New Super Mario Bros. 2 Review "Imperfect, but still golden"

The new Gold standard?

Before I review the game, there’s one question I’d like to pose to Nintendo: can we stop calling it New Super Mario Bros. after 3 games?

Don’t get me wrong, I love Mario. I will continue to love Mario, unless he falls from grace harder than a blue hedgehog, and the Mario franchise turns into a cavalcade of supporting characters undercutting horrible games and Crush 40 songs. But I simply don’t see that happening.

Still, it’s not to say the Mario franchise hasn’t had a few hiccups. I know people who are ardently against the NSMB games. Heck, if you mention Mario Sunshine around me, there’s a good chance my day will be ruined. Is NSMB 2 among such horrid “classics” as Hotel Mario? Absolutely not.

This game feels very familiar. I think we’ve all sung this particular tune before. While I didn’t enjoy the first NSMB as much as other Nintendo Fanboys did. The single player in NSMB Wii however was nearly flawless to me, and I adored all the new things that game brought back. It kindled feelings not felt since the first time I played Super Mario World, and the multiplayer, while ruining friendships; also had it’s charms.

Koopalings, infinitely better than Bowser Jr.

Many called the coin collecting a gimmick: a fair criticism, as much as I disagree with it. I like it when an old franchise takes small, careful chances. I thought coin collecting would be a chore, but the game makes it fairly easy to money grab that if you blink you might think you’re playing a Wario game (hint hint, playable Wario DLC hint).

The rest however, is very similar to the last two “new” outings. I adore the return of the raccoon leaf, and the would be ubiquitous “P” bar. The song sung here is a tune you're all too familiar with. Play through levels, mini boss, more levels, then you fight a Koopaling. The Koopaling boss battles are much better this time around, and don't run together like they did in previous Mario games. Every one of Bowser's broods has their own way of attacking Mario. 

While the visuals are stunning for a 2.5D game, the 3DS aspect is nothing short of atrocious. I’m actually confused that there wasn’t a DS version offered. 3D was a great asset to Mario Kart 7 and Ocarina of Time and even Super Mario 3D Land. This time, it was an afterthought, at best. Playing it without the 3D on is the only way as far as I’m concerned. Unless you want a headache.

I bought a hard copy of the game, because I’m still a huge fan of cartridges. I can also lend it to friends when I’m done, something else I enjoy doing with games. Nintendo mentioned DLC coming in the future, posing critics to say that perhaps NSMB 2 wouldn’t be a full game. I can assuredly say that the game is full. I’ve played it for 5 hours, taking my time, finding secrets, and am not even halfway through.

Last Word

While New Super Mario Bros 2 doesn’t offer anything too new, it is still a solid 2D Mario platformer, and with DLC coming, it’s sure to keep you satisfied through the 3DS’s lifespan.