New Super Mario Bros. 2

Miyamoto once said that having established characters and franchises such as Mario allow development teams the freedom to effectively create a new IP with each release of a game under the Mario banner. This statement seems odd at first, however closer inspection suggests some truth to the claim. Just think; Super Mario Brothers, Mario 64 and Mario Galaxy share almost nothing in common other than the basic art style and characters.

As a result of this, it is more than a little disappointing to find that New Super Mario Brothers 2 is barely more than a re-release of the original outing. The big feature of NSMB2 is coin collecting, and collect coins you do… A lot. Although at times fun, collecting coins has never been a standout feature of a Mario game and, having played through NSMB2, it is safe to say that it still isn’t a standout aspect of any Mario game. Placing a heavy emphasis on this collecting, each level is literally crammed with these golden turds and collecting over 800 in a level is not unusual. The motives for collecting them aren’t even clear. Having amassed over 13,000 in a single play through things are no more obvious, suggesting that their purpose is merely to be collected and added to an overall total.

Coin rush is easily the most interesting use of the coin collection feature. As players progress through the game they unlock different levels of coin rush mode where they are tasked with playing three randomly selected levels with a dramatically reduced time limit. After these levels have been completed the coin total is saved and passed around to friends via street pass allowing players to compete against one another’s high score.

Stylistically, the game is beautiful, but also something we have seen before. Almost identical to the last outing, the levels even progress in the same manner, with the desert, snow and cloud worlds all making a return. Although present, the 3D is little more than an afterthought and is never used in the dynamic way that it was employed in Super Mario 3D Land. It could even be said that turning 3D on makes the visuals appear muddy and fuzzy, with the game easily looking its best with the handheld console’s defining feature turned off.

With all that said, being nothing more than a rehash of the last game isn’t all bad. NSMB was a brilliant game and, for the most part, NSMB2 is no different. Although unremarkable and apparently pointless, the coin collecting does little to tarnish the experience. The tight, near perfect controls that Mario games are known for remain. Towards the latter stages of the game there are some welcome and nostalgic nods towards the history of the franchise, and the boss battles break up the standard level format nicely.

Surprisingly for a Mario game, there is a steep difficulty spike towards the end of the game. It is by no means hard as nails but players will probably find that they die more than they expected. It is here that players will find a little frustration. For some reason, the developers have seen fit to force players to watch cutscenes, even if a death has forced you to see the cutscene on more than one occasion.

If assessed in a vacuum, NSMB2 is a fantastic game. The visuals are gorgeous, the controls are near perfect, and the levels are designed in a way befitting of the gaming leviathan that Mario has become. The problem is however, that games don’t exist in a vacuum, and its lack of innovation of almost any kind will frustrate and disappoint fans.

Nintendo are a company that have built their reputation on innovation, but NSMB2 is the complete antithesis of that. Those looking to pick this game up, have a brilliant and enjoyable experience on their hands, just don’t expect it to do or be anything other than a near identical experience to that of the first game. When NSMB came along, it was a welcome return to the side scroller, but with three games of a similar ilk now released so close to one another, the freshness that the games once enjoyed are well and truly gone.

3 Good Points

+ Brilliant fun.

+ Controls really well.

+ Looks beautiful.

3 Bad Points

- Just a rehash of NSMB.

- Does nothing new.

- Coin collection can get boring.