Nintendo 3DS Fest: New Super Mario Bros. 2 Game Review

Super Mario Bros. 2 Review

Nintendo is back again with its most popular game of all time. Designed for the Nintendo 3DS system, the New Super Mario Bros. 2 challenges players to rescue Princess Peach who has been kidnapped once again by Bowser.

This new version focuses on collecting the gold coins available throughout the game’s 80-plus levels. A special “reward” goes to anyone who collects over a million gold coins. The game also features new power-ups and hidden items. A 2-player co-op mode allows you to share the fun with a friend via a local wireless network.

Game Features

All-new side-scrolling adventure game features Mario and Luigi

Two players, each with a copy of the game on their Nintendo 3DS, can play the game together over local wireless network

Players collect as many gold coins as they can

Features both new and returning power-ups and hidden items

What’s New?

The first thing people want to know about the New Super Mario Bros. 2 is: What’s new with this game?

The plot is familiar to all Super Mario Bros. fans. Princess Peach has been kidnapped by Bowser and the Koopalings, and it’s Mario’s job to rescue her. The controls are basically the same for moving Mario to the right, jumping, etc. You’ll get the level of quality and imagination you would expect from a Super Mario Bros game. But don’t expect it to be the same old game. There are new experiences, power-ups and hidden items along the way. You’ll encounter familiar power-ups like the Fire Flower, Mushroom, Mini Mushroom, Mega Mushroom, Super Leaf, Raccoon, Star Man, etc. There are also awesome new power-ups like the Golden Block and the Golden Flower.

Coin Rush Mode

In addition to Mario’s quest to save the princess, the New Super Mario Bros. 2 also offers new game play modes. One of the most exciting games is the Coin Rush mode. You are given a short amount of time to collect as many gold coins as possible as you rush through three random levels. This version of Super Mario centers on collecting coins and the game keeps a running tally of the coins you have collected so far. Your goal is to eventually reach one million coins.

Co-op Play

New Super Mario Bros. 2 allows you to play the game with a friend. Co-op play mode requires both players to have their own Nintendo 3DS system running a copy of the game. Players can team up to play the game and collect coins.

Design and Graphics

Graphics design and art style are nearly identical to that in the previous version of New Super Mario Bros. There are only a few new frames of animation and background. Players will be seeing practically the same levels in this new version as the ones they saw in older versions.

If you’ve been looking forward to a 3D effect, you might be disappointed. The 3D effect for the new Super Mario Bros. 2 is minor, contributing only a pop effect on the foreground layer. Using 3D settings leads to slight blurring of the background and detracts from details.

Fun Factor

New Super Mario Bros. 2 is fun and enjoyable – no question about that. However, experienced Mario Bros. players may find it too similar to previous versions in terms of graphics, sounds and levels. New players who have never played the game before will have a great time, especially because the game is easy to learn and challenging to play.

Pros

Allows co-op play

Fun and exciting, with numerous levels and challenges

Not too difficult

Cons

Reuses a lot of graphics and sounds from the original version

One-million-coin goal is gimmicky

May not be challenging enough for some players

What Customers Say

Customers who reviewed the New Super Mario Bros. 2 game on the Amazon product page gave it an average rating of 3.7 stars out of 5. While a good number of reviewers say it is fun and exciting, others were not too impressed. The biggest disappointment, according to some customers, is that this game version does not offer anything substantially new or different. They also say that some levels are a lot of fun, but most are not.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 is fun but does not deliver the challenge and thrill that many players expect. If you are looking for a game that’s easy to play, this is a good choice. Otherwise, you might want to put the $35+ that Nintendo is asking for it to better use.