New Super Mario Bros. 2

### Predecessor

*New Super Mario Bros. (direct prequel)* New Super Mario Bros. Wii *(follow-up)*

### Successor

*New Super Mario Bros. U* (follow-up)

***New Super Mario Bros. 2*** is a 2D side-scrolling platform game in the *New Super Mario Bros.* series developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. While it is the third game in the series overall, it is a direct sequel to the 2006 Nintendo DS game *New Super Mario Bros.* and a follow-up to the 2009 Wii game *New Super Mario Bros. Wii* (which is a follow-up to the original game), and it's also the first Nintendo-published game to be released in both physical and digital formats. A follow-up to this game (which also serves as a sequel to *New Super Mario Bros. Wii*), titled *New Super Mario Bros. U*, was released as a launch title for the Wii U on November 18, 2012, and later ported to the Nintendo Switch on January 11, 2019, under the name ***New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe***.

*New Super Mario Bros. 2: Gold Edition,* which contains both the base game and all the DLC, released in 2014. This version of the game is only legally obtainable with specifically-marked special edition Nintendo 3DS systems, which have it pre-installed.

## Good Qualities

1. The graphics look impressive for 3DS standards, and that's saying quite a bit for a game released a year after the console's debut.
2. The controls are solid, and thanks to the inclusion of the 3DS Circle Pad, the characters are easier to control.
3. It introduced the Gold Flower, a golden version of a Fire Flower that can turn Mario/Luigi into gold/silver and allow them to shoot golden fireballs that turn anything they shoot at into coins (be it bricks or enemies), and can even destroy bosses in a fee hits.
4. Despite some of it being recycled from *NSMB Wii,* the soundtrack is still amazing, especially the title, staff roll and *Flower, Mushroom and Star Worlds* themes.
5. This is also the first game for the 3DS with multiplayer in Co-op Mode by having two 3DS systems and two copies of the same game, without the need for Download Play.
6. The level designs, ranging from simplistic to creative/complex, are nicely designed and fun to explore.
7. Many call-backs to previous games in the series, such as the colorful platforms from *Super Mario Bros. 3.*
	* Some items from previous *Mario* games return, most notably the Super Leaf from *SMB3* (not counting the Tanooki Leaf from *Super Mario 3D Land*), along with Mario's Raccoon form, while Luigi gains a new Fox Luigi form instead.
		+ The Mega Mushroom from the original *NSMB,* which was absent in *NSMB Wii,* makes a return here despite only appearing in a few stages.
	* Reznors, mini-bosses of *Super Mario World's Fortresses, make a return as Tower bosses here.*
8. The DLC's you pay (or are already available on Gold Edition versions of the game) for Coin Rush mode levels add more fun to it, despite them being paid DLC's, which cost **half** of the base game's price at launch when bought together, but... (see BQ #6)
9. As before stated, this is the first 3DS game to be released simultaneously on both the Nintendo eShop and physical retail copies, which became the norm for Nintendo games ever since then, and shortly thereafter physical games released before this one became available on the eShop.

## Bad Qualities

1. The game is a little too easy, especially compared to its predecessor. Since the game's main objective is to collect coins, you get possibly hundreds of 1-UP's and thus a Game Over is unlikely to occur, particularly if you are good at it.
2. Although the soundtrack is good, it rehashed some of the soundtrack from *NSMB Wii,* except with different beats and "bah" sounds.
3. The Toad Houses are a downgrade compared to their predecessors, as there is no mini-game to obtain items (such as the chests from *Super Mario Bros. 3*); instead, you simply walk in, obtain the power-up you need laying in plain sight, then leave.
4. Lackluster final boss against Bowser, despite being an improvement over his fight in *New Super Mario Bros.* (which is identical too his first battle, just with Bowser Jr. thrown in). Overall, it rehashes his fight from *New Super Mario Bros. Wii.*
	* Adding insult to injury, you have to fight Bowser *twice:* once in World 6 as the final boss against normal Bowser, and again as the boss of Star World against Dry Bowser.
		+ Even worse, the fight with Dry Bowser is exactly the same as his normal fight, except the platforms are much smaller in this one.
5. In order to play as Luigi, you must first beat Bowser in World 6, rather than playing as him from the start (in *NSMB,* you could do so if you held down L and R while selecting a file).
6. Sadly, due to the 3DS eShop's closure, you can no longer purchase the DLC levels, meaning the only way to obtain them is with the Gold Edition consoles.
7. Boss fights tend to be hit-or-miss, such as the aforementioned Reznors (who appear in ***every world*** with some minor changes) and almost every Koopaling battle with the exception of Wendy and Ludwig.
8. Collecting one million gold coins (the game's primary objective) does absolutely nothing other than changing the color of the title background to gold and a golden statue of Mario being added.
	* To rub salt on the wound, collecting the maximum number of coins (9,999,999, to be exact) only changes the statue to be a Raccoon Mario one.
9. In multiplayer, the camera tends focuses on the same character for both players rather than having each player's camera focusing on their own individual character.
	* Adding insult to injury, you cannot use Download Play if you do not own a copy of the game, unlike its predecessor.
10. The game's title is confusing to new players, who insist it should have been called "New Super Mario Bros. 3" due to it being the third installment of the series, while the second installment was *New Super Mario Bros. Wii.* However, this does make a bit of sense, considering this is intended to be a sequel to the DS game.

## Reception

*New Super Mario Bros. 2* has received generally positive reviews. It holds and aggregated score of 78.40% on GameRankings and 78/100 on Metacritic. The game was given a 36/40 by Famitsu with 9's from all four reviewers. Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game a 9/10, stating "*This platforming perfection is what makes Mario games so fun, and in that regard, New Super Mario Bros. 2 definitely succeeds with its own share of secrets, collectibles and and branching pathways that can be unlocked depending on how you should adadvance throughout the game.*" Nintendo life gave the game 9 out of 10 stars, saying "*It's immense fun, boasts brilliant level design and offers enough repeat play appeal to keep you glued to your 3DS system for weeks.*"