New Super Mario Bros 2 Review

New Super Mario Bros 2 evokes mixed feelings in me. There’s nothing like a Mario game yet; after so many, they feel similar to games gone by. NSMB 2 feels as good as every other game in the series and will cater to diehard platforming fans. The problem is that it doesn’t move the series forward as well as players would hope. Is that a problem for one of history’s most successful game franchises? Let’s find out.

Story/Villains

The Koopalings are the star villains of this game, providing the predictable boss battles you’d come to expect at the end of each game world. They’re as fun as you’d expect them to be and require some precision as you progress through the game. Let’s be honest, though: coin-collecting is the name of the game, and it’s more important than ever before. Coins are abundant, and these things are everywhere; I can never remember getting so many extra lives from coins.

Coins

Speaking of coins, there’s a new power-up in New Super Mario Bros 2 (a golden flower) that turns everything into coin machines as you take down enemies by the bunches. Coin blocks can also be worn on Mario’s head, leaving a line of those shiny golden medallions behind him. The golden rings give you even more coins; however, they temporarily give you a better coin output for bopping enemies on their heads or leaving a trail of coins in the wake of a tossed Koopa shell. Coins are the primary objective, which is immediately apparent. Your coin count is displayed right before you on the map screen, and you’ll see some nice congratulatory messages when you reach milestones. Your goal is to reach 1 million coins, which can also be accomplished in co-op —a nice touch.

Power-Ups

The old power-ups are there for the most part, with the natural Star, Fire Flower, and Leaf to let you turn into a flying raccoon Mario (by the way, who came up with that idea?). The mini-mushroom and mega-mushroom also return this time, but you don’t get to see them quite as much as I would have liked. The power-ups feel great; they’re not overused, and you seem to run into the right ones at the correct times.

Graphics

Graphically, the game looks as you would expect. Mario and his adversaries are all bright and colorful, and the game worlds look very well-defined and have a lot of character and charm that you’d look for in a Mario game. My problem wasn’t so much with the graphics but with the lack of 3D in this game. When you turn that 3D slider up, you don’t get 3D effects. You get blurred garbage. That’s all I see when I turn that slider up; play this game in 2D, or you’ll miss out on the incredible visuals that the 3D mode takes away. What a missed opportunity there.

Secrets

Many secrets in New Super Mario Bros 2 will keep players searching for a second exit that may lead to a secret world or location. Trust me, it starts to consume you, looking for all the little spots where secrets could be! Mario still glides, jumps, and runs just the way you remember. The control is so precise that I can’t think of another game that gives you as much freedom and plays as well as this one.

Multiplayer/Coin Rush

The co-op multiplayer is alright, considering it’s always better to play with a buddy, but on such a tiny screen as the 3DS has and with the need to keep everyone in focus, it just doesn’t work well. The difficulty is another touchy subject, as with even a low-skilled player, you’ll have more lives than you know what to do with, which kind of takes the difficulty bar way down. It’s not that the game doesn’t have its tricky points, but when you have so many lives, you can try things repeatedly. Coin Rush is a new mode that challenges you to collect as many coins as possible without failing. It adds a nice element of competition, and I found myself rushing to get better and better scores each time against a reasonably quick clock. This mode adds some longevity to an otherwise short primary mode.

Final Thoughts

Overall, New Super Mario Bros 2 is precisely what you’d expect it to be. This series has been filled with excellent platformers, and this one is no different. The game does have its flaws here and there, but nothing that will tarnish the experience you will have.