I saw this cartridge sitting on my desk just now and felt the need to review it.

Story - 8/10

New Super Mario Bros 2 is basically your average Mario platformer on steroids regarding coins. Everything in this game revolves around the collecting of coins. There is no other objective, anybody who tells you Princess Peach was kidnapped is lying to your face. She's probably enjoying a nice vacation with Bowser due to how much money he has. So it's up to you to be the richest man in the Mushroom Kingdom. This is a unique take on the classic "go help the princess" storyline, as you now have to buy her back instead.

Graphics - 9/10

The graphics look so much cleaner than its predecessor, New Super Mario Bros for the DS. The game looks less pixilated and more realistic. This is especially noticeable with the fireballs and lava in this game, they look like they hurt for once haha. The final fight with Bowser where he shows up in the background also looks so epic compared to other Mario games.

Sound - 8/10

Ding! Ding! Ding! That's the sound you'll hear a lot in this game. The over world and level music all fit their environment very well, with happy beach music to spooky scary ghost house music. The music has never been the main focus of a Mario platformer but you can definitely hear the effort they put into it for this game.

Depth - 9/10

It's a platformer, so it already is at a disadvantage here. However this game actually makes a good effort at being more than that. It offers multiplayer for up to two players so you can get your friend and play through the game together. It also offers a Coin Rush mode where you try and collect as many coins as possible in 3 levels. Together these two features can really enhance your playtime!

Addictiveness - 10/10

There's something about this game that makes me keep going back to it. Maybe it's the global Coin counter that stays updating even after starting a new save file. Maybe I just want to feel rich that day. Whatever it is, this game, as well as any platformer really, is one of the easiest games to pick up and have a good time with. It can almost act like a stress reliever if you will. The fact that you can replay it alone or with a friend and still have the same amount of fun with it as the previous time means the addictiveness is a well deserved 10.


Difficulty - 5/10

This might be because I'm so used to platformers, but the Mario games have never been particularly difficult for me. This one is no different as the insane amount of coins also mean an insane amount of lives. You'll never be at risk of a game over unless you intentionally dodge every coin. Which I guess could really raise the difficulty rating, haha.

Overall - 8.1/10

That brings the total to 8.1/10, which sounds like a good rating for a game based around collecting coins. The replay ability as well as the feeling of being rich really set this apart from other Mario platformers. It's not my personal favorite of the franchise (that would be the Wii version) but it's the most recent one that I've enjoyed a lot.

Thanks for reading this review! It's a bit tougher writing about a game with next to no storyline so I felt like taking a shot at it. Please tell me where you think I did well and where you think I could improve as it would really be appreciated!