is a 2006 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It was first released in May 2006 in North America and Japan, in Europe and Australia in June 2006, in South Korea in March 2007, and in China in July 2009. It is the first installment in the New Super Mario Bros. subseries of the Super Mario series and the first side-scrolling Super Mario game since Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins (1992) and following Yoshi's Island (1995). It follows Mario as he fights his way through Bowser's henchmen to rescue Princess Peach. Mario has access to an upgraded moveset and several old and new power-ups that help him complete his quest, including the Super Mushroom, the Fire Flower, and the Super Star, each giving him unique abilities. While traveling through eight worlds with more than 80 levels, Mario has to defeat Bowser Jr. and Bowser before saving Princess Peach.

New Super Mario Bros. released with critical and commercial success, with many considering it as the main contributor in the revival of the 2D platforming genre. Praise went towards the game's improvements and introductions made to the Mario franchise, level design, faithfulness to older Mario games, and its graphics and audio; while minor criticism was targeted at its low difficulty level and lingering similarities to previous games. It received numerous awards and was called one of the best games available for the Nintendo DS by many critics, with some further calling it one of the best side-scrolling Super Mario titles. It sold over 30 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling game for the Nintendo DS and one of the best-selling video games of all time. The game's success led to a line of sequels and follow-ups, starting with New Super Mario Bros. Wii (2009).

Gameplay

left|thumb|Mario powered up by the Mega Mushroom, which grows him to an enormous size for a short period of time, allowing him to [[Destructible environment|destroy terrain such as pipes and blocks. Mario and surrounding objects are seen with a 2.5D effect.]]

New Super Mario Bros. is a side-scrolling video game. While the game is seen in 2D, most of the characters and objects are 3D polygonal renderings on 2D backgrounds, resulting in a 2.5D effect that visually simulates 3D computer graphics. The player can play as either Mario, or his younger brother, Luigi. Similar to previous Mario games, Mario and Luigi can jump, crouch, collect coins, stomp on enemies, and break open blocks.

Between eight and twelve levels are available in each of the eight worlds in New Super Mario Bros., which are shown on the Nintendo DS's bottom touch screen while the player is viewing the world map in the game. The map of the currently selected world appears on the top screen, which is used to navigate between the world's levels.

The multiplayer mode in New Super Mario Bros. features two players against each other as they play as Mario and Luigi in one of five stages, in which they try to be the first to obtain a preset number of stars. Both players can attack each other in an attempt to steal the other player's stars. Jumping on the opponent's character will make them lose one star while performing a ground pound will lose them three. The minigames are divided into four categories: Action, Puzzle, Table and Variety. New Super Mario Bros. features eighteen minigames for single players and ten minigames for multiple players. New Super Mario Bros. was first showcased alongside the reveal of the Nintendo DS at E3 2004. The game was not playable at the event, with the press only providing information from a fact sheet, b-roll footage and screenshots. The footage was distributed widely online during the event, in which the game–at this point–was nothing more but a tech demo to showcase potential gameplay scenarios.

Early in the game's development, the developers planned not to use voice acting for the game to stay more true to the spirit of Super Mario Bros.; however, voice acting was eventually embraced by the developers, who decided that it would positively serve the game. Although voice acting was used in earlier 2D Mario remakes, New Super Mario Bros. is the first original 2D Mario game to use voice acting. Charles Martinet returned to voice Mario and Luigi. The team also set a goal to implement more engaging and functional ways of using 3D models in a 2D platformer. The usage of 3D models was not only seen as a natural change, but also as a significant evolution when the game was released. New Super Mario Bros. features original music composed by Asuka Ohta and Hajime Wakai under the direction of the Super Mario Bros. series composer, Koji Kondo, who also created the "Aboveground BGM", the main theme for regular levels. The game's music dictates gameplay; enemies jump and dance in time to the music. Predicting enemy movements, players can time their jumps with enemy movements to reach otherwise inaccessible areas.

New Super Mario Bros. is the first original 2D platform game to feature Mario since Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins in 1992. New Super Mario Bros. was available for play at E3 in 2005. The game's designers were given much more freedom with designs in New Super Mario Bros. compared to previous 2D Mario games. Characters, enemies, and objects could now be created with much more detailed animations, without requiring that they would be designed by hand. To provide visual cues, the developers made the game's camera more dynamic; it zooms in and out of action depending on the situation to provide focus where necessary.

New Super Mario Bros. was later covered in the 883rd issue of Weekly Famitsu–dated to early November 2005–which included an interview with Takashi Tezuka. As described in said interview, the game's multiplayer mode would've had coop features, but the primary focus was making most of this mode competitive, as it was the most fun. The winner of each round would've been decided by a number of factors, including which player hit the flagpole first, though the interview doesn't elaborate. The team was also planning minigames similar to Super Mario 64 DS. Physics play an important role in New Super Mario Bros. improved game mechanics. Without the rigid restrictions of tile-based sprites and backgrounds, the designers were free to explore new gameplay mechanics. Mario can swing on ropes, sidle on walls, and walk on wires that bend and stretch under his weight.

Release

New Super Mario Bros. was released by Nintendo in North America on May 15, 2006, in Japan on May 25, 2006, Nintendo did not specify why it chose to delay the game's release in its home market of Japan by ten days, but GameSpot noted that "it stands to reason that the company simply wants a few more days to build inventory." At the time, it was the best-selling debut for a Nintendo DS game in Japan, It is Japan's 26th best-selling game in 2008. In the United States, 500,000 copies of New Super Mario Bros. were sold in the first 35 days, and one million copies were sold twelve weeks after its release. Worldwide sales have steadily increased throughout the years, with five million copies by April 2008, eighteen million by March 2009, and 30.8 million by March 2016, making it the best-selling game for the Nintendo DS and one of the best-selling video games of all time.

Reception

The game received highly positive reviews from critics, with many calling New Super Mario Bros. one of the best games for the Nintendo DS and some further calling it one of the best side-scrolling Super Mario titles. IGN highlighted the importance New Super Mario Bros. had by remarking how "Rising expectations" had caused the "classic sidescrolling formula" to be "relegated to "classic" status", with only re-releases and ports of existing games and, occasionally, spin-off franchises. They stated that a new official Super Mario would have to be something special for it to exist on a current Nintendo system, and noted that the release of New Super Mario Bros. was "so significant" and "absolutely something special". and Electronic Gaming Monthly, and it received Editors's Choice Awards from IGN and GameSpot. Best Nintendo DS Game by GameSpot, and it won Best Platformer awards from X-Play and Nintendo Power. The game was awarded Choice Video Game at the 2006 Teen Choice Awards, and Nintendo Game of the Year at the 2006 Golden Joystick Award. During the 10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, New Super Mario Bros. received a nomination for "Handheld Game of the Year" by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.

In 2009, Official Nintendo Magazine remarked "Sure, it's a little easy at times and a bit short but with genius new power-ups and loads of retro nods, few games put a bigger smile on your face", placing the game 30th on a list of greatest Nintendo games.

In 2023, TheGamer rated New Super Mario Bros. the 4th best 2D Mario game, behind Super Mario World, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and New Super Mario Bros. U<nowiki/>'s Deluxe port. They called the game "fabulous", noted how it is "the only one [of the New Super Mario Bros. series] to which the claim of 'new' is valid", and lauded it for "Brimming with content, fantastic platforming, and new additions" as well as extra minigames.

Legacy

The critical and commercial success of New Super Mario Bros. led to it spawning a subseries of sequels, the eponymous New Super Mario Bros. series.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a successor to New Super Mario Bros., was released internationally for the Wii on November 12, 2009. It features similar gameplay to its predecessor, with several of the same power-ups returning as well as brand-new ones. The game is the first Super Mario game to feature cooperative gameplay for up to four people. A direct sequel, New Super Mario Bros.&nbsp;2, was released for the Nintendo 3DS on July 28, 2012. New Super Mario Bros. U was released as a launch title for the Wii U on November 18, 2012. An expansion to the game titled New Super Luigi&nbsp;U was released as DLC on June 20, 2013, but was later rereleased as its own disc. An enhanced version of New Super Mario Bros.'U, including New Super Luigi'U, was released for the Nintendo Switch on January 11, 2019, under the name of New Super Mario Bros.&nbsp;U Deluxe. It features Toadette as a new playable character.

The subseries would be succeeded by Super Mario Bros. Wonder in 2023, whose developers stated that with it they sought to create "a foundation for future 2D Mario games" like the one New Super Mario Bros. created, and wanted to develop "a significant evolution" like it was when it was released as the first 2D Mario game to use 3D elements.

In 2026, outlets reflected on the impact and legacy of New Super Mario Bros. Nintendo Life stated that because of how following the release of its sequels there were "multiple 'New' games over the years" it "became sometimes difficult to appreciate just how big the game was at the time" but remarked that "it really felt 'New' back then" and "was special" for how it "blended the old and the new", "reintroduced the classic Mario formula", "kickstarted a whole new sub-series", and its "classic power-ups alongside shiny new ones" and "new movement abilities" which allowed "even more creative level designs". They concluded that "While many feel that the 'New' series got a bit samey over the years", the original regardless remained "an extremely fun and polished game", and they'll "always have a soft spot for the first 2.5D entry on DS". ComicBook.com determined that the game was a "fresh take on a side-scrolling adventure" and noted how it, in addition to revitalizing 2D Mario games, "helped bring back the side-scroller as a viable genre and set the stage for plenty of terrific modern classics" and went on to mention that its critical and commercial success "proved the genre could still be refined with modern touches and that older franchises still had a space in the gaming landscape". ComicBook concluded by remarking how it "underscored just how much potential was still in the then-forgotten side-scrolling genre" and "revitalize[d] an entire genre — and in the twenty years since, gaming has gotten a lot of great titles as a result".

Notes

References

  • Official website
  • Official website
  • Official website