• Publisher: Nintendo
  • Release Date: Aug 19, 2012
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 70 Critics What's this?

User Score

Mixed or average reviews- based on 184 Ratings

  • Summary: New Super Mario Bros. 2 is a traditional side-scrolling adventure game featuring Mario, Luigi and loads of other favorite characters from the popular Mario series. The game was created specifically as a pick-up-and-play experience that can be instantly enjoyed by players of all skill levels on the Nintendo 3DS system Collapse
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 46 out of 70
  2. Negative: 0 out of 70
  1. 91
    With its well-balanced gameplay and the high long-term play value, New Super Mario Bros. 2 offers a nearly perfect Jump & Run experience. The levels and boss fights could be much more difficult.
  2. Sep 4, 2012
    85
    It's still faithfully wedded to its classical framework, but by manipulating the way the audience thinks about what has always been one of the most arbitrary elements of the Super Mario Bros. series, it makes the game even more of a challenge than before. There are new dangers to confront and new reasons to repeat worlds, and this prompted seachange in the way we think about Mario yields results both fascinating and entertaining.
  3. Oct 14, 2012
    85
    New Super Mario Bros. 2's tricks may be old, but they are still some pretty darn good tricks. Length is one of the game's rare shortcomings. [Sept 2012]
  4. Aug 20, 2012
    74
    Don't get me wrong. New Super Mario Bros. 2 is a good game. It just doesn't seem infused with quite the right mix of Mario magic to make it a great game.

See all 70 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 70
  2. Negative: 11 out of 70
  1. 10
    Even though this is a basic repeat of the other Mario games, this one I have found addicting more than even Super Mario 3d land! New Super Mario Bros.2 is a traditional side-scrolling adventure game featuring Mario, Luigi and loads of other favorite characters from the popular Mario series. The game was created specifically as a pick-up-and-play experience that can be instantly enjoyed by players of all skill levels on the Nintendo 3DS. There is also a few new power-ups and enemies. Some of those power-ups include: Gold Ring, The Gold Flower, Gold Mushroom, Gold Block and Coin Rush Mode. The new enemies of this game include: Bone Goomba’s, Bone Piranha Plant, Big Bone Piranha Plants, Mini Urchins and Boohemoth. Expand
  2. I have never been a massive fan of the Mario games, with the exception of Kart which is just awesome. But when I heard about the new role collecting coins has in the game, I was intrigued. And yeah, its basically the same as every other side scrolling Mario title ever, and if that's all it was, I couldn't give it over 5 or 6. But when you start raking in the coins, coming up with new ways to maximise coin to time spent ratio; it's extraordinarily hard to explain how addictive such a simple mechanic can be. Expand
  3. After Playing for about a week, the game seems to be nothing more than one of Nintendo's marketing ploys. "Coins, Coins and more Coins" I get it! Mario's world revolves around coins as currency and gaining extra lives-which by the time I type this I have over 500- so you can complete the game! But here's the thing, Mario isn't all that greedy. Mario is mostly a hero that saves the girl in the end. I think that maybe this game would have been more appropriate if Wario was the protagonist instead. Wario Land's game play was always about "It's good to be Greedy" and "You have infinite lives". I mostly had to look up how to get to the secret exits, I usually found the secrets in Super Mario World easily and unexpectedly; now I needed help even finding the Star coins. I'd still be willing to see a new Wario Land game, the amount of coins in the old games were limited and it seems that the counter in New Super Mario Bros. 2 is in the millions. Expand
  4. This game, is the worst proper mario game, since mario 2. The world designs and the music are incredibly similar to the other NSMB games. The coin gimmick is pointless, since the coins dont actually give you anything other than a different title screen. The gameplay is fun, but its still the same mario game we've experienced for over 20 years.
    To make the game better i would suggest composing a new soundtrack. try making some good original environments that actually make use of the 3DS's 3D effect and also try and do something new with the mario license. Develop the story mode a little. Add something to make coin collecting worth something, maybe do what the Lego games are doing and make it so that you use coins to buy more characters or special items.
    Expand

See all 70 User Reviews