Video Game Review: ‘New Super Mario Bros. 2’ Offers Old-Fashioned Diversion For New-Gen Platform

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CHICAGO – One can never argue that Nintendo doesn’t know how to treat their most beloved properties. Every few months seems to produce a game featuring one of the icons of the most important video game company in history and the latest is “New Super Mario Bros. 2,” a tweaked version of the classic now presented in 3D on the Nintendo 3DS.

As one would expect, it’s a fun game that only suffers a bit by repetition of the platforming within it and a relative lack of variety or innovation compared to other recent “Mario” titles. Honestly, the biggest drawback of “New Super Mario Bros. 2” may be merely that it reminds one that this system could really use a must-play game before the end of the year. This is a fun-to-play game but not a must. It doesn’t even compare to “Super Mario 3D Land,” arguably the best game yet available for the Nintendo 3DS.

New Super Mario Bros. 2
New Super Mario Bros. 2
Photo credit: Nintendo

Players of “New Super Mario Bros. 2” better love collecting coins. You know that wonderful little ding sound and the smile you get every time your meter crosses 100 and you get a new life? If not, move on. The main focus of this revamp of “Super Mario Bros.” is an emphasis on coin collection as every level has been amped up with new coins, powers that produce more coins, and even “Coin Rush” levels that, well, it’s ALL about coins.

The gameplay here will be remarkably familiar (too much so) to anyone who’s ever played a “Mario” game. You bounce. You pick up mushrooms. You collect coins. You beat a boss. You do it all again. There are new power-ups that turn the environment and enemies into coins. Other than that, you’ve seen it all before. (There is a “Coin Rush Mode” that allows for multiplayer competition to collect as many coins as possible but I found it somewhat dull even if it does add to this game’s remarkably short running time — it’s the shortest Nintendo brand game in years.)

New Super Mario Bros. 2
New Super Mario Bros. 2
Photo credit: Nintendo

As for the 3D appearance of “New Super Mario Bros. 2,” it’s nothing spectacular. I found myself switching back and forth between the 2D and 3D presentations and I think I actually ended up spending more playing time in the former. I have yet to be fully convinced that 3D is the future of gaming in any way — handheld or on a widescreen TV. This is not the place to get into the 3D debate or the future of the 3DS but I will say that don’t go and buy “New Super Mario Bros. 2” because you’re looking for some great 3D. That’s not the strength of this title.

So what is? What it’s always been. The “Mario” brand of games simply means spectacular platforming, the kind of all-generation action games that simply do this kind of thing in a more accomplished manner than so many of their copycats.

The problem is not in comparing “New Super Mario Bros. 2” to other 3DS offerings — it’s clearly one of the more fun titles for the handheld. It’s an issue of what we’ve come to expect from the great “Mario” games across multiple platforms. This one just doesn’t stand out. It’s like a lesser album from a great band — still accomplished but nothing that will make the highlight reel when they retire.

“New Super Mario Bros. 2” was released exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS on August 19, 2012.

HollywoodChicago.com content director Brian Tallerico

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

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