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RTTP: New Super Mario Bros 2 (3DS) and Mario in general

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whiterabbit

Member
I've been playing a lot of Mario games lately. I played through Super Mario Bros 3 on 2DS virtual console and Super Mario Land for the Game Boy on the virtual console as well. Then I played Super Mario Land 2 on a GBA SP. Then I played Super Mario World on the GBA. I also played some of SNES Mario games on my All Stars + World cartridge, but it's all packed up for a move now. So I play mostly handheld Mario. I like 3D Land quite a bit. I sometimes watch speed runs of Super Mario 64... But this game is New Super Mario Bros 2 for the 3DS.

Anyway, I've replayed NSMB 2 on the 3DS a few times. I got it when I first got my 3DS XL in 2012. It's a really fun Mario game in my opinion. It's one of the best in my opinion because it's really fair and the controls are really smooth. I'm not saying it's the greatest game ever. There was a thread asking if New Super Mario Bros 2 was the worst Mario game, but I don't think it's the worst.

For this playthrough, I'm going for all Star Coins and secret exits. There are a lot of secret exits and the world map is pretty nifty. I 100%ed it back when it came out, so this is the first time I've really been trying to do that again. I invite you to pick it up again and play.

The power ups are pretty good. I like Gold Mario. Fire flower is good and so is Raccoon Mario. All in all, New Super Mario Bros 2 is a solid entry in the Mario series.
 
I played through it a few months ago after finishing NSMB U (a significantly better game) and found it completely unmemorable. It's Mario on auto-pilot.
 
I haven't played a single bad Mario game yet. But NSMB2 is probably the worst of the bunch.

The coin/gold theme is nice at first but then gets old pretty quickly. The game generally feels uninspired, and is largely devoid of challenge.

Edit:

jb1234 said:
I played through it a few months ago after finishing NSMB U (a significantly better game) and found it completely unmemorable. It's Mario on auto-pilot.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Additionally, I think that NSMBU is probably the best 2D Mario since SMW, maybe even since SMB3.
 
The main campaign of New Super Mario Bros 2 is the worst in the entire line-up of Mario platformers. The amount of cheap and lazy level design is shocking for Nintendo EAD game. This game, unlike New Super Mario Bros U, does not deserve such sales.

Coin Rush, though, was surprisingly awesome. Nintendo should have just made New Super Mario Bros Coin Rush as a eShop-exclusive game.

But it seems like you have just started your acquaintance with New Super Mario Bros sub-series, so you should be fine. Everything will get only better from this point. I highly recommend to check out New Super Mario Bros U + New Super Luigi U if you will get a Wii U at some point, it's a pinnacle of 2D Mario
if we don't count Yoshi's Island as Mario game.
 
I think going for all star coins and secret exits make it fun. Otherwise yeah it's easy to breeze through and could be forgettable.
 
whiterabbit said:
It's one of the best in my opinion because it's really fair and the controls are really smooth.
Click to expand...
This is the very minimum requirement for any Mario platformer since SMB3.

It's not bad, if not a bit uninspired. The level design is bland and too reliant on gimmicks for the series' standards. Try Galaxy, Galaxy 2, New Super Mario Bros. U, 3D World.

Edit:
DownGrader said:
The main campaign of New Super Mario Bros 2 is the worst in the entire line-up of Mario platformers. The amount of cheap and lazy level design is shocking for Nintendo EAD game. This game, unlike New Super Mario Bros U, does not deserve such sales.

Coin Rush, though, was surprisingly awesome. Nintendo should have just made New Super Mario Bros Coin Rush as a eShop-exclusive game.

But it seems like you have just started your acquaintance with New Super Mario Bros sub-series, so you should be fine. Everything will get only better from this point. Highly recommend checking out New Super Mario Bros U + New Super Luigi U if you will get a Wii U at some point, it's a pinnacle of 2D Mario
if we don't count Yoshi's Island as Mario game.
Click to expand...
This. NSMBU on the other hand is the best in a while (as far as 2D Marios are concerned).
 
Storm Kyleis said:
This is the very minimum requirement for any Mario platformer since SMB3.

It's not bad, if not a bit uninspired. The level design is bland and too reliant on gimmicks for the series' standards. Try Galaxy, Galaxy 2, New Super Mario Bros. U, 3D World.
Click to expand...

You didn't think waggle was a gimmick? I played Super Mario Galaxy when it came out on my Wii, but only briefly tried the Wii U game... Never played 3D world. But I think I prefer 2D Mario for whatever reasons.

I wish they would make a Mega Man game in the New Mario Bros style.
 
I personally found it kinda bland and uninteresting. Generic, for lack of a better word. It was playable, somewhat fun, but forgettable to me. The worst part was your reward for getting a million coins. It sounded like it was going to be amazing, but no, it's just another title screen. Also, a Mario game about gold and coins, but no Wario? For shame, Nintendo. I was hoping he was an unlockable character after collecting a million coins.
 
NSMB2 seems like a total "cash in" game, which is funny because the whole game is about coins and the fact cash in games are absolutely lifeless.

Quite a wasteful Mario game, if we're to be honest.
 
whiterabbit said:
You didn't think waggle was a gimmick? I played Super Mario Galaxy when it came out on my Wii, but only briefly tried the Wii U game... Never played 3D world. But I think I prefer 2D Mario for whatever reasons.

I wish they would make a Mega Man game in the New Mario Bros style.
Click to expand...
It's very different. The entirety of NSMB2 is designed around collecting coins, the waggle in Super Mario Galaxy is just the input for a normal move.
 
whiterabbit said:
You didn't think waggle was a gimmick? I played Super Mario Galaxy when it came out on my Wii, but only briefly tried the Wii U game...
Click to expand...

You should grab NSMBU if you can. It's really, really good, the best 2D Mario in ages. My only complaint is that the music needed a complete overhaul and didn't get one (aside from a few new tracks).
 
jb1234 said:
You should grab NSMBU if you can. It's really, really good, the best 2D Mario in ages. My only complaint is that the music needed a complete overhaul and didn't get one (aside from a few new tracks).
Click to expand...

I think I played that at my cousin's house. She had it on her Wii U. I liked it, but got stuck on a Ghost House. (Going to try and play over Thanksgiving if I go to their house...)

NSMBU has a world map like Mario World, right?
 
whiterabbit said:
NSMBU has a world map like Mario World, right?
Click to expand...

Yes, it has the unified map system akin to Super Mario World's one, with interconnected worlds and a lot of secret paths and non-level objects like Baby Yoshis, challenge zones like in Super Mario Bros 3 and Toad Houses.
 
I also forgot that I think Super Mario Maker is pretty cool... Haven't got a chance to play it as I don't have a Wii U, but I've been watching streamers such as GameXplain play custom levels. I wish they would make something like that for 3DS.
 
It's not better than NSMB Wii or U, but it's far better than NSMB DS. That was the weakest, most bland return Nintendo could have possible made for 2D Mario.
 
There's not really anything wrong with NSMB2, it just came out too close to the superior NSMBU+L and kind of dragged that game down a little bit in the public's eye due to fatigue. If they had released it a year earlier, both games would have probably been better off. The 3DS probably could have used it at launch, in fact.
 
DownGrader said:
Yes, it has the unified map system akin to Super Mario World's one, with interconnected worlds and a lot of secret paths and non-level objects like Baby Yoshis, challenge zones like in Super Mario Bros 3 and Toad Houses.
Click to expand...

That sounds nice for a change. I got stuck in a Ghost House that I couldn't figure out how to beat, the one time I played it.
 
It's my least favourite of the 2D Mario platformers. Felt very uninspired and lazy from Nintendo. I think NSMB burnout also may have had an effect on how I felt about it.
 
Pancakes R Us said:
It's my least favourite of the 2D Mario platformers. Felt very uninspired and lazy from Nintendo. I think NSMB burnout also may have had an effect on how I felt about it.
Click to expand...

I think you should give it another chance if you still have it. When you go for all the Star Coins, it's pretty fun. There is a lot of detail to the worlds too.
 
I think it's my favourite NSMB game, the execution is superb and I really enjoyed collecting coins. I think 3D Land is the better Mario on 3DS, but I still played NSMB2 way more, lol. 2D Mario is just a timeless formula.
 
Miles better than NSMB 1 and not in any way the worst 2d Mario platformer. (that title would probably belong to the original Mario Land)

As in most nintendo platformers, you get much more out of it if you shoot for the extras / 100% completion rather than just getting to the standard end.

I wish there were more of these cannon levels.
 
Yeah, good platformer with generally good level design and a new mechanic that actually works and adds fun to the experience. People ended up insulting it because usually a Mario game can't be "only good", and then the hyperboles started to flow. Also the far superior NSMBU came out a few months later, which completely overshadowed it and at the same time caused a bit of brand fatigue (which ended up damaging the "lesser" episode more than the other one).
 
whiterabbit said:
I think you should give it another chance if you still have it. When you go for all the Star Coins, it's pretty fun. There is a lot of detail to the worlds too.
Click to expand...
I do still have it, bought it at launch back in 2012. May give it a try again, but it's gonna be a while. I don't want it to spoil my appetite for NSMB U which I've still yet to play. Or even Mario Maker.
 
Pancakes R Us said:
I do still have it, bought it at launch back in 2012. May give it a try again, but it's gonna be a while. I don't want it to spoil my appetite for NSMB U which I've still yet to play. Or even Mario Maker.
Click to expand...

Right on. I know, it's a lot of Mario to take in, right? I don't know what I would play if I had, say, a PS Vita instead of a 3DS. I'm actually wearing my Club Nintendo Mario shirt right now.
 
The most soulless Mario game I've ever played. It somehow outdid the original NSMB in that aspect.

The Wii U one is awesome though. Play that one if you can,
 
RM8 said:
I think it's my favourite NSMB game, the execution is superb and I really enjoyed collecting coins. I think 3D Land is the better Mario on 3DS, but I still played NSMB2 way more, lol. 2D Mario is just a timeless formula.
Click to expand...

I agree that 2D Mario is a timeless formula. It seems so generic to be a Mario fan, but I really like it.

themagicalkitsune said:
Miles better than NSMB 1 and not in any way the worst 2d Mario platformer. (that title would probably belong to the original Mario Land)

As in most nintendo platformers, you get much more out of it if you shoot for the extras / 100% completion rather than just getting to the standard end.

I wish there were more of these cannon levels.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your input. I've only played the first cannon level in my current 100% playthrough, but it was a blast.
 
The game has the worst 3D implementation, kinda ridiculous considering it's Mario you'd think they could've done something better than blurring the background.
 
I love Mario games but NSMB2 just did not click with me at all. It felt so by-the-numbers to me. It's not a bad game by any means but when you compare it side-by-side with NSMBU and 3D Land/World it just does not measure up. I think a large part of it might be that I remember most of it being really easy.
 
Just finished that and NSMBU.

Liked it but what the F is up with the rhino mid-bosses everywhere, seriously? (also the 3D effect by bluring the background was kinda lame)

NSMBU is better, and I believe it to be a good game at the core, actually wanted to make a thread about this, after playing DKCR and just starting DKCTF a few days ago... Is multiplayer more than a gimmick in NSMB? just HOW can those levels be designed for 2-4 players?
granted my gf isn't as good at me at those games but thanks to a few thoughtful choices (player characters actually going through each other, game not twiching/slowing down when you pick-up something or hit something or die) DKCR and DKCTF are fun to play, and level design works, since the game feels a bit more slow paced somehow.
(3DWorld obviously works well in that aspect too)
 
That game, in general is a case to me because it feels the coin gimmick was added late in development tp an otherwise ordinary and standard Mario adventure.

Like "holy shit! We made Mario Wii portable, quick! Think something that makes this game seem unique!" and then a random employee enters asking for a few coins and change, and everybody is happy. Gold Mario Statue.

images


Like they could have done something with the coin theme, Wario, Bowser having a golden castle and stealing coins, heck more minigames.
 
There's a great game lying under the surface with NSMB2, but the main conceit of that game is that coin collecting is properly tracked and incentivized.

If it had tracked coins collected on a per-level basis in addition to a more faceless universal tally, if the coin counter didn't loop back to 0 every time you exceeded 100 coins, if they implemented friend leaderboards for every level that compelled you to battle for domination, the game would have been astounding and extremely replayable.

But instead it's, essentially, a great score attack game that forgot to add a scoreboard. There's some fantastic coin placement and chaining opportunities all around the game, but there's no real driving motivator to explore them.
 
Zalman said:
I really like NSMB2. The coin aspect worked pretty well.
Click to expand...

I agree. It really made me rethink how to approach levels so rather than rushing from A to B, it's more about the journey and how I can manipulate the level to get as many coins as I can.

It's definitely an underrated title.
 
I actually rather liked NSMB2 and it's probably my second favorite in the New series after New U. Even got the million coins and bought all the DLC. Playing the levels aiming for lots of coins was actually intersting and a completely different way to play Mario than I used to.
 
Shig said:
There's a great game lying under the surface with NSMB2, but the main conceit of that game is that coin collecting is properly tracked and incentivized.

If it had tracked coins collected on a per-level basis in addition to a more faceless universal tally, if the coin counter didn't loop back to 0 every time you exceeded 100 coins, if they implemented friend leaderboards for every level that compelled you to battle for domination, the game would have been astounding and extremely replayable.

But instead it's, essentially, a great score attack game that forgot to add a scoreboard. There's some fantastic coin placement and chaining opportunities all around the game, but there's no real driving motivator to explore them.
Click to expand...

There is a counter on the bottom screen when you're playing a level. It tells you the highest coin total you have got on the level you are playing currently, and it's unique for each save file. So you can try for a personal best and keep track of it for each level.

Edit: Not in Coin Rush though, that seems to only track your saved score, if that's what you mean.
 
I agree OP. I 100%'d it (as I do pretty much all good platformers) and enjoyed every minute of it.

I even did that absurd million coins goal.

I really love mario platformers in general, but I find the NSMB games don't get the love they deserve.
 
I found gold mario and grabbing coins pretty addictive.

Game is much more fun then the original NSMB. I completed it in under a week on the train.
 
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