New Super Mario Bros. 2

[ctrl-alt-delete]

Anybody else plan on grabbing it? It was just released on the eshop at midnight.

If so, are you going digital or physical? I'm still undecided, as the digital copy nets you an extra 50 club nintendo coins, but I'd personally much rather have a physical copy.

The decision would be a lot easier if digital was cheaper, as it well should be, but oh well.

[CJC]

I wasn't planning on acquiring any new Nintendo products until they revived Majora's Mask for the 3DS. In fact, that was my condition for purchase of the 3DS, so I don't own one yet (And I probably won't, since MM isn't going to happen). So despite the fantastic sea of gold coins, I'm going to pass on NSMB2.

[ShadowTiger]

I actually still don't have a 3DS. I really only get it for sidescroller RPGs. This latest installation of Mario feels like it really is all about the coins. I was never too interested in the coins, to be honest. I felt like they were small potatoes relative to the real thrill of the game - hot platformer action. Skill.

[ctrl-alt-delete]

Although I agree the coin thing is pretty weird, I've heard great things about the rest of the game.

I was fortunate enough to get a couple 3DS's as Christmas gifts for my wife and me. And I'll be getting Mario for free since I'm a hustler.

I can't wait for the 3DS to get hacked...Arrrrrrrrrr!

[SpykStorm]

I'd get this for sure, but unfortunately, I don't have a 3DS, or the money to buy one.

[ctrl-alt-delete]

The current level of AGN 3DS possession is starting to depress me. :(

I've had Mario Kart 7 unopened for over a week now, who am I supposed to play it with?!

[Glenn the Great]

Sorry, but I'll buy a Mario game when they can surpass the goodness of Super Mario World. It's only been like 20 years? I watched a couple YouTube videos of the New Super Mario Bros. series. This new entry is, like the others, another rehash of the NES Mario 1 gameplay, but with floatier controls, and don't get me started on the god-awful "doot doot doot doo WOP!WOP!WOP!" excuse for a soundtrack.

WOP!WOP!

Oh, and these games are easy enough that a caveman stands a chance of beating it.

WOP!WOP!WOP!WOP!!

[ctrl-alt-delete]

You didn't enjoy 64 or the Galaxy games, especially 2? They were pretty good.

You're right, though. Nothing will probably ever surpass 3/World.

The New games are far inferior, but I still find them fun. Wii New had pretty fun multiplayer.

Besides, I got it for $-8, can't beat that.

[Glenn the Great]

I enjoyed 64, but mostly because of the novelty factor. By the time Sunshine rolled around, I (and most others) were over it.
Part of me wants to believe that New Super Mario Bros. is a new generation of game designers' learning attempts at making a good 2D game, something they probably don't cover very seriously in schools any longer.

[Rambly]

Aw, c'mon, I think 64 had more going for it than novelty... I honestly think it was a well-designed game and I thought Galaxy was pretty good too. I'll admit the 3D collect-a-thon platformer subgenre wore itself out pretty quickly, though, but that's mostly because a lot of people thought that adding more useless crap to collect automatically made games better. (It didn't.)

New Super Mario Bros. DS was pretty dull, though; I'm not gonna argue that. It didn't really add much more to the series. I've heard NSMB Wii was quite a bit better, but I've never touched it. 3 is still the pinnacle of the series, with World not too far behind.

As far as New Super Mario Bros. 2, I'm not really all that interested in it. Even if I had the money for it and a 3DS, there're other games that I'd rather be playing. I'll admit I don't know exactly how the game works, but I don't think the whole "collect 1,000,000 coins!!" thing seems like a good enough mechanic to make the core of an entire game...
Then again, I liked the Wario Land series and the point of those games was pretty much the same.

[mrz84]

I own a 3DS. I bought this game and got the download version. Its pretty interesting. They really put a focus on the coins, even in places that will test your platforming skills a bit. As for other 3DS titles, I prefer Mario 3D Land over it so far and Mario Kart 7, both of which I still haven't done everything in because I keep gettign distracted by other games and work.

[Rydia]

Well, I picked up a 3DS XL on Sunday, and was going to pick up a copy of NSMB2 while I was at it, but I would have come up short on money for gas... :( But, I do plan on getting a copy of it eventually. Preferably a physical copy... I don't want to go with digital download, until that is the only option in gaming.. So looking forward to playing this though!

[Xyvol]

I will probably get NSMB2 at some point, but I won't rush. Maybe once I've earned enough reward points on my credit card so I get a discount, which means buying it retail. The first one was fun, but felt short.

I resisted getting a 3DS for a long time. I wasn't really sold on the 3D or the price. After they dropped the price, I pondered it again and considered getting it as a present for some one else and "borrowing" it.

Then they made this:
11

I thought to myself, "If I'm gonna get one, this is the one." So I got it.

I've enjoyed it so far.

[ctrl-alt-delete]

I own a 3DS. I bought this game and got the download version. Its pretty interesting. They really put a focus on the coins, even in places that will test your platforming skills a bit. As for other 3DS titles, I prefer Mario 3D Land over it so far and Mario Kart 7, both of which I still haven't done everything in because I keep gettign distracted by other games and work.

I haven't even opened my copies of Mario Kart 7 or KH: DDD yet. When I do, want to get some multiplayer going on?

[erm2003]

I have a 3DS (just got the XL too) with Mario Kart 7, Mario Land 3D, KH: DDD, and I just downloaded New SMB 2. I better add my friend code to the list we have in the sticky thread.

As for New SMB 2, I have only played through the first world and I can say they have taken a lot of the same stuff we are used to seeing in the newest 2D Mario games but twisted it a bit so that you have to try a few different techniques or think about how you approach a section a bit more carefully. It's not really hard yet, but I am really early in the game so I think the later levels will be providing some challenge. I was able to get to the first secret word through the World 1 cannon and those levels do get a little trickier so I think I will be enjoying it quite a bit. I know everyone has been taking about the focus on the coin collecting but I haven't even thought about it too much. On some levels I have been finishing with 500+ and after you die any coins you collected still add to your overall total. With enough play time I will eventually get to that goal of a million.

[Rydia]

Yeah, the coin collecting is an interesting twist to the game. How's the music in it? I've been kind of wondering that a bit.

[erm2003]

The music is similar to the original DS game but a bit upgraded. You can hear some different sounds but overall it has the same themes. They didn't really go for anything too original here. I think there are some new scores here and there but most of it is recycled so far.

[Rydia]

Oh, that's a shame, while I enjoy the NSMB music, I was hoping that they would have gone with something that was similar to SMB3, considering there are some decent elements from the game in here..

[mrz84]

I haven't even opened my copies of Mario Kart 7 or KH: DDD yet. When I do, want to get some multiplayer going on?

Sure! I'll be posting my FC in the proper thread by the end of the day so check there for it.

[ctrl-alt-delete]

Finally started 2 last night. I'm only halfway through the first world so far, but I'm definitely enjoying it FAR more than the first one. Tanooki flight is a welcome return, and I'm hoping they use it for tons of secrets.

In terms of platforming difficulty so far, it's been a breeze. Hope they ramp it up. Who knows, maybe when I was three, this game would have been unbelievably hard...maybe that's why games nowadays seem so much easier. Sheer experience.

[CJC]

Yeah, if you went back to play older games you would see that they aren't nearly as hard as they used to be. I've been systematically revisiting all of my old games (Just finished SNES, moved up to PSX), and most of them have been a breeze. When you think back they seem so much harder, but it's really just underdeveloped motor skills.

[ctrl-alt-delete]

But how do you know that's not related to memory? I know Tubular in Super Mario World is easy for me now due to my memory of it.

[ctrl-alt-delete]

CJC, this.

http://www.zeldainformer.com/news/comments/rumor-majoras-mask-3d-spotted-and-yanked-down-announcement-tomorrow

[Orithan]

I just picked it up this afternoon and just beaten the miniboss for World 1.
Not bad, even if it is so easy and feels so gimmicky. I like the level design so far, although one complaint I have with it is that you can only properly save after clearing a boss castle. Annoying because I want to be able to save at anytime, especially seeing that 3D Land had that capability.
For me, a good game is based on effective design and enjoyability. Difficulty, story, innovation, linearity, etc... all help or hurt, but they don't soley make or break a game for me.

[erm2003]

The save anytime feature is probably unlocked after beating the final world. That's how it was in NSMB1. You can still have a save state created at any point if you are going to quit or if you really worry about it you can always go back to world 1 and beat a castle there to get a save option again before quitting the game.

I am currently in the middle of world 4 but I also have access to world 5 since I went through one of the bonus worlds. There seem to be a lot more hidden exits in this game which is making it fun trying to find them all. The levels aren't hard to clear, but some of the star coins are a little tricky. There are a few I haven't found and I will have to go back to a few levels to find them all. I think some of the miniboss fights later in the game will be a bit more clever than usual. I know it was for world 4.

[Glenn the Great]

But how do you know that's not related to memory? I know Tubular in Super Mario World is easy for me now due to my memory of it.

I think you hit the nail on the head. If I go back and play one of the older NES or SNES games that I'm familiar with, it feels easy because I already thoroughly know the tricks and what to expect.
However, playing a game from that era that I've never played before makes me appreciate just how much more casual-friendly games are in their design these days.

Mario games made nowadays are not made with the original audience in mind; they are targeted toward the 6-10 age group. Say what you want about said age group and ADHD, but either way, there is a lot more competition for gamers' attention these days, and a game that is too frustrating might not generate good word of mouth on the school bus.

[erm2003]

This is why I wish more games would include a harder version to accompany the original - thinking 2nd quest in Zelda or even master quest of OoT. SML3D did that by having the second set of worlds to go through. I am not exactly sure how difficult they get as I haven't completed that part of the game yet, but I have heard it does get a bit more challenging with time restraints and some tougher obstacles etc. The main game can please the more casual and younger crowd but the hardcore gamers can have a bigger challenge to look forward to.

[CJC]

Even if they simply changed the enemies after the first play-through (Like the original Mario did), it would be an appreciated challenge.


Heh, what if all the Koopa Troopas turned into Hammer Brothers, and all the Hammer Brothers turned into Sledge Brothers? Replace the Goombas with Beetles, Bullet Bills with the Homing variety... it would be a deathtrap!

[vegeta1215]

I don't have a 3DS yet (gasp!), but I plan on getting one in time to play Paper Mario: Sticker Star when that comes out (and to catch up on some other 3DS games).

I borrowed the original NSMB from a friend and breezed through half the game in not much time at all. It was so easy and really boring to me. As a result, I did not plan to get NSMB Wii. However, I received NSMB Wii as a gift for Christmas (despite telling my family I DID NOT want it), and decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did because it was worlds better than the DS one. I've heard mixed things about this new one - some says it's just like the original DS one but with lots of coins, while others say it improves upon the original in terms of level design, and is closer to NSMB Wii.

Personally, I don't have much interest in it, but if I did get it, I'd get the physical copy for sure.

[mrz84]

Its does have its pros and cons, that's true. I've played both of the previous games, though only to a degree (mostly because they were rentals and Blockbuster nowadays charges out the nose for daily rentals) so I can neither agree or disagree with the claims you've heard vegeta.