New Super Mario Bros. 2

Nintendo should seriously consider dropping the title “New” Super Mario Bros. because it’s hardly new anymore. New Super Mario Bros. 2, is the third New Super Mario Bros. installment, for the 3ds, the others being for the ds, Wii and Wii. U. It’s the exact same style as most before it, being a 2D sidescroller, making you go through a variety of worlds, collecting power-ups and coins as you try to rescue Princess Peach, who has gotten captured. Again. *Blank face*. It’s the same game as before, with a few new items introduced as well as a new option to play, called Coin Rush, where basically you can collect insane amounts of coins. This will be a relatively short review though. Let us move on!

The Good:

• Awesome graphics, really making it look glamorous and crisp. Of course, there will be the xbox or ps3 guy saying “NOO NINTENDO GRAPHICS SUCK THEY SUCK THEY’RE BAD DEATH TO ALL BUT REAL CONSOLES” etc.
• Great new items introduced, such as the Golden Flower, an extremely overpowered Fire Flower. It does it so that basically all blocks and enemies that you hit with the explosive golden fireball turns everything into gold. When you land on the flagpole, it also gives you a certain amount of coins instead of points, depending on where you land. The Golden Mushroom was also introduced, giving you 50/100 coins when you get it, the Golden Block, being a block that if you hit it enough times, it attaches onto Mario’s head, generating coins when you run around. Lastly is the Golden Hoop/ Ring, which turns all enemies into gold and gives you coins when you kill them. This is especially beneficial for Koopa’s and Lakitu’s, because when you throw the Koopa shell, it leaves a trail of coins behind then and Lakitu throws coins instead of shells.
• The Super Leaf was also brought back, giving you a Racoon Tail + Ears/ Fox Tail + Ears, depending on if you’re Mario or Luigi. You can hit your enemies with the Racoon tail and after running long enough, you have the ability to fly, which is pretty useful for several levels, as you can just fly until you have to land. If you jump at exactly the right time when you land, your fly meter recharges instantly, allowing you to fly once more.
• Some nifty hidden passages and areas that are occasionally difficult to get to. This is mostly in the hidden Mushroom, Flower and Star Worlds, but also towards the last worlds.
• The game is centered more around coin collecting and gathering as many coins as possible. This takes away from the repetitiveness of all the recent games, only slightly though.

The Bad:

• As has been said in other reviews, in this game and the ones before it, it just feels so very repetitive. No real new thing has been introduced except for items, and the game just feels soulless and devoid of life. I mean it’s a good game and all, no doubt about it, but it’s simply missing that spark that some of the games before it has had. It feels more like blocks put in a pattern without too much thought.
• Now, of course, there’s the problem with the coins. As the coins are so frequent throughout the game and the method of obtaining them are so easy, the challenge of the game is greatly deprived. Without the need for lives, you can simply go through the levels without a worry, since there’s really no worry about you losing lives.
• Last battle with Bowser, while slightly difficult, is quite underwhelming.
• Some of the levels are simply pointless and serve no challenge in the game, except for the unlimited amounts of coins collectable.
• Item houses and 1up houses are basically pointless in the new game as new lives and items come across so frequently.
• As commonly done with Mario, the music throughout the worlds are the same and frankly, quite bland.

As said, this was a relatively short review, covering simply the basics of the game. New Super Mario Bros. 2 is fun and definitely a good time burner, however, for something deeper that rivals with the games on the NES (except for Super Mario Bros 2) and other consoles, this is not the game you’re looking for. With decent music, new fun game modes, nice graphics and some cool new items introduced into the game, but extremely repetitive aspects and not a large a challenge, I’m going to give New Super Mario Bros a: C+