New Super Mario Bros.

aka: NSMB, New Chāojí Mǎlìōu Xiōngdì, Super Mario Advance 5
Moby ID: 22341
Nintendo DS Specs
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Description official descriptions

In an all new 2D side-scrolling adventure, Mario and Luigi return after nearly fifteen years. The first traditional Mario Bros. game since Super Mario World.

The character models are rendered in real time 3D, allowing for a far greater number of moves ever before seen in a Mario Bros. title. Also as the game is on DS, the touch screen allows players to store an additional power-up and view the distance still to go in a level.

Bowser and Bowser Jr. has kidnapped Princess Peach, and of course, it is up to Mario and Luigi to rescue her and take down the troublemakers. There are eight new worlds to explore, much like in Mario 3: they are Plains, Desert, Tropical Island, Forest, Ice, Mountains, Sky, and Bowser's Lair.

The eight worlds have eighty distinct levels as well as many secrets that will only be found on careful examination. There are also many new power-ups (the mega mushroom and Koopa shell, for instance) for the brothers to collect.

Spellings

  • New 超级马力欧兄弟 - Simplified Chinese spelling
  • ニュー・スーパーマリオブラザーズ - Japanese spelling
  • 뉴 슈퍼 마리오브라더스 - Korean spelling

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Screenshots

Promos

Credits (Nintendo DS version)

75 People (72 developers, 3 thanks) · View all

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 88% (based on 107 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.9 out of 5 (based on 124 ratings with 8 reviews)

Buy this game or else! I mean it!

The Good
Finally, a sequel to Super Mario World and Super Mario Land 2! This is where the Mario series should've been, should've stayed. If this game was released on N-64 back in '96 (and I have this strange feeling it was actually already ready back then, just hidden in a vault), this would've killed Saturn, PlayStation and 3DO in one punch.

The graphics are exactly where it should be in did day and age. It's perfect, playful, bright, and easily seen, which is a plus compared to the multitude of dim, dark, diluted graphics today in other games. Only Banjo-Kazooie on GBA equals the happiness.

The controls are better than ever, putting to shame Super Mario Bros. 3 (that's a bold statement). I'll take the Pepsi challenge with that Mario 3 stuff anyday. (I'm not sure what I mean by Pepsi challenge with Mario 3, but it sorta makes sense when you think about it without thinking about it.)

The goombas and troopas dance with the music, and that's a major plus. It really makes the game fun, along with the mini-games (Luigi's video poker is a lifesaver during flights), and the ability to jump from place to place in the game by just touching the map.

The Bad
Why did I need to wait nearly 15 to 20 years for this sequel? Something wrong with the Miyamoto? I think he became too focused on 3-D games and realized how boring and lame those are and created this GEM.

However, this gem has flaws.

No raccoon leaf, no Hammer Bros. suit, no funny enemies from Mario 2, 3, World, etc., etc., no inventory, no ability to save anywhere I choose, stupid coin system, no Yoshi, no ability to choose either Luigi or Toad or anybody else, no cape, no Big Bertha, no Koopalings, and finally, no NINJI!! How dare there be no NINJI!! I mean it's a cross between a ninja and pig, and it's just needed so much!

Or is this game in essence like Batman Begins, Casino Royale, Superman Returns, The Punisher . . . where the series has been "rebooted" to fix all of the problems that have developed in past? (Geez, all everything needs is good writing and acting . . . and programming in Mario's case!)

The Bottom Line
You own a DS?

You better own this game, or I'll have words with you!

Nintendo DS · by Fake Spam (85) · 2007

Mamma Mia!

The Good
It's been a long time since Super Mario Bros appeared in our nintendo systems. With the new technologies, Mario's games have changed. You can find a lot of games relative to the plumber, all kind of games. With Mario we've painted, we've played lots of minigames in huge boards, we've fought against other characters of Nintendo like Link or Samus (and with other characters of other companies), we've played golf, tennis and many other things. All those games are good games, there's no doubt, but when Mario appears in a new platform game, we have another feeling. Mario is a character made to appear in games of this genre.

The Mario series has something special, we have Mario platform games on 3-D and 2-D. Many games were good games in 2-D, but when they jumped into 3-D it was a complete failure. This is not the case. Mario's games in 3-D are as good as the 2-D games, and all of them are an example of solid game series. We don't need 3-D to know that this is a great game, and we don't miss the 2-D when we play a Mario game in 3-D.

New Super Mario Bros has nothing new, just some minor things, but, it's the same concept that appeared on the mario 2-D games in Super Nintendo a long time ago. We'll have to jump, run, eat mushrooms and gain a lot of extra lives (it's really easy to have the maximum number of lives), but it's still as funny as always. It's a Super Mario game and nothing more, but that's enough, for sure.

Beside the main story, the secret levels and all those classic things, we have minigames to use the stylus (we don't use the stylus during the game) and a very funny multiplayer mode that completes the experience of the game.

The Bad
There are no bad things on this game, just some minor concepts that could be much better. Some secrets are hidden very well, which is not bad at all, but there are a few of them which are really absurd to find.

Maybe you'll miss new things, the game has some new features but nothing important.

The Bottom Line
New Super Mario Bros is, by far, one of the best platform games for Nintendo DS. You'll love it even if you have never played a Mario game, and if you've done it you'll love it the same way because it has the spirit of the old-school Mario games. It's like coming back to the past with a game that's not old-fashioned.

Nintendo DS · by NeoJ (398) · 2009

Why Mario Is King Of 2D.

The Good
It's hard to say what is exactly right about this game without providing the simple of "everything", and moving on. But it can't be that simple. Mario takes everything that made him so beloved in his 2D adventures, mixes in a few of his newer 3D moves, and there is New Super Mario Bros.

Mario is simply a joy to play. It's the plumber in his most pure form, running left to right, growing big and throwing fireballs, jumping huge pits and exploring underground tunnels. Swimming. Floating. Finding hidden areas. Saving Princess Peach for the 10,000th time, and you still have a reason to keep playing. All to a catchy musical beat, cheery animations, and some trippy new power-ups to boot. This is Mario back from the NES and SNES days, and after stepping back into 2D, he doesn't miss a beat. It is like wearing a comfortable and well enjoyed pair of old shoes. You know what to expect, but it's not a problem going back to it. The game is just incredibly well-designed and a lot of fun.

The game succeeds just because it shows why Mario was (and remains) king of the 2D platform game. Whereas Sega has taken Sonic to too many weird places with its title character at times, it ruined the fun of what it meant to be Sonic. Nintendo simply lets Mario play in new levels, without changing the character or motivation. He's a hefty little plumber that hops to do almost anything in the game. They just made sure the graphics were colorful and cheery, and that the gameplay was fun.

The Bad
The new Mario seems a little easy and generous on the 1UPs, but again, I've had two decades of Mario play under my belt, so I'm all too familiar with the game mechanics. The game also does not feel as long as Super Mario World, or as complex as some of the other titles, but it's forgivable.

There's not really anything "New" or innovative in this title. It's a "New" Mario side-scroller that offers nothing really non-gimmicky to do with the touch screen outside of the mini-games, many of which were already introduced in the DS Super Mario 64. If you've played a "Mario" game, you know exactly what to expect from gameplay, and know exactly what to do. Story still seems a moot point, but not many people play Mario games with epic quests in mind.

The Bottom Line
In a time where remakes are by far all too common, and more often than not nowhere near as good as the original titles, Mario feels like revisiting an old friend with a fresh coat of paint. He's the same game as you always remember with a few "ooh and "ahh" moments that won't wow you with the advances in technology, but will make you smile with nostalgia. It also shows that 2D platform games still have a relevant place in current gaming, where so much emphasis is still placed on 3D everything. The DS version of Mario is a wonderful showcase to prove that this genre is still very much alive, and still just as relevant.

Here's hoping this will not be Mario's last return to his 2D roots. One of the best games of the DS and of last year as a whole.

Nintendo DS · by Guy Chapman (1748) · 2007

[ View all 8 player reviews ]

Discussion

Subject By Date
So far, I've got mixed feelings... DarkBubble (342) Sep 28, 2007

Trivia

Competition

To celebrate Mario's 20th anniversary, Nintendo Australia ran a competition that anyone who purchased an Australian copy of New Super Mario Bros. could enter. The major prize was a trip for 4 to America to visit the Nintendo World Store with $1000 spending money. There were also twenty runner-up prizes of limited edition "Happy! Mario 20th" T-shirts.

Packaging

The Japanese version of the game was packaged in a special Nintendo DS case - instead of the plastic being black, it was bright yellow.

Sales

In December 2010, New Super Mario Bros. became the first Nintendo DS game to sell over six million copies in Japan. It accomplished this after being on the market for almost five years. It's also the best selling game worldwide for the system, with 30.79 million copies sold in total.

Awards

  • 4Players
    • 2006 – Best DS Game of the Year
    • 2006 – Best Dexterity Game of the Year
  • GamePro (Germany)
    • February 01, 2007 - Best Handheld Game in 2006 (Readers' Vote)
  • GameSpy
    • 2006 – #2 Handheld Game of the Year
    • 2006 – Nintendo DS Game of the Year
    • 2006 – Nintendo DS Game of the Year (Gamers' Vote)
    • 2006 – Nintendo DS Platformer of the Year
  • Golden Joystick Awards
    • 2006 - The Official Nintendo Magazine Nintendo Game of the Year

Information also contributed by Ben K.

Analytics

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Keeper Garrett.

Wii U added by Michael Cassidy.

Additional contributors: Unicorn Lynx, Alaka, Kabushi, Opipeuter, monkeyislandgirl, gamewarrior, —-, Cantillon, CalaisianMindthief, Patrick Bregger, piltdown_man.

Game added May 21, 2006. Last modified March 6, 2024.