Review: New Super Mario Bros. 2
- Thread starter LegendofLex
- Start date
When I last spoke to Krazy4Krash in the Shoutbox on Sunday I told him I believed New Super Mario Bros. 2 was a fun and addicting game but light on the difficulty and too traditionalist. A mere 48 hours ago I would have ranked it above its DS predecessor but not quite reaching the heights of the Wii game. Now that I've breezed through the adventure my thoughts have changed. This is the best game in the subseries and although it bears a striking resemblance to its 2D predecessors the content skyrockets above said games.
A great degree of vertical design is lent via the Raccoon Suit and although its use may be limited it makes snagging those Star Coins much easier even when not necessary. Nintendo also did a great job of incorporating less obvious secrets prompting players to fill their P-Meter and take off to the skies in search of secret pipes.
While cruising through the main game shouldn't prompt a veteran to snap some of the Star Coins here are absolutely brutal to obtain requiring split second jumping precision as Mini Mario or eradicating blocks hidden in obscure joints aided by the Gold Flower.
Level design is on par with Mario's greatest and never feels lazy. While gold rings frequent areas collecting coins in the scramble for one million doesn't feel forced and adds a great degree of longevity to the title. I had an especial blast with the Ghost Houses whether escaping from the clutches of a perverted Big Boo or soaring to a tucked away alcove. I commend the boss battles as well. Reznor and the Koopalings return for another bout boasting diverse gameplay mechanics such as fighting two Reznors simultaneously, Iggy's aiding chain chomp, or the pipes required to blast Ludwig out of the sky.
Coin Rush feels tacked on but the promise of future downloadable content prompts me to believe Nintendo knows how to properly handle the mode in the future. As it stands I feel somewhat compelled to play it old school aiming for the highest score possible.
With nothing particularly mind blowing on the horizon for the system New Super Mario Bros. 2 appears to be my 3DS game of the year.
A great degree of vertical design is lent via the Raccoon Suit and although its use may be limited it makes snagging those Star Coins much easier even when not necessary. Nintendo also did a great job of incorporating less obvious secrets prompting players to fill their P-Meter and take off to the skies in search of secret pipes.
While cruising through the main game shouldn't prompt a veteran to snap some of the Star Coins here are absolutely brutal to obtain requiring split second jumping precision as Mini Mario or eradicating blocks hidden in obscure joints aided by the Gold Flower.
Level design is on par with Mario's greatest and never feels lazy. While gold rings frequent areas collecting coins in the scramble for one million doesn't feel forced and adds a great degree of longevity to the title. I had an especial blast with the Ghost Houses whether escaping from the clutches of a perverted Big Boo or soaring to a tucked away alcove. I commend the boss battles as well. Reznor and the Koopalings return for another bout boasting diverse gameplay mechanics such as fighting two Reznors simultaneously, Iggy's aiding chain chomp, or the pipes required to blast Ludwig out of the sky.
Coin Rush feels tacked on but the promise of future downloadable content prompts me to believe Nintendo knows how to properly handle the mode in the future. As it stands I feel somewhat compelled to play it old school aiming for the highest score possible.
With nothing particularly mind blowing on the horizon for the system New Super Mario Bros. 2 appears to be my 3DS game of the year.
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2012
To anyone who has not played it yet: I definitely do not recommend trying to run through the main adventure in any sense of the word. Push yourself to get all the Star Coins and set terrific coin records during your initial playthrough, then tackle Coin Rush and go for the most perfect runs you can muster. The game doesn't feel short at all if tackled in this manner; it took me 16 hours to "complete" it, and I feel like I was actually moving at a pretty breakneck pace the entire time.
Incidentally, Coin Rush is probably the most addictive Mario game ever created. That's right; I'm basically referring to it as a separate game. I will be playing this for a very long time - probably longer if StreetPass were at all practical in the United States.
Hold your horses, LegendofLex. I never anticipated you reading into my words so thoroughly. Allow me to clarify. While I beat the game quickly I put my time into finding those Star Coins and setting the best coin record possible. While I haven't completed the game 100% I'm pretty darn close to it. Considering that I one hundred percented its DS predecessor in a mere 13 hours I wasn't expecting too much out of this sequel.
I do agree with you about Coin Rush, however. I'd dub it as reminiscent to the NES original in its frantic nature although unlike in that game where you were collecting lightly scattered coins to boost your scanty life count in preparation of increased challenge later in New Super Mario Bros. 2 you're aiming for the highest coin with the quickest time and a solid ending position of the flagpole.
I do agree with you about Coin Rush, however. I'd dub it as reminiscent to the NES original in its frantic nature although unlike in that game where you were collecting lightly scattered coins to boost your scanty life count in preparation of increased challenge later in New Super Mario Bros. 2 you're aiming for the highest coin with the quickest time and a solid ending position of the flagpole.
I'm currently in the process of playing the game, not trying to 100% it as I have massive trouble reaching some Star Coins (there is a star coin over in 1-4, the final one, which in hindsight is so simple to reach yet it alluded me for about two or three hours). From what I can say as of now, NSMB2 looks like the same-old same-old, but it definitely does not feel like the same-old same-old. Whereas the easier side of the Mario spectrum (for example, Super Mario World, NSMBDS, NSMBWii) were easy throughout regardless of what the aim of the playthrough was, and where the harder side of the Mario spectrum (e.g Super Mario Bros 3) were hard all around, NSMB2 takes the two and meshes them together.
Getting to and jumping on that flagpole is perhaps the easiest thing to do in the game. Now, I'm not the most astute critical thinker out there, but I can say that several Star Coins will give even the most veteran of players some trouble. Whether it is reaching what is in plain sight or finding what is unseen, there are several very cleverly hidden Coins and of course the Secret Exits don't make themselves all too obvious either.
Coin Rush, while I haven't gotten through too much, is great in concept but in practice I feel a "score runner" mode would benefit the mode so much more; what any Coin Rusher plays for is coin count, not score count. While both are so similar the differences are pretty much insignificant, I find that being able to play for either would make for an infinitely more engrossing mode. That's just me.
My sole complaint about the game thus far, like legitimate complaint, is that co-op mode is only for local play. Nintendo can do better, I know they can. I guess I SHOULD be grateful that a coop mode even exists, but I desire for more.
As of now, NSMB2 gets an 8/10. But, I'll judge when I vanquish World 6.
Getting to and jumping on that flagpole is perhaps the easiest thing to do in the game. Now, I'm not the most astute critical thinker out there, but I can say that several Star Coins will give even the most veteran of players some trouble. Whether it is reaching what is in plain sight or finding what is unseen, there are several very cleverly hidden Coins and of course the Secret Exits don't make themselves all too obvious either.
Coin Rush, while I haven't gotten through too much, is great in concept but in practice I feel a "score runner" mode would benefit the mode so much more; what any Coin Rusher plays for is coin count, not score count. While both are so similar the differences are pretty much insignificant, I find that being able to play for either would make for an infinitely more engrossing mode. That's just me.
My sole complaint about the game thus far, like legitimate complaint, is that co-op mode is only for local play. Nintendo can do better, I know they can. I guess I SHOULD be grateful that a coop mode even exists, but I desire for more.
As of now, NSMB2 gets an 8/10. But, I'll judge when I vanquish World 6.
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2012
@ A Link in Time: I just wanted to clarify the best way to get value out of the game for people who haven't played it yet who might have read into your multiple mentions of the main haul being pretty easy to get through as a bad sign.
TheRizardon
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Nice review, have you ever thought of doing a video review along with a written one?