What’s New in New Super Mario Bros. 2

When New Super Mario Bros. 2 was given a full trailer reveal at last week’s Nintendo E3 2012 press conference, gamers were quick to notice all the similarities it shared with the previous two installments in the series. In fact, discovering new elements was a bit of a challenge, as the game looked nearly identical to its predecessors. Here to help you with the dilemma, Mario Party Legacy has assembled a list of all the new features headed to the game this August.

 

 

Raccoon Mario and the Super Leaf

Complete with the ability to fly, the Super Leaf returns from Super Mario Bros. 3 to transform Mario and Luigi into their Raccoon forms. Players will be able to scale new heights with the transformation, allowing for a variety of levels that don’t rely on the horizontal path seen in past games. Unlike Super Mario 3D Land, the Super Leaf allows the player to soar through the stage after a good running start.

 

 

Sunset and Night Levels

What looks like a first for the series, the time of day will change depending on the level. A sunset and night level were shown in the recent trailer, but it’s unclear whether these levels will always stay this way. The night level appears to be in the first world, so perhaps some levels will change depending on the time you are playing your 3DS.

 

Reznors

Making its first appearance since Super Mario World, the boss enemy Reznor awaits the arrival of Mario and Luigi at the top of the fortress tower. I would love to get a confirmation on whether or not the Reznors breath fire, but the boss battle can be beaten in less than five seconds, making for one of the easiest bosses in recent years.

 

 

 

New Blocks

While blue POW blocks did appear in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, this game features red POW blocks that only affect the surrounding perimeter of the block, unlike the blue POW blocks that affect the entire screen. Rotating brick blocks are seen throughout the trailer, as well as a new Coin Roulette block that bursts out coins with the amount dependent on the number hit. The bouncy Note Blocks from Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World are also in.

 

 

Undead Enemies

Looks like Dry Bones isn’t the only dead enemy this time around. In the fortress level of the E3 demo, Dry Goombas and Dry Piranha Plants can be found right alongside the Dry Bones. What other enemies might make the undead list? Dry Cheep Cheeps? Dry Wigglers?

 

 

 

 

Golden Power Ups

Remember the good ol’ Fire Flower? Now think of it bathed in gold. The Golden Fire Flower is a new powerup that cloaks Mario in complete gold and allows him to throw fire balls that turn anything it hits into coins. Bricks, blocks, and enemies all go down and spit out coins when hit by these golden fire balls. Golden Mushrooms also appear, giving Mario 50 or 100 coins upon contact. What other powerups will get the gold treatment?

 

Golden Rings

Hop through one of these golden rings to enable a timed session where all the enemies become gold and filled with coins. Each enemy is worth a certain amount of coins and using a Koopa shell will create a line of coins, ready for Mario or Luigi to collect.

 

 

 

 

Cooperative and StreetPass Modes

Similar to the four player multiplayer in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the cooperative mode in New Super Mario Bros. 2 allows for a second player with another 3DS to join you on your quest to save the princess. A new StreetPass mode has you playing three randomly selected levels with the goal of trying to collect as many coins as possible. These three levels will be sent out to anyone you StreetPass as a challenge to beat your high score.

 

 

 

Nintendo Network

For those that have not yet seen it, the box art for New Super Mario Bros. 2 is already released and out in the public. Tucked away in the corner of the box is the new Nintendo Network icon. What could this mean? Will we finally see online play for the New Super Mario Bros. series? Or maybe just leaderboards?

 

A few more new elements worth mentioning:

  • A wearable block that constantly releases coins.
  • Super Mario Bros. 3 colored blocks.
  • Climbable spider webs.
  • Goomba Tower enemy returns from Super Mario 3D Land.
  • Parachute Red Coins.

 

 

 

 

Just about everything else is the same old New Super Mario Bros. you have come to know and love. The controls, the gameplay, the level themes, the world maps, the music, the sound effects, and just about anything else not in the “New” category is recycled from the previous two titles. Even the first level features the same castle in the background as New Super Mario Bros. Wii. And the Koopalings appeared in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, so nothing new there.

With only two months before release, the game is already in its final stages, so expecting drastic changes is a bit unrealistic. Are you okay with the direction of the game and the series? Is there anything else you noticed that is new and worth mentioning? Let us know in the comments below!

 

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