the way before we start. If you’ve played either of the previous New Super Mario Bros. games, you will have a good idea of what to expect. You guide Mario through six worlds, nine counting the special worlds, as he jumps, runs, and powers up to get through the different levels, enemies, and environments you encounter. The gameplay is standard 2D Mario fare with all but one power up being repeated from a previous game, even though it has been a long while since Raccoon Mario was seen. Still, it carries the good quality expected from games of that ilk. If there’s one thing I can say about New Super Mario Bros. 2, it’s that the gameplay design is as rock solid as any good Mario game’s design would be. Jumps feel solid, the control is tight, and the obstacles present in each level never feel the same as the last.

Despite the familiarity inherit, the designers made many attempts to differentiate the game from its predecessors, the most obvious of which is the heavy focus on coin collecting. The amount of and ease with which coins can be collected is truly a sight to behold and I have to say that it is immensely satisfying to pick up 100 coins within the span of 10 seconds or less. There is a simple gratification with coin collecting that is only heightened by the additions of gameplay aspects like the coin rings, which make all enemies produce numerous amounts of coins, and the new Coin Flower power up, which has Mario shoot massive fireballs that turn all blocks and enemies into coins on contact. The specific focus is an interesting little twist on the New Super Mario Bros. formula, as most Mario game specific gameplay devices are. Unfortunately, the twist doesn’t manage to completely separate this game from the previous ones.

The Coin Flower may be the best thing in this game.

Even if I had a lot of fun as I played through the game, I couldn’t help but feel as though I had played this game before. Despite the new focus, a significant portion of the game almost seemed to be copied directly from the original New Super Mario Bros. Literally every world’s theme, aside from the extra ones, was seen in the original and even if the individual levels are not quite the same, the feeling of déjà vu is unavoidable. Again, this isn’t to say that the levels are badly designed, as more or less all of them play well and they flow from one to another in a way that makes sense. However, the repetition cannot be ignored and there isn’t a good case for it when New Super Mario Bros. Wii managed to feel significantly different from the original despite an equally similar gameplay style.

The new focus is just that: a focus. It’s not deviating from the standard Mario format like almost every other game does; it’s just shifting your goal. I can definitely see why some buyers would be frustrated, feeling as though they are paying again for a game they most likely already own, albeit with some notable feature changes.

Taking those considerations into account, the game also has a couple other modes beyond the basic single player in order to increase the longevity of the game. There is a co-op feature where two people with two game copies can play through the regular stages, which, while a nice added feature, is ultimately rather inconsequential. Far more intriguing is the Coin Rush mode, where Mario has to run through three random levels collecting as many coins as possible without dying. This mode basically takes the gratifying feeling of getting coins and even further cements that idea as the main focus, meaning it is actually one of the best aspects of the game.

It’s clear Nintendo feels similarly because not only is there StreetPass functionality where you can compete against scores from other players and upload your scores to a worldwide leaderboard, but there will even be some paid DLC for unique level packs to use in this mode, a first for the Big N. The new stages will apparently be completely separate from the main game and it’s good to see Nintendo expanding with original game content, especially on one of the best parts of the game.

See these guys? You'll be seeing a lot of them.

The graphics and sound design are equally reminiscent of the previous entries, which is to say that they are both extremely appropriate and good on their own merits. While not vastly improved, the graphics basically take the generally plainclothes look of the original and make it look prettier with the better hardware. The gold visuals are especially nice with excellent shine and, considering the focus, that’s definitely a big plus. While not the best on the system by a fairly large margin, they are not bad-looking by any means. The soundtrack and effect noises take similar cues, with many taken straight from the original and the new tracks filling in the “holes” nicely. While the music doesn’t quite match up to the same level as the graphics, every track still fits like a glove and both aspects amplify the feeling each level tries to evoke perfectly.

At its base level, New Super Mario Bros. 2 is another solid entry in a time-honored series. The great level design Mario is known for is present in full force here and the focus on collecting coins means that nearly every action is accompanied with a feeling of accomplishment. However, unlike every main Mario game before it, New Super Mario Bros. 2 doesn’t manage to differentiate itself enough from games that we’ve already seen, at least in my eyes. All the fun is brought down a bit by a sense of “been there, done that” and while it’s still a high-quality title, it’s difficult to wholeheartedly recommend.

With that being said, I’d say that if you haven’t had the opportunity to play the original and want a great Mario game, be sure to pick this one up as you’ll definitely have a blast. If you’re looking for a fresh experience however, I would give this one a try before you actually commit to buying it, as despite the quality of the title, it can feel standard depending on outlook. I’m sure Mario will continue his strong presence in gaming for years to come, but this particular entry slightly missed the regular bulls-eye the series is known for.

A copy of the game was purchased by the reviewer and played for 10 hours. The game was played on 3DS and although the majority of time was spent on the single-player, the other modes were also played significantly.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 Review

By Robert H.

The first of the two recently announced New Super Mario Bros. games is out and it's pretty much exactly what it looks like.