Highlights
- New Super Mario Bros. 2 was criticized for being too easy and not adding enough new content compared to the original.
- New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe received praise for its gameplay and levels but was criticized for being a remaster with little added content.
- New Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo DS was a landmark moment for the series, revitalizing the 2D platforming genre and becoming an instant classic.
With Super Mario Bros. Wonder on the horizon, players are looking back on past Mario releases to fill the time until 2D Mario experiences a fresh start. The previous series of classic Mario platformers, the New Super Mario Bros. series, spans multiple consoles and ten years.
With six main series releases during that time, how does each entry stack up against one another? Strangely enough, it's fairly close! Every New Super Mario Bros. game is unique in its own way, and though they all excel in certain areas, some entries are slightly better than others.
6 New Super Mario Bros. 2
Release Date | July 28, 2012 |
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Platform | Nintendo 3DS |
The confusingly named New Super Mario Bros. 2 released on 3DS systems back in 2012. The naming system was especially bizarre, as there had been another New Super Mario Bros. game since the original, released on the Wii in 2009!
​​​​​​Besides the odd naming choice, New Super Mario Bros. 2 was regarded as simply being too easy, with the coin-based theme of the title giving the player far too many lives. It simply didn't quite compare to the original either, with levels being very similar to the older games and far too little being added for the third game in the series.
5 New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
Release Date | January 11, 2019 |
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Platform | Nintendo Switch |
The problem with New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe didn't lie in the gameplay or the levels themselves. The problem was that the only (until October) 2D Mario game released on Nintendo's juggernaut of a platform was a remaster of a Wii U game.
Based on value proposition, U Deluxe offered a decent amount of content for its very premium price. The issue was that there was very little added on to justify this game's rerelease and a similar price tag to other newly released Nintendo games. A few small mini-games and a new character just didn't quite scratch the Mario itch many players had possessed since the Wii U days. That aside, this was a very solid port of a classic modern Mario title.
4 ​​​​​​New Super Luigi U
Release Date | June 19, 2013 |
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Platform | Nintendo Wii U |
​​​​New Super Luigi U was an interesting case of a Mario game. It sat in an odd place between a hard mode for Mario Bros. U and a new game in the series. The challenge was most definitely present here, and it's what made New Super Luigi U unique from other entries in the series, which was growing long in the tooth at this point.
The only issue with New Super Luigi U was the shorter timer and level length. For such an interesting concept, the expansion was far too short, taking half the time to complete than a normal Mario game. That being said, it was an interesting experiment and one that Nintendo could certainly explore more in the future.
3 New Super Mario Bros. U
Release Date | November 18, 2012 |
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Platform | Nintendo Wii U |
Super Mario Bros. U was released at the start of the Wii U life cycle and was sorely underrated due to its choice of platform. This entry was the most creative since the original, including some very nice-looking stylized levels based on Van Gogh paintings and clever new power-ups.
The New Super Mario Bros. formula was looking decidedly long in the tooth by the time Mario Bros. U came around, which is why this game still ranks lower than some of the other entries in the series. Due to the overuse of the same formula, this game feels a lot less original and clever than it really is, and that's just how many fans felt about the series as a whole by this point.
2 New Super Mario Bros Wii
Release Date | November 12, 2009 |
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Platform | Nintendo Wii |
The golden age of the Wii and the New Super Mario Bros. series can be traced back to one game. New Super Mario Bros. Wii was a masterclass in multiplayer chaos. With all its levels designed to be played by four players and finally including four-player local play as a feature, this game capitalized on the sense of friendly fun the Wii was known for.
Of course, Wii came with its issues, an imbalance, and far too easy difficulty while playing solo chiefly among them, but New Super Mario Bros. Wii will be remembered as the game that brought people together in their own living rooms. It may not be the most original or best, but it certainly was expert at bringing a sense of fun that was much appreciated by fans of all ages.
1 New Super Mario Bros.
Release Date | May 15, 2006 |
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Platform | Nintendo DS |
New Super Mario Bros. was a landmark moment in a series that had remained stagnant for years. While 3D Mario games had been steadily progressing entry upon entry, the classic 2D Mario games had been struggling for inspiration since the glory days of Super Mario World.
With that, on came New Super Mario Bros., a brand-new new foray into two-dimensional Mario platforming, and it was well worth the wait. Creative levels shared assets with the infamous Mario 64, and unique power-ups made this game a highlight of the DS era. At the time, New Super Mario Bros. was a beacon in a draught of 2D platformers, and that's one of the many reasons why it is so loved by fans of the franchise. It was an instant classic and is arguably the best New Super Mario Bros. title ever released.